At 6-8 months most infants will prefer to feed themselves and some will insist! You many not want to let your baby feed him or herself. But when parents begin the "battle of the spoon" it can result in failure to gain weight around this age. You may have many reasons for not letting your infant feed him or herself. First it can make a big mess! Other times parents do this if their child was a preemie or if they don't want their baby to grow up. Sometimes it just feels easier to be in control of feedings. Certainly if you are in charge of feedings you can be more reassured that your child is getting enough to eat. However, it is important to let your child do it themselves. Just put finger foods on your child's tray and then pretend not to watch. You may need to hide your face behind a book to avoid looking concerned. Or if it is the mess you don't like, feed your child in just his or her diaper over newspaper or a tarp. Then give them a bath after meals. Following your child's lead in self-feeding now can prevent feeding battles later.
