Play with your food!

This post is not only about foods and mealtimes, but about sensory exploration in general.  It is so important that you allow your children to play with textures of all sorts.  In this day in age, everyone is so focused on germs and not allowing children to EXPLORE.  I'm not suggesting that you allow your children to put "dirty" toys or outside materials in their mouths, however it is so important that you let them proceed with their natural developmental course to put objects, toys, dirt, etc in their mouths.  This is how babies learn!

Everyday I see parents discouraging their children from putting sensory toys (rattles with textures, teething rings, stuffed animals, etc) in their mouths, but it is so important that they learn to experience those textures and desensitize their mouths and oral cavities. 

When you are first introducing purees, put a teaspoon on your little one's highchair tray and let him/her touch it, play with it, run their fingers through it.  If you are concerned about the mess, strip them down and let them explore in their diapers.  Most highchairs are very easy to clean these days and a teaspoon can only go so far!

As you start to introduce foods with more texture (the really exciting and messy foods :) Let your little one's push their fingers through it until it bursts (ie: grapes).  Foods that appear different on the outside vs the inside are SO INTERESTING to children, let them figure it out, this way they will be so much more inclined to put it in their mouths and taste it. 

This brings me to the flying yogurt on a spoon.  Yes, every child learns to dip the yogurt/puree and then flings the spoon to watch it fly across the room, or right into mommy's face.  The more you negatively react to this, the more exciting it is for your child, so just calmly remove the spoon from their hands, or redirect the activity.  Do not make a big deal or a disgusted face, this will just perpetuate and add fuel to their fire. 

Just remember, kids like to explore, it makes mealtime (something that is not always fun) a little more exciting and interesting... just try it!