Why doesn't your child eat solid food? Is your baby unable to swallow solid food and choking? How to teach a child to chew independently

Many young mothers are faced with an unexpected problem - how to teach a child to chew? The baby takes carefully ground vegetable and fruit purees with pleasure, not because they taste better. He's just used to them! What to do if teeth have already appeared, but chewing skills have not yet been formed?

Many inexperienced mothers miss the development of chewing skills in their infants, and then wonder why a two-year-old baby spits out solid food! Teaching a two-year-old child to chew is quite problematic, but this is not the only question.

The absence of a chewing reflex or weak articulatory tone (inactive facial muscles) threatens quite serious problems in the development of the baby.

The benefits of a timely reinforced chewing reflex:

• strong teeth;
• balanced functioning of the gastrointestinal tract;
• clear articulation;
• full mental development.

Untimely development of the chewing reflex will lead to the formation of an incorrect bite, which will inevitably affect changes in the oval of the face. Young teeth without a dosed load on the gums can fall out.

If the intestines only process pureed foods, this will lead to bloating and constipation. If a child eats only food that can be safely swallowed, the body will not be able to produce the necessary enzymes. For the proper formation of enzymes, food must be abundantly moistened with saliva, and this is impossible by simply swallowing purees and cereals!

Inability to chew, swallow and eat solid food before the age of one year will inevitably lead to speech problems.

Speech therapists associate delayed speech development or its absence with an untimely development of the chewing reflex. The baby is silent because it is difficult for him to pronounce some sounds due to reduced articulatory tone.

The habit of eating only pureed food reinforces the habit of laziness. The child does not know how to work, he does not want to chew! The baby is already a year old, he is on his second birthday, and he is still on cereals and purees. Mothers explain this by pity for the baby, the desire to make his life easier! But is it? Maybe the mother makes her life easier by reducing the time it takes for the baby to prepare and eat food? As a result, the baby will learn to manipulate his parents, sensing weakness. And this is already a serious signal: whims will only increase as they grow older and can come back to haunt them in adolescence as a “rebellion against their parents.”

What happens if you give a baby under one year of age a rubber or silicone ring, rather than hard pieces of food, to “scratch his gums”? He will not develop a chewing reflex, and the esophagus will not learn to accept and digest solid food. Babies also gnaw and bite the ring actively, but do not associate this with eating. The ring is not tasty, it cannot be swallowed!

Why can't my baby chew?

Who will teach a baby to chew if not the parents? But young mothers and fathers either do not know how to teach a child to chew, or they leave everything to chance. Reasons for children's inability to chew:

1. jar feeding;
2. using a blender;
3. a sharp transition to “solid” nutrition;
4. early cessation of breastfeeding;
5. lost time.

Companies that produce baby food always indicate for which age category the product is intended. As the child gets older, the consistency of purees and porridges thickens. However, young mothers do not think about looking at manufacturers' recommendations. But formulas for a one-year-old baby (and even earlier) already contain solid lumps of food.

Using a blender to prepare a quick and tasty dinner is a blessing and a punishment for civilization. It’s so convenient for mom: in a minute the delicious puree is ready! It’s such a treat to watch the baby gobble up spoon after spoon. So I'm full! This is true, but the chewing reflex is not developed.

Another mistake young mothers make is abruptly switching their baby up to one year to solid food. This is stressful for the baby, because he is accustomed to a certain easily accessible diet and has learned to quickly swallow soft purees and cereals.

To get used to chewing hard pieces, you need to gradually replace porridge with solid foods. First by a quarter, then by a third and so on.

Early cessation of breastfeeding atrophies the facial muscles (articulatory tone) and teaches the child to obtain food with light effort. To get milk from the mother's breast, the baby actively works, working with the muscles of the cheeks and jaw. Getting milk from a bottle doesn't require any effort! All this leads to the development of incorrect reflexes.

Missing the time for strengthening the chewing reflex means causing problems with feeding your child. He will refuse to eat solid food. It is important not to miss the right time and give the baby to chew not a rubber bulb to “scratch the gums”, but a piece of cookie or apple. If the child is already one year old, this will be much more difficult to do.

When to start teaching chewing

The baby himself tells his parents when it’s time to eat solid food: at this time he begins to put into his mouth everything that comes to hand. Young mothers think that the child’s gums are simply itchy. But this is not entirely correct! It is at this time that the baby is ready to eat solid food.

What should you give your baby at this time? Cookies, bagels or dried fruit work well. Many mothers give this food to children under one year old, and they do it right! Some mothers are afraid that the child may choke or swallow food whole. But these are vain fears. The baby holds the delicious cookie tightly in his hand and happily chews it with his gums.

Be sure to give your baby cookies, dry food or crackers to gradually replace the sucking reflex with a chewing one. This must be done even before the first teeth appear: after all, the baby does not chew with his milk teeth, but bites. He must learn to chew with his gums.

At the age of 4-7 months, natural curiosity will be a good helper in strengthening the chewing reflex: the baby puts everything in his mouth, and at this time the mother gives him pieces of an apple or cookie.

While chewing with gums, the baby learns:

• make lateral movements with the tongue;
• push food towards the teeth with the tongue;
• swallow chewed food.

By the age of one year, the baby must fully master the art of handling solid pieces of food and eating on its own. But this will not happen by itself: parents must help the baby in time.

Teaching an adult child

There is no special method for teaching infants to chew, because this process is programmed by nature itself.

The first chewing reflex appears in the baby already in the fourth or fifth month of life, and not at all in a year! If at this time you do not teach your baby to eat hard pieces, the chewing reflex will not be strengthened.

How to teach a child to chew if you missed the right moment? The sooner mom comes to her senses and starts to correct herself, the better. Recommendations for teaching children to chew are not complicated:

1. Let your baby play with a spoon, let him get used to putting it in his mouth on his own.
2. Mash fruits and boiled vegetables with a fork rather than a blender: your baby will get used to small pieces of food and chew them.
3. If you have used a blender for cooking, do not suddenly switch to crushing food with a fork: gradually replace pureed food with mashed food with a fork.
4. After a year, you can go to a cafe with your child and offer solid food: the baby will quickly learn to eat “adult” food, looking at those around him. The imitative reflex, which is inherent in nature, will help you here. This explains the fact that when a group of children eats together, they quickly learn to eat everything that is on the table in plates.

Remember that it is strictly forbidden to be nervous and angry with your child while feeding! If, through your own fault, you missed the development of chewing muscles up to a year, the baby is not to blame. You should be angry with yourself, and help your baby cope with a difficult task for him.

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When a year old baby pushes away the steering wheel with his little hand, refusing to take it into his mouth, most parents do not attach any importance to this. When at one and a half years old the little sun persistently spits out all the solid pieces of food, and then most mothers do not worry.

And only when, at the age of two, it turns out that the already grown-up strong fellow does not chew food, which is why he has to be given only ground and crushed pureed foods, then panic begins. Why do children so often today have no chewing reflex? How to restore it and teach your baby to chew?

In order not to encounter a similar problem and not go to pediatricians with complaints that your child cannot chew, you need to think about this as early as possible. If you don’t develop fine motor skills in your baby at the age of 2–3, he will have a hard time later. It's the same here. If you don't develop the chewing reflex by 6 months, it will be too late to bite your elbows later. When and at what age does a child begin to chew? Everything happens gradually.

• Six months

The chewing reflex awakens in infancy, by 6 months. If at this age you give your child a dryer, a bagel or the same teether, what does he begin to do with it? Many believe that this is how he scratches his gums, but, as it turns out, this is not the only reason that forces the baby to put all hard objects into his mouth. This is how he learns to make the first chewing movements. And it is very important not to miss this moment, because in a couple of months, when your baby turns into a funny bunny with two front teeth, it will be very difficult for him to chew. Therefore, try to ensure that he acquires his first skills even before the appearance of his first teeth.

When the baby already has more than a couple of teeth in his mouth, he will again try to chew mixed with swallowing and sucking. And again, if you miss this moment and do not maintain the chewing reflex, the child will happily give up this “work” and will swallow soft and liquid purees and cereals.

• Two years

By this time, the baby should definitely learn to actively chew (even if he doesn’t always succeed) solid food. And if he doesn’t want to chew by this age, know that you need to take action. After all, it is at this age that solid food contributes to the proper development of the dental system, exercise of the masticatory muscles and normal salivation, without which there will be neither self-rinsing of the oral cavity nor normal digestion.

This is how the baby’s chewing reflex should develop. The parents' task is to help him in this difficult matter. And if the situation is such that at 2 years old he does not chew solid food, it is necessary to identify the cause of this phenomenon as quickly as possible and try to correct the situation.

Why doesn't the child chew?

A baby may refuse to chew for various reasons. Some of them can be easily eliminated, but others will be problematic, because it will be too late to correct them in two years. The reasons why a grown-up toddler chews poorly or refuses to do so altogether are most often the following factors.

1. Improper feeding. This happens if a mother, caring too much about her baby, is afraid to introduce solid food into his diet, citing the fact that he may choke. The predominance of liquid, puree foods is the first and most common cause of this phenomenon.
2. Lack of skills in infancy. This happens if, at six months, the child had no horns and teething teeth, and at one year, nothing was introduced into his diet that could be chewed.
3. Laziness. Some children are too spoiled and lazy: yes, yes, they are just too lazy to chew. Moreover, if they know that at their first request (whims), mother will replace the hard piece with soft puree. You will find a couple of tips for this case in the article:.
4. Hyperactivity. Sometimes a child refuses to chew for the simple reason that he has no time to do it: he is always spinning, does not sit still, runs, he always needs to run somewhere. Read: .

These are the most basic reasons why a child does not chew food. Analyze your own situation, watch your baby - and soon you yourself will understand the reason for this unpleasant phenomenon. After this, it will be much easier to get rid of this scourge.

How to teach a child to chew food

The main question that concerns all parents is how to teach a child to chew food and restore his chewing functions? Nothing is impossible, so be patient and get started.

1. Show him by your own example how to chew: teach him, give him a few lessons in a playful way.
2. Buy marshmallows or marmalade that you must chew.
3. Stop grinding and chopping food: only hard pieces. If you haven’t eaten, don’t insist: hunger will eventually take its toll.
4. Don't yell or get angry. Try to communicate calmly with your child while eating, explaining everything to him in an even, kind, calm voice.

Yes, it’s not so easy to withstand the vagaries, but if the process is started through your fault, there’s nothing you can do about it. Sometimes you can only force your beloved child to chew food with your own endurance. Always remember about the result you want to achieve, and not about the whims and tears of your little sly one. Having seen how unyielding his mother is, you will see that he will soon give in and give in to you.

source http://www.detskydoctor.ru/

Very often mothers ask me the following question: “the child does not eat solid food, does not know how to chew, or is choking.” The problem is VERY common and, by the way, it appeared only recently, when the timing of introducing complementary foods was revised. Previously, the child received the first drying BEFORE the appearance of the FIRST teeth, and learned to chew with his gums. Now at 6 -6.5 months, most children have 2-4 front teeth, which are simply impossible to chew, but, importantly, they interfere with chewing with their gums. If you are against letting your child chew on a bagel or pieces of fruit (apple, pear) from 6-7 months, then there is only one way out - wait for a full set of molars to appear, and teach him to chew with them. From about one year of age, the child can gradually begin to eat solid food and chew small pieces.

So how can you teach a one-and-a-half-year-old or even worse, a 2-year-old baby to chew? The methods are quite simple, but require unanimity in execution, endurance and a little acting ability from parents and other relatives. But the point is simple: put the child in conditions where he simply cannot avoid chewing. Put yourself in the child’s shoes, why chew if you whine, and they will always give you something that you don’t need to chew.
The first thing is to practice chewing skills and the movements themselves. Here you will need marshmallows or chewing marmalade. At 1-2 years old, a child is already a decent thinker, so when he sees it in your mouth, he will probably ask for it too. And you: “I’ll give it to you, but you have to chew it, like this”... Naturally, the product must be of high quality.

The second is to “break” or lose the wiper (mixer, blender, strainer or masher), show the child the result and sincerely grieve with him, forgetting to promise if necessary (“when they appear in the store”) to buy another one. A promise to try not to keep. You can offer the child, “since he is already big,” to chop his own food on his plate, using a fork, for example. It turns out to be a kind of competition between two laziness: “too lazy to chew” and “too lazy to crush.” As a rule, sooner or later the last one wins.

Third, stop cooking pureed dishes whenever possible. If he refuses to eat something else, don’t feed him. Just leave snacks in accessible places. Do not be afraid that the lack of regular three-course and multi-course meals will ruin your child’s stomach. Decisive measures will help teach you to chew quite quickly, but “cutting off the tail in parts” will do the opposite. Therefore, the result depends solely on your perseverance and inflexibility. And it’s quite possible to last a year or two on such a diet without any damage to your health, it’s been tested!

Fourth, very often children begin to chew a new, previously unfamiliar dish. Think about how you can expand your diet. Naturally, the new product should be offered ONLY in a non-pureed or crushed form.

Fifth, go out into public more often. Eating outside the home, as a rule, does not imply special preparation of food according to the whims of the child. Snacking on the go in the park, picnics in nature, going to affordable catering establishments (like McDonald's), especially when surrounded by other children, usually have a positive effect. Only the principle should be the same: eat what you have, there is no other food here.

And, in my opinion, the most important rule - with all this - is no talking, conversations, worries, nightly thoughts and complaints to others about the child’s non-chewing. Let him think that everything is OK with him. 1-2 years is a very dangerous age in terms of the beginning of manipulation of parental feelings. It's not a good idea if your baby uses his chewing/non-chewing to blackmail you.

and from me personally - the custom of giving chewed bread to children is the main cause of child mortality from intestinal infections. Don't chew, please! and I wish you to cope with your problem))))

From birth to six months, it’s easy to feed a baby - they give you milk or formula, the baby is fed and happy. But when it becomes necessary to introduce complementary foods, the first difficulties may arise. For example, you need to teach a child to chew solid food when he does not yet have teeth.

By constantly grinding dishes, we are only doing a disservice to our baby. Problem after problem rolls in like a snowball. And now at 2, or even 4-5 years old, children do not chew, but simply swallow food. This seriously complicates visiting a kindergarten, because there the little ones eat according to health regulations.

Hence the first stomach diseases and sleep disorders. Further, an incorrect bite develops, incorrect speech production, and due to muscle weakness, the baby cannot keep his mouth closed. As a result, constant salivation is observed. In addition, the oval of the face is disrupted.

To avoid such troubles, you need to develop the chewing reflex. In theory this is, of course, simple, but in practice it is a rather complex process. Be patient, everything will come in handy during the work.

When does a child start chewing?

Pay attention to your baby, he will tell you when you should start teaching him to chew.

If a child bites and chews everything he comes across, including his fingers and his mother, this indicates not only that he is teething. This is a signal to include “rodents”, large pacifiers, rubber toys - absolutely anything will do (safe, of course).

Putting various objects into his mouth, the baby examines them with his tongue, gums, palate, and the inside of his cheeks. This helps to form one of the main skills - the chewing reflex.

Stages of reflex formation

To make it easier for parents, you can focus on the so-called age limits.

Of course, each child has their own, but you can still rely on something.

Up to 6 months

Pediatricians recommend starting complementary feeding at 4-6 months. At this time, in addition to breast milk or formula, the little person can be given zucchini pureed in a blender or dairy-free porridge for testing (depending on what the doctor recommends starting with introducing new food into your child’s diet).

Unusual taste sensations delight the baby or make him cringe. This also provokes the development of the chewing reflex.

The following exercise will be useful: imagine that the child is you, how would you like to know, understand, what needs to be done? Show it yourself. Place his fingers in your mouth, bite them lightly and chew a little while smacking your lips. Then do the same, only in reverse. Now let him “eat” you a little. This is a good contact with the child, you will have fun, and at the same time teach him this, at first glance, difficult task!

7-8 months

Children are already doing various manipulations with food in their mouths to feel the taste. These are also the first bricks on the path to success. As a baby's diet begins to change from soft to rougher textures, their tongue and cheeks move more, which helps develop the chewing reflex further.

Give him the opportunity to feed himself. Naturally, you have to be patient, because the baby is learning, which means that the process will be long. Make a face next to your discoverer. Feed a bear, a doll, a bunny with him. Arouse his interest in food again and again, pamper him with variety and presentation.

Offer your child dried fruits, bananas and other fruits or vegetables. Many mothers today use a nibbler just for these purposes. Small pieces of food are placed in it, and thanks to the silicone mesh, only juice gets into the mouth. Moreover, it is comfortable to hold. The ergonomic handle fits perfectly into the little one's palm. Now you don’t have to worry that he will suddenly bite off a piece and choke, let him chew to his health.

If your child has a stuffy nose, delay introducing the nibbler until he or she has completely recovered.

1 year

At one year old, children should be able to fully control a spoon and put it into their mouth quite calmly. Your child's nutrition is expanding. The menu now includes not only pureed porridge, pureed soups and stews. Now you can safely cut vegetables and fruits into small pieces, grate carrots on a coarse grater. Help your baby chew and swallow semi-solid foods. But make sure he doesn't choke.

This does not mean that if a one-year-old baby is used to eating milk porridge from a bottle at night, you need to force him to use a spoon. But if at two or three years old the child still does not chew solid food, you should consult a specialist. The doctor will determine how to act in this situation.

Of course, these tips may not be suitable for absolutely all children. If you want everything to be right, focus specifically on your little man.

Possible problems

Very caring parents who worry that the baby will choke and delay the process of introducing thick food for as long as possible face a number of problems:

1. Improper feeding. Constantly pureed food leads to the fact that the little tricky one is subsequently lazy to chew, because it is much more convenient to simply swallow. This leads to gastrointestinal problems. Food comes in large pieces, lies heavily at the bottom of the stomach and is not digested properly.
2. Baby not familiar with solid foods, he doesn’t know what to do and simply spits it out.
3. Fear . The baby may be afraid to swallow large pieces, which makes the desire to chew disappear.
4. Child gagging when feeding solid food while trying to swallow it. He begins to choke, choke.
5. The gag reflex is triggered. This happens when you try to swallow a piece, or the mother inserts the spoon incorrectly (too deep).
6. Undeveloped eating skills. The baby cannot move his tongue from side to side, raise it to the sky, or collect food into a ball for swallowing.
7. Violation of the tone of the masticatory muscles leads to the fact that the child is unable to suck, swallow, chew. Various diseases develop, which subsequently affect speech.
8. Early cessation of breastfeeding leads to the fact that the child receives the mixture from the bottle without straining. Some parents also make a bigger hole in the nipple so that it passes better. In fact, everything in our life is for a reason. To get milk from the mother’s breast, the baby works and strains his articulation muscles. And this also contributes to the development of the chewing reflex!
9. She doesn’t want to eat until the cartoons are on - a modern problem that many young mothers neglect. Moreover, caring parents specifically turn on the cartoon so that the child eats well and without whim. But that's the problem. The baby is distracted from eating and eats more, chews poorly, and does not produce gastric juice, as he is focused on watching TV rather than eating food. This also causes problems associated with the gastrointestinal tract.

Everyone’s favorite doctor Komarovsky, whose opinion many parents rely on, advises:

• Show acting skills, explain why today the food is not the usual food for the baby, but thick, and even with some pieces. For example, tell a whole story that the store ran out of jars, that the blender broke down and now your fidget will have to do this work. But he will definitely cope, because you believe in him. Crunch-crunch, and you're done.
• Tell the little man that you are tired, ask him to help by handing him a fork. Let the child warm up as best he can. Get ready, the process will be long and untidy. But more winning. Because home-cooked food tastes much better.

Offer your baby something tasty, but in a whole piece, for example, marmalade, marshmallow or marshmallow. He will chew. Failure is unlikely.

When to teach

Getting your baby started on solid foods is easy if you listen to them. From about 4 months, the baby begins to show interest in what his mother puts in his mouth, “Well, let me try!”, and pulls out his arms. Some children try to check what is in their mother's mouth. Feeling his lips, teeth, tongue, the child asks, “What are you doing, mom?!”

This is for you, parents, and there needs to be a push that it's time. But in addition to gastronomic interest, there is also the physiological readiness of the body. And as they say in the current recommendations of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation:

1. By the 3rd month of life, a number of digestive enzymes mature, local intestinal immunity is formed, and the mechanisms for swallowing semi-liquid and solid food mature.
2. By about 6 months, the digestive system is ready to digest the starch, proteins and fats that non-dairy foods contain. But do not forget that the baby’s stomach is small, so foods must have a high density of energy and micronutrients.

The reference point should be kept on the child's chair. If you see that there are pieces of undigested vegetables and fruits in it, it means that his body is not yet ready for heavy food.

Ways to teach a child to chew

If the child has firmly decided that he will not chew, parents need to try very hard and show imagination so that the baby’s interest does not fade away.

• The best option is to sit down at the table with the whole family. So that he can see how others eat.
• You can lightly tug the baby’s cheeks, showing yourself how to chew, while sounding appetizing.
• Invite him to chew chews, nibblers, and more.
• Tell your little one a fairy tale about how the gate opens, the dump truck dumps its load, and how now it all needs to be mixed, chewing thoroughly. Or arrange a competition to see who can chew longer. Spoon by spoon, and the child will learn to chew well on his own.
• Invite guests with older children to your home. Make everyone eat. Let him see how others cope.
• Teach your little discoverer to chew those foods whose taste he likes.
• Do articulatory gymnastics, let it be your game. Blow out the candles, blow into a tube or clean your cheeks, palate, teeth on the inside and outside with a tongue, roll your tongue into a tube.

Special "simulators"

Previously, our mothers and grandmothers, in order to scratch our gums and at the same time develop a chewing reflex, gave us a crust of bread, a bagel, a bagel, an apple and a carrot, so to speak, to gnaw on.

Today, many manufacturers have made the lot easier for mothers and come up with the nibbler, which we have already talked about. This is a large nipple with a silicone bag in a hole. Pieces of fruits and vegetables are placed in it, closed and handed to the baby. And he, in turn, is fighting with her in order to squeeze out as much juice as possible.

Which method is the safest is up to you to decide. But with a nibbler, you don’t have to worry about your child choking on pieces of food. And painlessly transfer him to semi-solid food.

Ready canned food

Of course, this is a very convenient option. Especially on the road.

But if you are moving from soft foods to rough textures, pay attention to the recommended age when purchasing canned food. From 8-10 months on the label it should be written about special pieces that are taught to chew.

A huge plus is that every day the baby becomes more and more interested in what surrounds him. Gastronomic issues are also on the agenda. And you can actively use it.

Take your time

Everything needs to be done gradually. When the baby is born, the mother feeds him breast milk. The child receives the most necessary things: water, milk, the necessary consistency. Gradually the little man grows and so do the needs of his body. He eats less and less and needs to expand his menu more and more. Now he must eat differently. Complementary feeding comes into play.

Every day the mother introduces one new product into the baby’s diet, gradually increasing the number of spoons. But the food is still light and pureed. Then the products no longer need to be blended, just mash with a fork. Now the child chews independently.

• Activate the muscles of the tongue, overcoming the gag reflex. Lightly massage your tongue through gauze. Using a wooden spatula, gradually work your way to the root of the tongue and back, applying gentle pressure. Place a gauze pad behind the baby's cheek and ask him to push it out with his tongue.
• Don't forget to do articulation exercises.
• Overcome the fear of putting solid food in your mouth. Give your child a solid product or nibbler and let him chew.
• Gradually move from pureed food to pieces. Encourage your child to chop his own food.
• Encourage your child to be interested in the process of eating. After setting the table, leave the cutlery aside. The whole family praises with appetite and admiration: “How delicious it is!” When the little man comes to the table, do not rush to seat him; on the contrary, say that there is not enough for everyone here. Wait until sustained interest is shown, and only then can you treat him with one spoon. Remind that this is your portion. As soon as interest is lost, send him out of the kitchen. And if the baby reaches out for something else to chew, feel free to sit him down at the table.

The baby should always eat under the supervision of his parents. But do it unobtrusively.

The transition of a baby from breast milk or formula to “adult” food is a gradual and natural process.

The baby can quickly get used to new dishes and diet. However, it also happens that the child refuses to chew or spits out solid food, or even swallows it in pieces. Where do the problems lie? How to cope with difficulties?

It's time to chew: what is predetermined by nature?

The baby's first chewing movements appear at about 4-5 months of life. At the same time, the gag reflex begins to move from the middle of the tongue to its posterior third - the pushing movement of the tongue gradually disappears.

By the age of 7-8 months, the child is usually ready to be introduced to pieces of solid food.

From 7 to 12 months of life, biting and chewing skills are strengthened, and lateral movements of the tongue develop, moving food to the teeth.

Important!

Do not treat the recommended timing without alternative. Much depends on the degree of maturity and readiness to learn a new skill: whether the baby is full-term or premature, whether the child is healthy or sick, whether teeth have appeared or not yet, and the type of feeding.

However, by the age of one year, the baby should be able to chew with its jaws, even if these movements are a little awkward.

How to teach a child to eat independently: and

Why does a child not want to chew or refuse solid food?

There are many reasons: starting from diseases and ending with the laziness of the baby.

Undeveloped eating skills

Not so long ago, even before the appearance of the first milk teeth, the child received a bagel or cracker from his mother, gradually learning to “chew” unfamiliar solid food with his gums.

Unfortunately, the baby often begins to get acquainted with new products when he already has his first teeth. It seems that chewing is easier with such helpers. But that's not true. The child uses his teeth to bite, but his gums interfere with chewing.

More information about complementary feeding and pre-complementary feeding:

Health problems

Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (gastritis, pancreatitis), sore throat or pharyngitis, stomatitis and others.

Violation of the tone of the masticatory muscles

The tongue turns food awkwardly, and the muscles do not close the jaw well. Often the problem occurs after birth injuries.

Early cessation of breastfeeding

In order to “get” food from the mother’s breast, the baby needs to make an effort - this trains the chewing muscles. Whereas with a bottle it is quite difficult to tone these muscles.

Improper feeding

When a baby eats pureed and/or crushed foods for a long time, he begins to be lazy and does not make any effort to chew.

With a sharp transition from homogeneous purees to pieces of food, the baby may become nervous and fiercely resist innovations. From his point of view, there is no “normal” food. Streams of tears naturally flow and lips clench tightly.

However, all these difficulties can be overcome. The main thing is to take your time and be patient.

Everything must be on time: Mom, teach me to chew, I want to eat!

There is no special technique, because everything should go as usual and gradually.

When to start training?

Approximately at the age of 4-6 months of life - with the appearance of chewing movements and even before the eruption of the first teeth. How not to miss the moment? Invite your baby to drink some water from a spoon. When its contents begin to enter the oral cavity, the child is ready to learn the skill of chewing.

If the baby continues to eat formula, breast milk or pureed food, the chewing reflex gradually goes away.

Are you against introducing your baby to bagels or livers at the age of 7-8 months? Then it is better to wait until most of the teeth appear and teach chewing with them.

Take your time

Start with small portions. If the child stubbornly refuses the new consistency of complementary foods, do not insist. Try again after a while.

Solid food or special exercise equipment

While the baby is small, you can use a rubber teether. From about 6-8 months, begin to gradually introduce your baby to solid foods.

Your baby's curiosity is your assistant

When a child tries to lick or “bite off” a piece of apple/cookie with his gums, do not crush these foods. Try to offer him solid food more often - let him exercise and learn to chew. Be sure to make sure that the baby does not bite off large pieces, otherwise he may choke or choke.

Use nibbler- a container with a screw-on rim. The device is a container in the form of a mesh or silicone nozzle with holes. Place pieces of age-appropriate foods inside the container, and then give them to the child’s hands so that he can knead the contents with his gums and at the same time receive nutrition. Do not worry. This method is absolutely safe.

Be consistent and persistent

A blender/grater/meat grinder are convenient helpers for chopping food, but over time you need to accustom the baby to solid food. It is important that the transition be gradual, and that the child does not notice a sharp change in the consistency of his usual dishes. Otherwise, he may become capricious or refuse to eat altogether.

Reduce the degree of grinding over and over again: first prepare a homogeneous puree, then with small pieces included, then thick food containing solid fragments of food.

Ready canned food

When purchasing, pay attention to the labeling. On the nutrition label for 8-10 month olds, look for a statement that the puree contains “chewable pieces.”

Don't distract

Do not turn on cartoons or TV while feeding. If the baby focuses on the process of absorbing food, then he will better coordinate the actions of his hands, tongue and lips.

When time is lost: Mom, I don’t want to chew!

By about two years of age, a child’s eating behavior is formed, so it is difficult to teach him to chew or force him to try an unusual dish.

However, the situation is by no means hopeless, and some of our tips will help you.

Don't keep your baby hungry

The rule doesn’t work well: it’s okay, if you get hungry, you’ll eat. On the contrary, the baby may become nervous, and all your efforts will go down the drain. In addition, the child often develops a negative attitude towards any innovation in nutrition.

If you start teaching your baby to chew, but he does not eat enough during feeding, supplement him with pureed foods.

Don't feel sorry for your child

Children aged 1.5-2 years are skilled manipulators. Quite quickly they realize that they can whine and get familiar foods that don’t require chewing.

Do not hurry

Gradually move from purees to thicker foods containing pieces of food.

Get family support

Everyone must be unanimous and consistent. If you teach your baby to chew, you don’t need, for example, a grandmother or aunt, loving and pitying, to feed the baby pureed food.

Take your child as your assistant

First, grind the products together in a blender, then using a meat grinder or grater. A little later, invite the baby to crush the food on his plate with a fork. After all, he is already “big”! Usually, over time, the baby begins to get tired of wiping/squeezing, so he gradually begins to chew.

Practice chewing movements

Children like to imitate. Start chewing some tasty treat with pleasure, your baby will probably want to try it too. Of course, you will give it to him, but at the same time show him how to do it correctly.

Of course, the products must be of high quality - for example, marshmallows or chewing marmalade.

Show off your acting skills

Try to “lose” or “break” a blender, mixer, strainer, grater. Say that if necessary (when it appears in the store) buy everything new. Try not to keep your promise.

Turn learning into a fun game

From slices of your favorite crumbs on a plate, you can lay out a “rainbow” or “build” a house, “draw” animals.

Add crushed pieces of soft berries and fruits to porridge or puree. Gradually increase the size of the pieces over time.

Expand your diet

Offer a new dish in a non-grated or crushed form. Sometimes, due to natural curiosity, children begin to chew unfamiliar foods.

Invite guests or eat out occasionally

The principle is simple: there is no way to chop food, eat what everyone eats, there is only such food.

Visit a speech therapist

The doctor will help improve the tone and function of the masticatory muscles: he will conduct a speech therapy massage and show how to perform speech gymnastics.

Of course, these tips don't always work for all children. This is understandable, because every baby is individual. Use your imagination and add a little creativity: think of new ideas and come up with interesting games.

resident doctor of the children's department