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Home& Lifestyle Magazine | Winter 2017 41
• Decks/new & replacement
• Handrails/stainless steel cables
• All insurance work • Screens
• Stairs • Retaining walls
• Accreditied MODWOOD installer
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Adam & Lisa Lock
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From when babies first start eating solids,
the tantrums and tears begin, as does the
mess. Fussy eaters often refuse foods
by throwing them away, putting more food
on the floor than in their mouths. Teaching
toddlers to feed themselves is a necessary
and rewarding experience but comes with
many challenges along the way. Ryan O’Neill,
founder of innovative baby brand GizmoTots
shares five tips to make the process easier.
1. Start small:
When babies first start to feed themselves
it’s advisable to start with only a few pieces
of food at a time. Putting a bite-sized piece
of soft fruit or cooked vegetable in front of a
baby or in their fingers when they are ready
to eat helps the child stay on task. Give each
piece of food to the toddler one at a time.
2. Sit at the table:
When possible, always ensure the toddler is
sitting at their highchair or the table. Sitting
upright is important to prevent choking but it
also helps to feed the child in the same place
so they can learn the association between
food and eating. Focusing on the task at hand
without distractions helps the process too.
3. Patience!
It takes time for toddlers to learn themselves
and it can be extremely frustrating when it
doesn’t go to plan or when they even take a
step backwards. Mess is unfortunately a part
of the process but it can be reduced by using
a silicone plate that sticks to the table
or high chair so toddlers at least can’t
throw or knock over their whole plate.
4. Demonstrate:
Children learn so much from observing.
While toddlers are learning to eat it’s
especially important to sit down for
meals when possible and focus on
eating together, even if it means
the adults eat with their fingers to
demonstrate the process. Minimise
TV and technological devices while
eating so there are less distractions
and this gives kids the opportunity
to watch how everyone else eats.
5. Make kids excited for meal times:
Cutting foods into shapes is a tried
and tested technique to disguise
food from fussy eaters. While it
can help make meal times more
appealing, it can be very time
consuming. GizmoTots is a silicone
plate made especially to help ease toddlers
into self-feeding with eye-catching colours
and designs. The plates are available in fun
shapes, such as frog face and racing car,
which help make all food look fun, without
any extra preparation. Having special plates,
cutlery or glasses for your toddler helps make
meal times special and something they will
look forward to.
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Top Five tips to make feeding toddlers easier