How to teach a child to read: important rules and effective techniques. Benefits of solo play

Your child is growing by leaps and bounds. And from time to time the thought creeps into moms and dads: “Well, you’ll grow up a little more and you can play by yourself, and I will have a couple of hours for myself.” However, this is not entirely true: in order for the baby to be able to occupy himself for 40-50 minutes on his own, parents should make a lot of efforts. We will tell you how to teach and captivate your baby to play alone.

Benefits of solo play

By playing alone, the child learns to find solutions

V. A. Sukhomlinsky: “A game is a huge bright window through which a life-giving stream of ideas and concepts about the world around flows into the spiritual world of a child. The game is a spark that ignites the flame of inquisitiveness and curiosity.

Teaching your baby how to play independently is not important to take up his time and allow himself to relax. Independent play is an important indicator of the correct development of the child. At the same time, the ability to find an occupation for oneself significantly affects the personal growth and character of the baby. In particular, playing with oneself develops:

initiative (after all, solving specific game problems requires the kid to make quick decisions - a pyramid that suddenly appears on the way of the machine can either be moved or knocked down - the choice must be made instantly);
the ability to overcome obstacles (this or that game activity has a certain plot, the development of which requires the child to find a way out of the circumstances - if the baby doll soaked his pants, then he needs to change clothes);
perseverance (to get the desired result of the game, the kid must go through certain stages, for example, to assemble a beautiful puzzle boat, you should correctly select all the elements, trying to combine them);
the ability to navigate according to circumstances (in order to dress a doll for going to kindergarten, you need to choose appropriate clothes for her, put on all the details of the toilet in order);
patience (to solve puzzles, the kid has to look at the task several times, select answers).

Why doesn't he play by himself or can't keep himself occupied with toys

Reluctance to play on your own may be due to feelings of loneliness

A fairly common problem when the baby does not want to play on his own. This worries parents, but meanwhile, the reasons for this behavior of the baby lie precisely in adults. The fact is that at 2-4 years old, children develop the skill of role-playing, that is, at this age dolls-cars-animals are very interesting. Caring relatives understand this, and this is where the immeasurable supply of toys begins. Remember your childhood: one or two dolls, a couple of cars and a wooden pyramid. But we could play with them for hours, coming up with names for them, playing entire performances with such a simple set. No, don't throw away the awesome math bears or the race car parking area, just limit the number of them. Why? The child does not have time to become attached to the toy, feel it and unleash his imagination. In addition, children need an example. That is, if you don’t show them how to play with a typewriter, then the baby will not only not have an idea about the toy itself, but there will also be no impetus for further inventing a game plot.

As for older children, 5-7 years old, the refusal to play independently at this age may indicate that the baby is suffering from loneliness. If a child lacks communication with parents, then it is absolutely logical that he will not want to retire even with the most fun toys. It is important to let the child understand that this is your common game with him, just sometimes he can do it himself. Also at this age, children are very sensitive to failure. Therefore, if a child fails to complete the puzzle, he will not pore over it alone. Come and direct the thought of the little one - this will give the necessary impetus to renew interest.

The kid must have at least a small, but his own play area

The method of accustoming a child to independent games is an inexhaustible topic of discussion for teachers and psychologists. All these researches can be combined into several effective tips for adults, then it will be easier to teach the baby.

The ability to play independently is an indicator of your baby's maturation. However, do not sound the alarm if he is not too eager to play alone. Patiently show your child how interesting it is to beat this or that toy so that he has an interest in finding new ways of entertainment. And be sure to participate in the gaming activities of your child, praise him - then he will grow up not only as an independent person, but also become a self-confident person.

In just a year, a child turns from a tiny silly child into a fully developed person with all the basic skills necessary for life.

Per month he tries to hold his head, it works especially well when lying on his tummy.
At two he manages to briefly tear his head and chest off the surface on which he lies, again, on his tummy.
At three o'clok months, some manage to roll over on their side on their own.
At four- almost all children easily change the position of the body, turning from back to side.
Closer to a year Most babies walk well and even run.

The peak of development of children up to a year falls on about 5-6 months of life. At this time, they begin to understand how to control their body and are almost completely ready for new “big” skills, which means that parents will have a completely logical question: how to teach a child to sit? Here we will try to answer it.

From this article you will learn:

Many of us can not wait to sit down our baby, and there is a reasonable explanation for this. All that the baby sees, lying in his crib or cradle, is the ceiling, the edge of the room, the parents looking in to him, as well as tree branches, clouds and the sky on a walk.

Only a change in the position of his body helps to add variety to the life of a small person. The first thing they practice with children after “rolling” on their hands is sitting.

There is an opinion that it is not worth starting to seat girls until the moment they turn 6 months. At this time, there is a risk of provoking the development of uterine bending in them. With boys, things are different, already on 5 months development, they can be gradually prepared for full-fledged sitting.

To determine the readiness of the child to master the science of sitting is very simple.

The round back and falling on its side at the first attempt to seat him indicate that the baby is not ready to change the position of the body from horizontal to vertical, but if he lies confidently and for a long time on his stomach, holding his head, rises to the handles, tearing him away from the hard surface of the chest, keeps the emphasis on the elbows and knows how to roll over from the back to the side and back, then we can confidently say that not without help, but the baby is ready to learn to sit.

We act smoothly, without rushing

Parents often train their children to sit on their own, covering them with pillows on all sides, but often this ends up with them simply falling on their side.

As mentioned above - this is evidence that the child is not ready to sit. In addition, such early experimental attempts to plant a crumb can end in failure, namely, the occurrence of problems with the spine, including scoliosis, and therefore it is better to abandon them immediately.

In order for the learning process to go smoothly, you should not rush, it is better to start it from the basics. First of all, prepare your baby for sitting physically, that is, spend frequent short-term exercises with him, which will help strengthen the muscles of the back, neck and abdomen.

For these purposes, a whole range of special exercises has been developed that the baby can successfully perform with his parents.

But, before proceeding with the exercises themselves, it is worthwhile to properly “warm up” the baby with a simple massage and gymnastics that you do daily.

Stroke the arms, legs, tummy and back - activate the circulatory system, spread the arms to the sides and up, cross them on the chest, gently bend-straighten the legs at the knees, spread the bent legs to the side and put them together, according to the principle of opening a book, imitate walking , resting your feet on a hard surface, touch the pile of the cage with your bent knees and do the “bicycle” exercise.

In general, spend standard classes with your child, which take no more than 5-10 minutes in time.

After the body has prepared to "work", you can begin to perform exercises that train the desired muscles.

Cooking and teaching the child to sit

Exercises on how to teach a child to sit are familiar to many. These include:

Pull-ups

The child is laid on the back. Mom stretches out her hands to him, and the baby grabs her thumbs. In this position, the baby will certainly try to pull himself closer to his mother. Here it is important to fix the hand well, keep the hands motionless and give the child the opportunity to rise by himself, slightly pulling him towards himself.

Since the tiny arms are still weak, there is no need to overdo it with lifts. A few approaches are enough, after which the baby should rest.

Push ups

Spread a blanket on the floor and place the baby on it, tummy down. He will try to rise in emphasis on his hands, tearing his chest off the floor. So you get such mini-push-ups, in which the back of the child will gradually become stronger.

Strengthening the back and neck

On the same blanket, in the same position of the body, lay out bright toys, colorful books, pictures, in a word, everything that may interest the baby at a distance of twenty to thirty centimeters from the baby.

In an attempt to reach the target, he will have to use the main muscle groups that are necessary for sitting, which means that performing such an exercise for 2-4 minutes 2-3 times a day will significantly strengthen them and prepare the child for the next stage of training.

Remembering the position

Sit the child on your lap, so that he rests well on you. In this position, you can stay for 2-3 minutes at the initial stages of training (at the age of 5 months), and up to 20 minutes a day, with a gradual increase in the time interval for crumbs from six months.

Day after day, this position will become more familiar to the baby, and you can help him hold it on his own, little by little reducing the support with your hands.

We train perseverance

This exercise can be done both on the hands and on a hard surface. Seat the baby and fix his legs with one hand, grab his hand with the other hand, so that he securely grabs your thumb. Now the child can be gently rocked - smoothly to the left, right, forward, backward.

The exercise should take no more than 2-3 minutes. Such simple actions will help not only to force the baby to keep the body in a straight position, thereby straining the press, oblique abdominal muscles, muscles of the neck and back in turn, but also allow you to train his vestibular apparatus.

slopes

The lateral muscles of the body and the muscles of the back are strengthened with the help of inclinations. In order to perform the exercise correctly, it is necessary to turn the child with his back to himself and put him on his legs. With one hand, the mother fixes the baby above the knee, with the other she supports him under the breast.

Now you can slowly tilt the baby until the back takes a horizontal position, after which it should be returned to its original vertical position. You can repeat the slopes 8-10 times.

Maintaining a seated position

The last exercise on how to teach a child to sit is suitable for children of six months of age.

To complete it, you will need to seat the baby on the sofa and insure him with a high pillow, which will become his main support. As soon as the child sits up straight with his legs stretched out in front of him, invite him to hold your hands. First try rocking him so that he can be held while sitting.

Now you can set the task more difficult: invite the baby to get his favorite toy. To do this, take it in your free hand and lift it a little higher than the one for which the baby is holding. The main goal is to get him to let you go and try to get the toy while maintaining a sitting position.

In the first couple, it will be difficult for him to do this, but the more often you do this exercise, the better the coordination of the child's movements will become.

We have already talked about how to teach a child to sit. Supplement your classes with a good mood and a positive attitude, conduct them in an unobtrusive playful way. Accompany all your actions with a kind word, praise, song or poem. So you will not only enjoy the exercises, but also contribute to the mental development of the baby and establish emotional contact with him.

Do not force children to sit if they do not want to. Do not break the natural course of things if the child does not like your efforts to teach him. Nothing good comes from coercion.

Remember that babies learn to sit, on average, at 6-8 months. Babies who are weak from birth learn to sit later.

If you perform regular exercises, then the child will delight his parents with a new honed skill by the age of 7 months, so go for it, and one day your child will meet the morning sitting in bed and smiling with his toothless or toothy mouth!

All parents dream of their child growing up healthy. Therefore, it is quite natural that during the first years of a baby’s life they pay special attention to the proper organization of his nutrition. Many parents use special tables, count calories, consult pediatricians about the age menu. In the first months of his life, the baby obediently opens his mouth and eats absolutely everything that his mother offers him. But time passes and he develops his own taste preferences and favorite dishes. The kid is trying to "take over" the process of nutrition. Today we will talk about how to teach a child to eat on his own, how to avoid whims at the table, and what to do if the baby refuses food.

At what age should a child feed on their own?

Some (particularly impatient) parents make the first attempts to teach the baby to eat on their own, as soon as he is six months old. All their efforts, as a rule, end in complete disappointment and general cleaning of the walls and floor in the kitchen. Which is quite natural. By this age, children have not yet developed coordination of movements and, no matter how hard the child tries, he cannot master this skill.

When to start teaching your child to eat on their own?

According to experts, the optimal age for mastering this skill is considered to be one year - plus / minus two months. Do not try to force the child and forcibly "shove" the spoon into his hand. But it is not advisable to delay the learning process too much. As practice shows, the older the baby becomes, the more difficult it is to interest him. After two years, little fidgets may already consciously refuse to eat on their own. It is much more pleasant for them to simply open their mouths condescendingly. So, the optimal age for mastering this skill is 10-14 months.

At eight to ten months, you can replace the bottle with a non-spill mug. At this age, the baby can put cookies or soft pieces of fruit in his hand so that he tries to send them to his mouth on his own.
At one year old, babies should master the skill of using a cup and a spoon.
At two years old, a child should be confident in using a spoon and actively mastering the skill of using a fork. At this age, you can already begin to introduce the baby to the rules of etiquette.

How to teach a child to eat himself: specific techniques for parents

I would like to immediately warn all parents that the process of learning the skill of independent eating is quite long and painstaking. Everyone in the household will have to be patient. Spilled soup, porridge smeared on the table, bread crumbs on the floor - a picture that you have to see every day. Remember, your child is not to blame, his coordination is still poorly developed and he also has a hard time. Learning something new is never easy. Praise your child more often, teach him to eat correctly and carefully.

In the learning process, you can not scold and scold the child, even if he dropped a plate of porridge on the floor. The baby may be frightened and he will lose all desire to eat on his own. However, parents should not allow pampering at the table. The child should not play with food!

Probably, you should not explain to parents that the baby should wash his hands before eating. The sooner you teach him to observe hygiene, the sooner he will form this useful habit.

Can a child eat in front of the TV?

Turn off the TV while eating. American scientists conducted a study in which it turned out that children who eat food under frames from their favorite cartoon chew it badly and eat much less. But as soon as they make this process habitual, they will immediately begin to overeat, absorbing a huge amount of poorly chewed food. In the future, problems with digestion are unlikely to be avoided.

Why the child eats very slowly: 2 common reasons

While eating, the baby should not be rushed. What if he eats very slowly? As a rule, the slowness of the child is associated with two reasons:

He's being careful afraid to hear criticism from you.
He deliberately slows down the process, hoping that your patience will burst, and you will feed him yourself. You can fix this situation in a very simple way - if possible, sit down at the table with the whole family. After finishing the meal, immediately go about your business. Kapusha-baby will not like to be left alone at the table, and he will try to keep up.

Among other things, you need to strictly adhere to the regimen and eat at the same time. Dinner should end two hours before bedtime.

The main rule that all parents should learn is that if the child does not want to eat, you should not force him. No: "A spoon for dad, a spoon for mom." Hungry, the baby will ask for food himself and with great pleasure will eat it on his own. Child psychotherapist Alison Schaeffer noticed that a person can live without food for a week. However, after two hours, a young mother begins to think about whether her child is dying of starvation! Agree, a rather ironic remark. But how true!

But if the child has lost his appetite, then you need to determine the cause,.

How to teach a child to eat on his own up to a year: step by step instructions

The famous pediatrician E.O. Komarovsky divided the whole process of teaching a baby this skill into 4 stages. In his opinion, food should be not only tasty and high-calorie, but also bright. And the learning process itself is entertaining.

The first stage of training should be filled with game moments. Parents at this stage can show all their creative abilities. It is good if during the meal the baby will be surrounded by favorite fairy-tale characters. But this does not mean that there should be toys on the table. Nothing like this. Just buy your child children's tableware with a colorful design. Many parents buy plates with fairy tale characters painted on the bottom. Until the baby eats the porridge, he will not see who is hiding at the bottom. Believe me, having such an incentive, he will be much more willing to wield a spoon. You can ask the child to feed the mother. As a rule, children are completely delighted with such a game. True, mothers have to “after dinner” for quite a long time to put themselves in order. By the way, Komarovsky advises first to let the baby play enough with a spoon, examine it properly, and only then put a plate in front of him.
The second step is copying. The kid needs to be seated at the table next to him and demonstrate his skills with a spoon by his own example. Children at this age willingly repeat all the movements of their parents, and this should be used.
The third stage includes "work on the mistakes". Parents should carefully monitor the actions of the baby and, if necessary, correct his movements.
The fourth stage is the consolidation of acquired skills. In the sandbox, you can give the baby a spatula, let him build Easter cakes. Having learned to use a spatula, the baby will soon learn how to handle a spoon. By the way, according to E. Komarovsky, children under three years old can eat, holding a spoon in any hand - both in the right and in the left. It is not worth retraining them by shifting the spoon from the left hand to the right.

What to do if the child does not want to eat on his own?

The child does not want to eat on his own: what to do?

First, don't worry. Children are very impressionable. They immediately feel a nervous situation and fall into a "stupor". So no extra fuss.
Secondly, parents should exclude the possibility of any problems with the health of the baby. Even the slightest can lead to loss of appetite.
Thirdly, one should not succumb to children's manipulations. You should not promise a new toy, candy, cartoons in return for food. The child needs to be explained that he is not doing you a favor by taking a spoon in his hand.

Many parents are wondering - is it possible to let small children have a snack or should they wait until dinner? Can. But only low-calorie foods. For example, you can give an apple or yogurt. The apple needs to be cut and given to the baby so that he can eat the pieces on his own.

As practice shows, kids are more willing to eat beautifully decorated dishes. The kid, most likely, will want to eat the beautiful flower himself, which will be in his plate.

How not to teach a child to eat with a spoon: mistakes of parents

It is impossible, having lost patience, to start feeding the baby. Even if you are in a hurry. The child must finish "started" on their own! But experts do not recommend keeping a baby at the table for more than half an hour.
If a 10-12 month old baby does not even want to take a spoon in his hands, do not rush, trying to forcibly instill a new skill. Everything has its time!
Many parents prefer to feed their baby separately. This is the wrong decision. The more often the baby will watch how others eat, the sooner he will master this skill.
Another mistake that loving grandparents make is considered quite common. They are ready to spoon-feed their grandchildren up to a hundred years. Despite the fact that the child eats with a spoon at home, when visiting his grandmother, he only obediently opens his mouth. Little cunning people instantly come to the conclusion that it is not necessary to eat on their own.

How to teach a child to eat gently with a spoon?

The learning process takes place without less loss if you first give the child solid food. That is, food in consistency close to mashed potatoes. Such food is easier to collect in a spoon, it does not spill. Of course, at first, not every spoon gets into the baby's mouth, but you should not worry about this.
Parents should remember that this skill is not easy for children. To help the baby in his development, you need to purchase a convenient plate and a special spoon for his age. . It is desirable that the utensils be unbreakable.
Do not forget about the apron or bib. Most mothers prefer bibs with a curved bottom edge. They are made from soft plastic. They are quite convenient, as they do not allow liquid food to drain and they do not need to be washed. After the child has eaten, it is imperative to wash him, remove the bib and (if necessary) change his shirt. After each meal, the mother should wash the dishes and wipe the table so that the child can see it.
In accordance with the method of M. Montessori, two-year-old kids are already quite capable of not only maintaining order on the table, but also cleaning up the dishes after eating. Try to teach your child to order from this age. If your baby is forced to clean up after himself, he will try to eat more carefully, as they say, with minimal “losses”.

How to teach a child to do homework without nerves?

The reason for painful homework is not in children, but in parents. After all, we are in a hurry, we want to quickly finish this business and take care of others. The best solution is not to rush. It's easier to spend one day and teach a child to tie his own shoelaces than to do it for him before the army! And I decided that we will do the first tasks slowly, as long as it takes my son to understand the task and solve it.

I stocked up on patience and time in advance, and we started.

Children need to have clear boundaries. My son and I immediately agreed that we have a division of labor in our family. I am responsible for making sure he finds his school clothes clean and ironed in the morning, and he is responsible for making sure his lessons are learned and his bag packed. It's fair: he doesn't do my job, and I don't do the job for him. At this point, the main thing is not to violate the rules of the contract. If I promised that it would be so, then it must be so. Give up slack and you will see that the children will immediately take advantage of it.

Then the question arose about the process of doing homework. I don’t have a pedagogical education, and I didn’t have time to acquire purely worldly wisdom in this matter - my first-grader is the eldest of my children. The proverb helped me: “Give a man a fish, and he will be full for one day; give him a line and teach him how to fish, and he will eat for a lifetime.” This is exactly what I wanted for my son. So that he does not learn one specific task for five, but that he learns to learn. On one's own. I decided that this is one of the most important skills that I should help him develop.

How to do it?

Don't let your child outsmart you!

I quickly realized that my child had a trick. He said, "I don't understand." And I explained the task. In fact, she chewed and put a ready-made answer in her mouth. And he just wrote.

When I realized that this would always be the case, I began to ask him to read the assignment himself. To which she received the answer: “The text marked with a circle should be read by parents to children!”

I began to explain that this was for those children who had not learned to read before school. And he is talented, intelligent, he can easily cope with such a thing!

The main thing here is not to give up. If she said - you read, then you read! But do not push with authority. Speak softly, with humor, kindly.

He read, I asked what they wanted from him in this assignment. He did not understand, I asked to read it again, but more slowly. And this could happen 5 or 6 times. Then the son realized that the sooner he solved the problem, the sooner he would be free.

It is important to do this without pressure, without aggression, in a calm tone. It is necessary from the very beginning to encourage the child, emphasizing how proud you are of him. At the beginning, the son had a fear that he would not cope, that he would not succeed. Many times I calmly told my son that I love him just like that, simply because he is my child. And I will love my children the same way, whether they are at five or at three.

Such conversations over time calmed the son, and he began to try harder.

Difficulties with writing

I must say that mathematics fell in love with him from the very beginning, but the letter was the most unloved lesson. My son was unable to write at all. There were many blots, strikethroughs and errors. In this case, nothing helped, he stubbornly insisted that he would not be able to write beautifully, that he still couldn’t do it. This went on until I accidentally discovered another tricky trick. I told my son that the teacher recommends doing extra work at home, writing something else for training, but I will not ask him additional tasks if he does it the first time. If the task is written once cleanly and correctly, additional tasks for today are canceled. If there are more than three mistakes and errors in the task, then the son does this exercise again until everything is as it should be. Here again I will clarify - if you promised to re-execute the task in the presence of errors, then there should be a re-execution of the task. Once you break your end of the bargain, the child automatically assumes that he can break his.

Another good idea to make things easier for the kids. You need to talk about your failures and difficulties in classes when you were his age. I told my son that for a long time I had problems with handwriting and could not learn to write accurately. She said how upset she was when she watched how other people write beautifully, and thought that I would never be able to do the same. My son was interested in hearing a story from my childhood. He asked questions, even empathized with me. And I kept talking.

The main thing is to intrigue the child, include him in the game. I aroused interest when I told about the secret of the competition: you need to compare your achievements with your own yesterday's successes and failures. We opened the exercises that were done in September, and the son saw that compared to the first day, his letters were smoother and more beautiful. This inspired the child, he caught fire.

I also revealed to him the rule of a hundred. This rule says: “Do something a hundred times, and you will definitely succeed!”

Lessons like in a classroom

We also have changes at home. If a student studies for 30 minutes, he has every right to a break of 10 minutes. During this time, the child can watch a cartoon with his younger brother, play a constructor, just lie around - do whatever his heart desires. If the son managed to do two subjects during the lesson, he gets a big break. Such a rule speeds up homework and allows mom to air her nerves in order to continue to be friendly and patient. Checked!

Reading: the child does not learn lessons, what to do?

It just so happened that the son categorically refused to read. A couple of times we got to such a conflict that we had to force and blackmail. After that, I felt uncomfortable.

The answer came by accident. We went to the bookstore, and I told my son that it was okay to not do his reading homework for two weeks. At all. But in exchange, he needs to choose the most interesting book in the store and read it for two weeks instead of reading assignments. The son happily agreed. To my surprise, the child chose a recipe book for children. For the next two weeks, he read his book aloud to me, we even chose the recipe that he liked the most and cooked the dish. After some time, the son began to read very well and do his homework on reading on his own.

This is how we live now - he does the lessons in the order he wants, at the end he brings me to check, I show the mistakes, if any, and the son collects the portfolio. The first two months it was difficult to introduce all these rules. But when the child got used to them, realized that they are unchanged in any case and it was in his interests to complete all the tasks quickly and accurately, it became easy for me!

Growing up, the baby goes through important stages of development. At first, he holds the bottle with his own hands, but soon it is time to teach the little one to eat on his own without the help of adults. For a mother, this is a difficult and responsible process, so she will need useful tips and lessons on eating on her own.

How to understand that the child is ready to eat on his own?

It is impossible to unequivocally answer the question of at what age it is time for a baby to give a spoon. It depends on the level of development and on the curiosity of the child himself. Some children grab a spoon already at the age of six months, although they still can’t really hold it, others refuse cutlery until they are 2 years old. There are also babies who begin to eat on their own only at 3-4 years old.

However, there is no need to delay learning. The sooner the child begins to eat without the help of adults, the easier it will be for the mother. Besides, these .

Experts advise teaching a child to hold a spoon from the age of 9-10 months. In this case, by the age of 1.5, he will be able to confidently wield cutlery.

Watch the baby, make sure the baby is "ripe" for a spoon and a cup. Only if he is ready, you can start training. If he is already interested in food, takes pieces of food and pulls them into his mouth, tries to grab a spoon from his mother's hands - he is ripe to eat on his own. Of course, mom will feed faster, and at first the baby will scatter food all over the kitchen. However, all parents will still have to go through this stage. Therefore, it is better not to miss the moment.

Instructions for parents who want to teach a child to eat with a spoon

When the baby begins to reach for the spoon, he is ready to try to eat on his own. If you do everything right, in a few months the child will learn how to use cutlery. No matter how precious your time is to you, no matter how much you want to keep the kitchen clean - do not miss the moment! If the baby requires a spoon - give him a spoon. And then - follow the instructions.

Stock up on patience. The hands of a one-year-old baby have not yet grown strong. At first, it will be very difficult for him to hold the spoon, and he will miss her mouth. The training will take from 1 to 6 months;
Train in different places. A great way to teach a child something is to turn the process into an educational game. Invite your little one to feed the plastic bunnies with sand with a spatula when he plays in the playground. So he will improve coordination of movements, which will come in handy later in a real kitchen;
Don't leave your baby alone with a full plate- He may choke or become naughty due to the fact that he is unable to eat. In addition, at first, the child will still be able to bring no more than 3-4 spoons to his mouth. Then he will get tired, and you will have to help him;
Choose the right food. The consistency of food should be such that the child can scoop it up with a spoon and bring it to his mouth. The baby will spill the soup, and take the pieces of food with his hands. Therefore, opt for thick porridge, mashed potatoes or cottage cheese. Do not immediately put a full plate in front of the child, but rather put food in it a little bit;
Don't forget the fork. Alternate cutlery so that the baby develops fine motor skills faster. At breakfast, did the child try to pick up porridge with a spoon? For lunch, invite him to eat fish meatballs with a safety fork;
Include all household members in learning. If you teach the little one to use cutlery, and the grandmother continues to feed him with a spoon, the process will be delayed. The baby will not understand why he should try to do something himself if there are adults for this. Explain your teaching principles to all family members and ask them to follow them as well;
Follow the schedule. Feed your baby exactly at the same time every day, constantly reinforcing the acquired skills. So you can develop a habit in your baby. In addition, eating on a schedule improves digestion;
Avoid coercion. In the process of learning, the child will sometimes be capricious and refuse to eat on his own. If this happens, feed him yourself, and postpone training until the next meal. When a child is not in a good mood, it will still not work to teach him something;
Dine with the whole family. It will be easier for the kid to master the spoon if he sees how other people are using it. He involuntarily begins to imitate them. For the same reason, in kindergartens, kids quickly learn to eat on their own and go to the potty;
Make up games to stir up the interest of the little one in learning. You can buy him a plate with a funny picture on the bottom and offer to eat porridge to see the surprise;
Start training with your child's favorite food and only on an empty stomach. The kid will not want to make an effort to eat something tasteless, especially in the absence of appetite;
Praise the child even for small gains. To please his mother again, he will try his best;
Keep the kitchen cozy. Buy a colored one, lay a beautiful tablecloth on the table, decorate the dish. Little things like that boost your mood and improve your appetite.

Action algorithm

To make it easier for parents to teach their child to self-feed, experts have developed detailed instructions:

Lay an oilcloth on the table, and put on a bib for the child.
Scoop a spoonful of porridge from a child's plate and eat, smacking your lips with pleasure and pretending to be delighted.
Give the spoon to the little one. Until he can hold it, hold his hand with your hand, help scoop up food and bring it to your mouth. Help until the child can hold the appliance on their own.
When the baby's arms get stronger, teach him how to hold the spoon correctly - not in a fist, but with your fingers.
When giving a child a spoon, take another one yourself. While the child is learning to eat on his own, help him with another spoon. That is, one spoon - to him, one - to you.

At first, the baby will simply play with a spoon - stir the porridge in a bowl, smear it over the face and table. Give him time to get used to the cutlery. If you are tired of the fact that the child constantly turns over the dishes, put a plate with a suction cup on the table.

In the same way, you can teach the little one to use a fork and a non-spill cup (). Start with small portions, making sure the child is interested, and never show your indignation at soiled clothes and furniture.

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Cutlery to help the baby

For a child, you need to pick up special dishes and cutlery. The main requirements are safety and a bright design that will stimulate the toddler's interest in learning. To set the table, parents will need:

Plate made of food-grade heat-resistant plastic. It should be bright, preferably with the image of the characters of your child's favorite cartoons. To see them, the little one will quickly eat all the porridge. It’s good if the plate has a suction cup for attaching to the countertop and an inclined bottom - it’s convenient to scoop up food from it;
Spill-proof cup made of non-toxic materials. It is recommended to choose a model with two handles - it is more convenient to hold such a little one. Make sure that the cup has a silicone or soft plastic spout without burrs, otherwise the baby risks scratching the gums. An additional advantage is the presence of a rubber stand, which gives the dishes stability;
Anatomically shaped spoon made of safe plastic. So that it does not fall out of the child's palm, it should have a rounded non-slip handle;
Curved fork made of non-toxic plastic. Choose a product with rounded teeth so that the child does not get hurt;
Comfortable baby chair. The one that comes with the table will not fit. The child should sit at the same table with adults to watch how they eat and imitate them;
Waterproof bib. Many children resist feeding and tear off their bibs. Therefore, it is better to choose a colored bib with cartoon characters. It is good if it is made of soft and flexible plastic, and the bottom edge of the product is slightly bent up - so all the food will remain in the bib and will not stain clothes.

What should I do if my child refuses to eat on his own?

Children are different. Many reach for the spoon, perceiving it as another toy. There are those who flatly refuse to pick up cutlery. In any case, you can not force the baby to eat himself. Parental pressure will lead to the fact that the baby will form a negative attitude towards food intake.

If the child is already a year old, and he still refuses to take a spoon, try to go for a trick:

Feed the baby yourself, let the baby relax, and try again after a couple of days.
Ask the baby's brothers or sisters to show him how they skillfully wield spoons.
Organize a children's party - in the company of friends, the child will be able to work out skills.

Although coercion is unacceptable, it is also not worth putting off learning to feed yourself for a long time. This skill is important for the overall development of the child and for his social adaptation.

Rules for neatness and safety at the table

A small child will not be able to behave at the table like an aristocrat. However, parents can teach him to eat carefully and follow the rules of hygiene. Just follow the following conditions:

Teach your child by example how to hold a spoon and fork as it is, drink from a cup, wipe yourself with a napkin;
Wash your hands before eating- for yourself and your baby. This should become his habit;
Follow the diet. Eat only in the kitchen and at certain times. This is important for the appetite and strong nervous system of the child;
Eat in a relaxed environment. Do not let your baby watch cartoons, indulge and be distracted at lunch;
Repeat rituals: mother washes the child's hands, puts him on a chair, ties a bib, puts a plate of food on the table. It is important to explain all actions so that the baby understands their meaning ();
Decorate the table and dishes- it stimulates the appetite. Lay a fresh tablecloth on the table, put a napkin holder, beautifully lay out dishes on plates;
Gather at the same table with the whole family. Make lunches and dinners with loved ones your family tradition. Sit down at the table in a good mood, do not rush while eating and chew all the pieces thoroughly. So you can enjoy the taste of dishes and help your digestion;
Do not pick up food that has fallen on the floor. Teach your child not to pick up food from the floor. What has fallen may go into a dog's or cat's bowl, but not into a man's plate;
Gradually give your child new cutlery and utensils. When the baby is only 1 year old, plates and non-spill cups are enough for him. However, by the age of 2, he already needs his own fork, a teaspoon and a tablespoon, a mug, like in adults;
Follow the rules and rules of etiquette. Teach your baby to be neat at the table, to wipe himself with napkins when he gets dirty. Reprimand your child if he rocks in his chair, plays with his food, rests his elbows on the table, or takes something from someone else's plate. Let the whole family follow the rules of good manners - and for your son or daughter they will become natural.

Mistakes of parents, or how not to teach a child to eat with a spoon

Teaching a baby to eat on his own is difficult, and at first many parents make mistakes. Use the experience of other moms and dads - and you will significantly speed up and facilitate the educational process.

Do not rush the child when he eats. Phrases like "chew fast, I have to do the dishes" should be out of your vocabulary. It is important to chew food thoroughly so that it is well digested, and this takes time. In addition, the meal itself is a great opportunity for mom to communicate with the baby, to give him her care.
Don't stop learning. If you have begun to teach your child to use a spoon, continue to bend your line. Do not give in to laziness, do not look for excuses. Explain to all family members that from now on the baby will eat without their help.
Do not force the child to take a spoon. If he is full, sick or just naughty, leave the baby alone. You can always reschedule a lesson on independence.
Do not scold the baby for getting dirty with food, even if he indulged. These are temporary difficulties, because soon the baby will learn to eat like adults. Your aggression will frighten the child, and he will lose all motivation for learning.
Don't let the TV turn on while eating. Cartoons and any programs distract the baby, but he needs concentration to learn how to use a spoon.
Do not put a huge portion on a plate. It is better to give the child less porridge, and then put the supplement if he asks.
Do not fall for childish blackmail. Toddlers try to control their parents with whims. So, a child who is already perfectly wielding a spoon and fork may declare that he will only eat a cutlet himself, but not soup. This means that the baby is not hungry, so feel free to remove the plate.
Do not force your child to eat the entire portion. He eats as much as his body needs to function properly. If your baby pushed the plate away, it means that he is full, even if a third of the serving remains there.
Don't use double standards. If on a trip you allow your child sweets for lunch instead of soup, then at home it should be exactly the same. If in your kitchen you turn a blind eye to the fact that the baby wipes his soiled face on the tablecloth, do not reprimand him at a party.

The main advice for parents whose children have begun to master the spoon is not to panic if the training is delayed. Over time, the baby will definitely learn to eat on his own.

Remember, skill comes with experience. It is best to choose the types of food that stick better to the spoon. Remember: it's okay to start learning to eat with a fork and spoon and make everything dirty!

Video: how to teach a child to eat himself

I STAGE. From 6 months you should always give your child a spoon. The child must be sure to touch the food with his hand, do not forbid him to do so.
II stage. From 7-8 months, the child will try to lower the spoon into the plate and pull it into his mouth. Dip the spoon in the food and, at first, help him try to bring the spoon into his mouth with his hand.
III stage. Start eating in front of the child so that he copies your behavior. Let the baby watch you, watch you chew and put the spoon in your mouth. Show your empty plate, and then start feeding the baby. Very quickly, the child begins by watching his mother eat himself.