how do i teach him to chew?
ok, my ds has been on fingerfoods now for about 3 months or so. The problem is, I have to cut everything up to very small pieces because if I don't, he will shove the whole thing in his mouth and swallow it without chewing it.. he has choked soo many times i have lost count (and I mean full on choking not just gagging). How can I teach him to chew. meal times are becomming stressful for me because I am constantly worried that he is going to choke and wondering if it will be the time when he won't be able to dislodge it and choke to death.! :(
What can I do? I give him toast and sandwiches but I hold onto them so he can bite bits off, its all good he can chew those bits, until I give it to him to hold and then he just puts it all in his mouth and tries to swallow it!
I give him teething rusks, he has those and chews them and sucks them, but when he gets a big chunk off, he won't chew it or spit it out, he just tries to swallow it and then chokes on it. I give him a biscuit, but i have to hold it, cause he will swallow any chunks without chewing.
I want food to be a fun experience for my ds not a time when mummy is constantly shoving her fingers in his mouth to get the piece of food out iykwim?
am I just being too paranoid? should i just let him hold onto these "big pieces" of food and feed him self to work it out, or should i just keep cutting everything up into small pieces?
i'm sorry for rambling on, but my boy is very independent and i'm sure he is sick of me constantly hovering over him when he is eating. I want it to be enjoyable for both of us. and I want to stop being so paranoid about EVERYTHING!