Hands off: why you can not feed children with a spoon

- The plane, the plane will fly right into your mouth!- A spoon for dad ... a spoon for mom. Familiar? Probably, like cartoons that fascinate a child so much that he opens his mouth on autopilot when a spoonful of food rushes to him. But Amy Brown, a professor at Swansea University (UK), is sure that such “dancing with tambourines” only harms kids. Is the child half a year old? Give him a spoon in your hand and stand back!Photo:GettyImages— Children who are spoon-fed are more likely to become overweight or obese than those who feed themselves, insists Professor Brown in her book on the importance of solid foods. — Those who are forced to feed themselves will, firstly, form healthier eating habits, and secondly, will be more adventurous in life. Let us repeat: Amy Brown believes that, in fact, from the very first feeding, the baby is able to eat on his own. Moreover, she believes that at six months, the baby is quite capable of eating solid food. It seems as if the professor does not have children. Or she has never washed the kitchen, the child and herself from this very solid food. However, the professor's conclusions are based on research, the results of which are published in the authoritative journal Pediatric Obesity. She studied the eating habits and behavior of 300 babies aged 6 to 12 months and the same ones aged 1.5 to 2 years. It turned out that children who were given the opportunity to independently choose what and how much to eat at the table quickly learned to stop when they felt full. That is, they retained this innate skill. Whereas babies who were spoon-fed often overate and gained excess weight. “Let them eat as much as they want, even if it seems to you that it is not enough,” the professor begs parents. “Even a small jar of baby food is too big for the real needs of the baby. If you still cannot help but feed with a spoon, then at least follow this rule, voiced by Amy Brown. When you send a spoon into his mouth with an “airplane”, and he turns away and presses his lips together, stop!” He is no longer hungry, he has had enough. According to the UK National Health Service, a baby is ready for food other than breast milk if: - he can sit up and hold his head up well; - his movements are well coordinated, he can take a spoon and put it in his mouth; - he can swallow food. Otherwise, he will push pieces out of his mouth with his tongue and smear food all over his face. It is also useful to know: