[blparent] feeding issue

Mon Oct 18 21:16:39 UTC 2010

If you use the same kind of spoon all the time, the type of spoon is not 
your problem.  It sounds like he's just unfamiliar with your way of doing 
things.  If he's fussing and refusing to eat, it's probably not worth the 
fight--then eating is no fun.  Maybe try touching his mouth a lot when you 
play so he gets used to feeling you do that.  Touch his mouth and tell him, 
"it looks like you're smiling" or "you're mouth is open so wide and what's 
the sound?  You must be sad".  I would try introducing foods that could be 
finger foods and before he figures out he can feed himself use them for 
"rewards" for taking bites from the spoon you're offering.  If he's refusing 
to eat every meal, just try every half hour or hour.  Let him know that you 
are determined to win this battle.  If you can't stay calm, don't try it. 
If he uses a pacifier, you could also play a game of taking the pacifier and 
giving it back that way you're still doing the same thin--putting in using 
your hand as your guide.  Make you putting things in his mouth the coolest 
thing.
If he's just jerking away and the fussing hasn't started, just keep your 
hand at his mouth so you know where you're going.
If you think it's a battle of wills, always be the one to decide he's done. 
So if he starts fussing tell him you're going to give one more bite and then 
he can be done.  At this point, that bite may just be touching his mouth 
with the spoon.
Barbara

...
Yesterday is
A path well-trod,
A familiar lane
Through sacred sod,
A road we travel
Too often, I fear,
For there are the good times
When things are hard here,
...

--------------------------------------------------
From: "Leslie Hamric" <lhamric930 at comcast.net>
Sent: Monday, October 18, 2010 2:37 PM
To: "'NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List'" <blparent at nfbnet.org>
Subject: Re: [blparent] feeding issue

> Hi Barbara.  My husband feeds him once in the morning and I feed him 
> twice.
> When he just started out with solids, it so happened that I injured my 
> arm,
> My in-laws were coming to visit so they ended up doing most of the 
> feeding.
> I figured that would at least get him started, which it did, and things 
> were
> going well for a while.  Last weekend, I was out of town so my husband fed
> him for the whole time.  It wasn't till I came back till the problems
> started.  How do you deal with a jearking head?  Do you try to put the 
> spoon
> in anyways? Do you let him fight you? Or do you just stop feeding him when
> he starts fussing?
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf Of Barbara Hammel
> Sent: Monday, October 18, 2010 2:01 PM
> To: NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [blparent] feeding issue
>
> Who does most of the feeding?
> Having to touch them is more intrusive than just seeing the mouth.  One of
> our twins had to start way at the beginning of feeding when we got them. 
> He
>
> did better eating for my sighted husband so I did all of the feedings.
> Even though he's just a baby, this may be a battle of the wills.  He wants
> to be fed his way.
> If this is the case, if there's some kind of foo that he really loves, you
> may want to alternate.  Example,  Jesse loved anything crunchy so he had 
> to
> take a bite in order to get that crunchy reward.  It would make eating fun
> for him, especially if it wasn't something he got often.
> We all know how frustrating it is to feed a moving head that just won't
> cooperate so stay calm.  If it is a battle of wills, don't let your 
> husband
> take over if its not going well.  Michael will learn that he can get dad 
> if
> he refuses to eat for you.
> The old advice that wouldn't work for Jesse may apply here:  children will
> eat when they're hungry.
> Without knowing the details of your schedules, this is the best I can do.
> It was a long haul for us--we had a three-year-old, set in his ways--so if 
> I
>
> dig back in my memory, I may be able to help more if you like.
> Barbara
>
> ...
> Yesterday is
> A path well-trod,
> A familiar lane
> Through sacred sod,
> A road we travel
> Too often, I fear,
> For there are the good times
> When things are hard here,
> ...
>
> --------------------------------------------------
> From: "Leslie Hamric" <lhamric930 at comcast.net>
> Sent: Monday, October 18, 2010 12:41 PM
> To: "'NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List'" <blparent at nfbnet.org>
> Subject: [blparent] feeding issue
>
>> Hi all.  I've run into a problem with feeding Michael and need some help.
>> When my sighted husband feeds him, he'll take the spoon right in. When I
>> feed him, he's gotten to the point where he absolutely refuses the spoon.
>> He jerks his head away even when I use my left hand to find his mouth.
>> Part
>> of me feels that he needs to just get over it and the other part doesn't
>> want him to hate feedings if he's too frustrated.  Having a sighted 
>> person
>> in here to feed him every time isn't the answer either. I've fed Michael
>> from two positions, from the side and facing him. Any suggestions would 
>> be
>> greatly appreciated.  Thanks.
>>
>> Leslie
>>
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