Mealtime Routines for Babies and Toddlers, 6 to 24 Months

Feeding a child aged 6 to 24 months can be a messy, fun learning experience. Your child may have about 3 meals and 2 to 3 snacks a day, and the mealtime habits you start now help build healthy habits for later. Routines help children know what to expect when it is time to eat.

Clean

Wash your child's hands before meals. Worried about mess? Put newspaper or a plastic mat under the high chair or booster seat to make clean-up easier.

Safe

• Seat your child somewhere safe, such as a high chair or booster seat, and use the straps.
• Watch children at all times.
• Follow food safety steps to protect your child from foodborne illness — FoodSafety.gov and CDC's page on safer food choices for children under 5 explain them.
• Use unbreakable dishes and cups, and avoid any with sharp edges.

Focused

• Face your child towards you or other family members at the table.
• Limit distractions — TV, videos, phones and pets can distract you both.
• Talk with your child: mealtimes can be fun, and your attention matters.
• Meals do not have to be long: 10 or 15 minutes, or as long as your child can pay attention.

Children should not watch screens. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no screens until 18 months, except for video chats with friends or family.

Learning to eat

When babies start solid food, you may feed them with a spoon or they may use their fingers; as they grow, they develop the skills to use fingers, spoons, forks and cups.

Family meals teach children how to eat and help them develop social skills. Offer healthy choices at every meal — and to encourage new foods, eat healthily yourself: children learn by watching.

How much

Let your child decide how much to eat. They do not have to finish everything on the plate, or all the liquid in the cup or bottle. Watch for signs that your child is hungry or full.

Children may eat different amounts from day to day, which is normal. If you are worried about how much — or how little — your child eats, talk with their doctor or nurse.

Sources

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "Tips for Mealtime Routines." https://www.cdc.gov/infant-toddler-nutrition/mealtime/index.html
• Rewritten in hubnx's own words.