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So I bought Peter one of those small mesh bag things that you put bits of food in and they suck and chew away on it. Peter LOVES it with pear in it. Peter is 2 weeks shy of 6 months and has started stage 1 foods in the last few weeks.
I am just wondering if these are good for their solids development. Is it going to hamper his learning to eat from a spoon? The website (American one) says it teaches them to chew.
Just after any thoughts or experiences with them.
TIA!
Learning to chew is more important than learning to eat from a spoon :) I've heard of these mesh things, but I must admit it doesn't appeal at all LOL. Does it come clean easily?
Both my babies have been fine just being handed a piece of pear. They learn to juggle any bits that come off around their mouth, gum it a bit, and spit it out if it's too big. Have had no choking here. I'd be more inclined to just let them handle their food and work it out for themselves. Cereal is pretty much the only food that they had on a spoon in the early days. I do still feed Kayla if it's a rice dish or something, but otherwise she helps herself hehe.
I'm not sure about the development thing. We had one but I found it useless. It's in Darcy's doll collection now.....
Well, do you eat YOUR food through a mesh bag? A gimmick made to sell IMO. He wont be able to learn what his *boundaries* are if he doesn't eat properly - even when they gag it is all part of them learning how to eat.
I had a mesh bag for my now 18 month old when he was 6 - 8 months. I did not find it useful for actually teaching him to eat or getting any of his core meals in but I found it excellent on hot days. Could freeze a piece of watermelon or other fruit and put it inside and it was like an icypole for him. He absolutely loved it and was very easy for him to handle.
I wouldn't have thought it would teach them to chew, suck maybe, but not chew. I have one for Emily, and I put ice in it and let her suck on the ice. It's so hot here ATM.
If you're worried about the chewing/learning to eat off a spoon, when he starts solids, cook up some vegetable sticks or bread, or a piece of fruit, and let him feed himself with those.
I use it for when I am too distracted to make sure he's not going to choke. I don't use it for main meals only for snacks (fruit) and I agree it is great for ice blocks and grapes.
For main meals I feed him from a spoon or let him feed (well try to anyway!) himself.
It's not too hard to clean IMO :)
I got a lot of use out of mine, ds loved it. It was great for frozen fruits and chunks of pear, apple, etc.
Liz, they do come clean pretty easily, depending on which brand you have. And they are dishwasher safe (a most important feature in my house!).
I used a mesh bag like an icy pole for Livvy on hot days before she could handle an icy pole but that's all.
My DS loves to eat a chunk of pear in his mesh bag. He will eat fruit without the mesh bag, but if i am cooking or doing something where I am not giving him 100% attention I give it to him in the bag to keep him occupied.