Dexterity

Since we started Baby Led Weaning, I have notice how much Indigo's fine motor skills have improved. She is definitely getting the food in her mouth more easily now, and she's discovered that using both hands to guide the food in the right direction leads to less pokes and prods in the eye. Once the food gets to the right destination (mouth, obviously) there is then the problem of it dropping out again... Indigo's solution to this is holding the food in place with her index finger whilst chewing it. I am surprised she hasn't bit her finger yet with those sharp teeth.

We gave Indigo alot of pear to begin with, as it is nice and soft, but had stopped offering it when the skin was causing some problems. It would get stuck on the back of her tounge and cause alot of gagging, but most problematic: when I checked her mouth, for hidden leftovers after eating, there would almost always be a bit of skin stuck to the roof of her mouth. Imagine me trying to get this peice of skin out of Indigo's mouth before she goes for her nap.... my poor finger nearly got bitten off on a few occasions, so pear was off the menu. When we offered some nice ripe pear again the other day, it was a surprise to see that after chewing a good mouthful and swallowing most of the flesh, she then went on the retrieve the skin from her mouth with index finger and thumb... I was very impressed to say the least, who taught her to do that? She has since done it with tomato skin as well.

Another thing I have noticed her do alot recently as well, and she gets this from her greedy father, is wanting to hold a piece of food in each hand. She will eat off one piece of food whilst the other gets a good squeeze. Once she has got a bite off the first piece of food, she then moves on to the second piece and tries to fit in another mouthful; trouble is there is generally no more room left in her mouth at this point. Must teach both children, sorry... husband and child, not to stuff their mouth quite as much!