A Bumpy Road to Solids Introduction

Introducing solids to your little one is an exciting milestone, but it can often feel like navigating a bumpy road. The process of learning to eat solids takes time - typically 2-3 years, and begins around 6 months of age when your child shows signs of readiness, such as:

• Leaning towards or reaching for food

• Being interested in your food

There’s a lot more that goes on in a child’s mind than what we think!
This journey is a holistic process involving 3 key aspects:

• Mechanics of eating

• Exposure to foods

• Mealtime experience

The Mechanics of Eating

Learning to eat involves developing the stability and coordination of the jaw, tongue, and cheeks. These complex movements enable your child to chew, manage and swallow food safely. It’s incredible to think about how we develop this skill naturally!

Consider the next time you eat a spoonful of cereal with milk. Isn’t it marvellous how your tongue holds back the cereal to chew while simultaneously allowing you to swallow the milk? This seamless coordination is not something we consciously teach—it’s learned gradually.

For infants, mastering these mechanics takes time, patience, and practice. Accidental swallows, gags, spitting are all a part of this process and they could develop a negative association with a food if it was traumatic when they first tried it. It’s an impressive feat that happens over countless meals.

The Importance of Exposure

On average, it takes around 20 exposures for a child to accept a new food. These repeated interactions create opportunities for sensory processing and familiarity. But there’s a lot happening beneath the surface that we often don’t see. For instance:

• Foods with mixed textures can feel uncomfortable.

• Slippery or smooth foods that provide little friction can feel disorienting to grasp or hold.

Every child has unique sensory tolerances. Just as adults might feel overwhelmed in a noisy, crowded environment while others thrive, children’s food preferences are similarly diverse. One child might love the crunch of raw vegetables, while another may struggle with the sound of a blender or the idea of steak juice touching their broccoli.

The Mealtime Experience

What does mealtime look like in your home? The environment and interactions at the table play a crucial role in shaping a child’s eating habits. Here are some questions to reflect on:

• Is mealtime chaotic with lots of distractions?

• Are children allowed to squish, smear, and explore food, or are they expected to keep things tidy?

• Does your family sit together for meals, and do caregivers model positive eating behaviors by genuinely enjoying their food?

Encouraging a positive mealtime atmosphere can make a world of difference. Allowing mess and exploration helps children engage with their food, while calm and enjoyable shared meals provide a supportive learning environment.

Hold on, but how exactly do we do this without turning mealtimes into food play sessions?
Why does my child refuse foods they once enjoyed?
Is it ARFID or normal selective eating?