Why Self Feeding is Important for Development
As a parent, it’s natural to want to help your baby eat, after all, you want to make sure they’re getting enough nutritions and you do not want them to ‘starve’ or be ‘hungry’. Research however, shows that giving babies the chance to self-feed is about far more than just the food on their plate. Self-feeding supports their physical, cognitive, and emotional development in ways that spoon-feeding simply can’t. This DOES NOT mean, you should never spoon-feed. Many parents do in fact spoon feed, and I was one of them (in the beginning of the solids journey). This post is focused more on why you do not want to spoon feed for TOO long.
Spoon feeding is fine, but long term you want your child to be able to feed themselves.
Fine Motor Skill Development
When babies reach out to pick up food, they’re practicing an essential skill: pincer grasp. This grasp, where the thumb and forefinger work together, is a building block for later skills like writing, drawing, and even buttoning clothes.
Research: A study published in Frontiers in Pediatrics (2020) found that infants who were encouraged to self-feed developed stronger hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills compared to those who were spoon-fed exclusively.
Allowing babies to explore their food with their hands helps them strengthen these muscles and gain control over small movements.
Encourages Healthy Eating Habits
Self-feeding allows babies to listen to their own hunger and fullness cues, which is crucial for developing healthy eating habits. When parents spoon-feed every bite, babies may lose touch with their internal cues, which can lead to overeating or picky eating later. I have also watched many parents feed their children too quickly, when spoon feeding, space the timing out so that you are not just shovelling it in.
Research: A study in Appetite (2018) showed that babies who were encouraged to self-feed had better self-regulation of food intake compared to babies who were fed entirely by caregivers. It’s all about making sure you move onto the next step without getting caught up on continuing to spoon feed your baby for months and months.
By letting your baby decide how much to eat, you’re teaching them to respect their own body’s signal. A skill that can reduce struggles around food in toddlerhood and beyond.
Boosts Cognitive and Sensory Development
Exploring food with hands, fingers, and eventually utensils is not just messy, it’s brain-building. Babies learn textures, smells, and tastes through tactile exploration, which stimulates sensory development. This is one reason why I am not a fan of the pouches, they can’t see what its in there, and are just sucking on food. Handy when out and about, but not in the chair.
Research: According to Current Nutrition Reports (2017), sensory play with food can support cognitive development by enhancing problem-solving skills and encouraging curiosity. For instance, figuring out how to pick up a piece of soft carrot versus a firm cucumber is an early exercise in critical thinking.
These experiences also make babies more willing to try new foods. Although when children are around the age of 2.5 years old, they do tend to all go through the picky eating phase.
Promotes Independence and Confidence
Self-feeding is an early form of autonomy, allowing babies to practice making choices, gaining confidence in their abilities, and developing a sense of control.
Research: Erikson’s stages of psychosocial development emphasize that toddlers gain a sense of autonomy through actions like feeding themselves. Early opportunities for self-feeding build the foundation for self-confidence and independence that lasts well beyond mealtimes.
Practical Tips for Encouraging Self-Feeding
Offer soft, easy-to-grasp finger foods such as steamed vegetables, small pieces of fruit, or soft-cooked pasta.
Use a high chair with a tray, allowing your baby to explore safely. Including using the harness.
Be patient with mess, it’s all part of learning and if you have a dog, they will be your babies new best friend.
Avoid distractions like screens; mealtime is a learning opportunity.
Gradually introduce utensils as your baby develops fine motor control.
Conclusion
Letting your baby self-feed isn’t just about nutrition, it’s about growth, independence, and lifelong healthy habits. From fine motor skills and sensory development to self-regulation and confidence, the benefits are extensive. By stepping back and letting your baby take the lead at mealtimes, you’re giving them a gift that lasts far beyond the dinner table.
I like to go with this saying when it comes to eating with the little ones - you say when, you say what, you say where, they say how much.
Looking for more guidance on Introducing solids? You can download my free guide here:
