Messy Eating In Toddler: Why Is Messy Eating Important For Toddlers, And How To Deal With Messy Eaters

We have all seen pictures of messy eating kids with food smeared all over their face, hands, hair, and sometimes even the floor on social media. Not only on social media, but in real life as well, many parents struggle with allowing their little ones to be a complete mess while eating. But did you know that your child's messy way eating style can also help them develop their brain?

Continue reading to learn more about "Messy eating and its importance as well as how to deal with messy eaters".

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What Is Messy Eating All About?

Messy eating is a healthy thing for a toddler and a perfectly normal part of their development. When children started to feed themselves, they ate with their hands and fingers before moving to cups, spoons, and plates. They have problems getting food into their mouth because they lack complete muscle coordination, resulting in a mess. Their muscle coordination will improve over time and mealtimes will become less messy.

Why Is Messy Eating Important In The Life Of A Toddler?

The following are some of the reasons why you should let your little one gets messy when eating:

(i) It Improves Sensory Development

Messy eating is a sensory activity. It allows your child's brain to receive information about different textures, tastes, temperatures, colors, and quantities from their meal. They also learn the difference between solid and liquid foods. These senses also help your child's early language development, word learning, and the creation of a positive food environment.

(ii) It leads to a higher level of Food Acceptance

Children are more likely to eat when they are familiar and comfortable with the sensory information. Sensory play and food exploration help children overcome their fear of new textures and tastes, resulting in a greater variety of food eaten.

(iii) It Encourages the Growth of Gross and Fine Motor Skills

All of these skills, from learning gross motor skills like sitting up straight in the chair to fine motor skills like managing the spoon to eat, involve getting messy in some way. So allow them to make a mess and learn from it. You can also teach children how to sit and eat at the table with spoons or their hands. Learning how to use the spoon and hand properly is an important skill for becoming less messy.

Why Are Children Messy Eaters?

Children pass through phases of development as they learn to feed themselves. They began by eating solids with a spoon or by picking up food with their hands. Then they progress to self-feeding with a spoon or their hands, as well as cups and plates. In general, teaching children to get food into their mouths without making a mess takes a lot of time, patience, and muscle coordination. As a result, expect a few spills along the way.

How Do You Handle Messy Eaters?

Most children are messy eaters as they learn about food in their early life stages. Parents must be patient in understanding their child's behavior and should guide proper table manners to their children.

Here are a few suggestions to help you keep a mealtime mess under control:

1. Expect Toddlers to Make a Mess

Toddlers learn about food and eating by playing or having fun with it. They will often throw it, squash it, smear it over themselves, chew it, and spit food to get a better understanding of how it feels and tastes. Remember that touching food and making a mess is all part of the learning process for children. You will definitely be disappointed if you expect a mess-free meal. Mealtime will become less messy once your child has mastered the art of self-feeding as well as how to handle and hold their utensils. So, accept the mess.

2. Praise for Healthy Eating

Remember to praise your child with positive words and body language after he or she has successfully learned to eat food. This encouragement is important for creating a happy mealtime environment.

3. Stay Cool

especially, if your children are no longer toddlers. when children make a mess with their food, it might be frustrating. However, try to stay cool. Do not play the game when your child throws food on the floor and you pick it up and put it on the other plate over and over again. They will continue to repeat the activity if they receive attention for the behavior, even if it is negative attention.

4. Keep Mealtime Short

Before your child sits in their seat or highchair, get their meal ready. When you put your child in their seat, make sure that he or she is hungry. Also, do not let it go on too long, once they have finished eating, take the food or plate away.

5. Serve Smaller Portions of Food on the plate

If your child has a habit of throwing food on the floor, then try serving a small amount at a time. Wiping your child's face while they are eating might irritate the skin and also disturb the mealtime; instead, wait until after the meal to clean up.

Tips To Minimize The Mess

---> Whenever possible serve finger foods to your children. Finger foods like fruits, carrots, pancakes, roti's, and parathas. It reduces the number of messes that need to be cleaned later.

---> Make a thicker version of porridge and dals that do not simply slide off the spoon. This helps children in scooping up the food in their spoons and also helps the early stages of self-feeding with a spoon.

---> On the floor, place a mat or newspaper. This catches the majority of the messes and cuts the workload in half.

---> To keep messes to a minimum, use plates and bowls with a suction base.

 ---> When your child eats, use bibs to help catch any messes.

Final Thought

As parents, we need to handle messy eaters with love and care. Allow your children to explore, touch, and feel their food. This satisfies their curiosity for food exploration and builds a positive relationship with the food they eat. The best way to handle messy eaters is to remain calm and cool. I am sure that your children will learn to eat properly much more quickly than your expected.

Good luck with your parenting...!