As parents, it's natural to want to keep our babies clean and tidy. But when it comes to mealtimes, letting your little one get messy with food could be one of the best things you do for their development.
Sure, it might mean extra laundry and a bit more cleaning up, but research suggests that allowing babies to explore with their hands and faces during feeding has multiple developmental benefits.
Introducing solids to your baby is an exciting milestone, but it can quickly turn into a messy affair. At first, babies tend to stay relatively clean since they arent very mobile.
But as they grow, things change. Suddenly, theyre grabbing the spoon, swiping at their food, and blowing raspberries into mashed peas.
According to Jen Spiro, an experienced occupational therapist at nurtureOne, this is completely normaland something to embrace rather than avoid.
