I need some advice, so my 11 month old boy wants to be independent only self-feeding allowed. And forget about spoon-feeding a tantrum is thrown I am tired of every breakfast, every lunch, and dinner bathing three baths a day is so much my 5 yr old son was not this independent before 1 yr old I need advice big time, and he only wants normal food baby food is no longer good enough for him. Please any advice at all I will be grateful
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Just wipe him down and bathe him after dinner? Nothing wrong with an independent kid
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Put him in a muddy buddy and have a specific area for his high chair. His intentions are amazing, embrace the mess 
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He can also take time to learn about cleaning too, kids love helping 
Sew him long, long-sleeved smocks that can just be pulled of and laundered. Make sure they have an easy neck opening. Then, you only have to wash his hands and face.
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Thatās great! Such an independent little one. I used an old t-shirt from myself or dad. Just throw it over his clothes like a smock or apron type of thing to help control some mess.
I always let my kids feed them selves once the were able to grasp a spoon. I usually do wipe downs with a warm wash cloth after breakfast and lunch unless its horrible horrible. And then shower after dinner.
Its better to let them be independent. Being messily is part of the process but it helps them in the long run by doing themselves.
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Iād let my daughter wear a bib and diaper
Oversized T-shirts work wonders and a box of baby wipes Or a warm washcloth! Give less messy foods during breakfast and lunch then dinner give anything since a bath follows. Young independence is frustrating sometimes but be grateful and encourage it and it will get better!
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My daughter is 17 months & has been feeding herself since before she was 1, she eats in just a diaper then bath after dinner
I did baby led weaning from six months the mess gets easier to deal with I feed my kid in close so I can just change his outfit and not have to bath him every meal. Now at 22 months he can feed himself with a fork and spoon he ate chicken noodle soup the other day out of a bowl by himself
My son is the same way and the same age, I just use wipes and keep wiping him up as he eats. Baths are saved for bed time so we can start over all clean in the morning
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Good before one is just for fun anyway. Take his shirt off, let him go to town and baby wipe him after.
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I fed my kids in just a diaper whenever possible. Youāre not going to win this battle at this age. You just gotta adapt to the phases right now. And I did baby led weaning, so I offered a lot of regular foods before a year old (within reason - it was age/developmental appropriate choices). The grater was my friend at this age, too. My kids had teeth by that age, so I was able to grate up fresh fruits and vegetables to make it easier to chew.
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Being independent is a good thing. It should be a fun educational experience.
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You donāt have to bathe your child after every meal. Just wipe the food off with a baby wipe. They need to learn to feed themself.
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My son is 10 months old and Iāve already accepted heās gonna be a messy eater for the next 18 years. We knew kids would be messy when we had em right?
Please stop bathing your child after every meal. You are just asking for your baby to have skin issues.
Playing with food and being messy is 1000% normal for babies. Theyre learning. Thats what they do. Put them in a bib or oversized tshirt. It wont last forever.
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We put a towel under my babes seat. You can also put an old shirt on him thays a bit longer to cover his legs a bit for feeding. We dont we let him fees in a diaper and use a wet cloth to clean him up. My babes wont use the baby spoons or forks so we bought shorter adult spoons and forks and he loves it. Yes feeding is messy for sure
But allow him to be independent. My babes we give a cloth to will wipe his seat and face. Consistency makes for routine. We also have him help clean the floor. This will pass just donāt stop him because its too messy
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If youāre at home just strip him down to his diaper, then maybe you can just wipe him down with a warm washcloth ?
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Donāt feed super messy foods with every meal. Kids donāt need a bath after things like dry cereal, cheese and crackers, pieces of meat, etc. A damp washcloth can take care of most things. Bathing a baby that often is just drying out his skin.
And at 11 months, if he doesnāt want the spoon then get rid of the spoon. I had one kid using her own utensils before a year old, spoon fork and knife! Had another kid who ate with his hands until closer to 2. As long as they were eating i didnāt care.
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What are baby wipes forš just let him eat in a nappy!
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My son started around that age too, I just let the mess happen with soft table food he could handle. I just stripped him down and wiped him up afterwards, heās got sensitive skin and couldnāt handle a bath 3 times a day
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Let him eat naked except for a diaper. Put a plastic āsplat matā underneath the high chair. Weād put the high chair outside and just hose down kid and chair after meals in the summer. Give him stuff thatās not too messy. Beans, especially garbanzo beans, lentils, cut up tofu soaked in apple juice, soy sauce, chicken or beef broth, little sandwiches. Save the soupy, saucy stuff for dinner when youāre going to give a bath afterwards anyway.
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let him be independent. I ended up just taking my sonās shirt off at dinnertime and then just wiping him down afterwords. Itās normal for them to want to be independent and feed themselves at this age.
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There is a bib that goes around their neck and over the high chair. Itās called the all over bib. Let him be messy and learn!
Just cut up his food, put a mat on the floor and eat in peace. Your expectations are causing the tension
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so true you can bath them to much not good ror there skin
My daughter hated purees! Cut food small, look up blw and let him eat real food! All my kids hated being fed and wanted to do it themselves. Definitely agree w everyone saying to feed him naked. We still take my 3yos shirt off sometimes. We keep wipes in the kitchen or use a wash cloth. Kids make a mess!
Plastic bib with a food catcher, plastic mat on floor. Let him go for it!
Use those bibs that are full sleeves and a catcher at the bottom !
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Things like scrambled eggs are perfect for the independent eaters
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I work with 16month-3year olds theyāre always messy. Since itās a daycare I cannot bathe each child but we put bibs on or paint shirts to prevent clothing from being dirty and then we wash them up with a wash rag and have them wash their hands after every meal.
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There is nothing wrong with him not wanting ābaby foodā my son ate exactly what we were eating but in smaller portions and that worked fine. Also stop with the 3 baths a day, itās unnecessary and will relieve some of your stress and your water bill which must be extortionate! Get a flannel and wipe him down before he leaves the high chair. Let him eat without clothes on if you have to and if itās not cold obviously. Get a wrap around bib or put a muslin cloth tucked in the top of his Tshirt and then the rest underneath the high chair table. Let him be independent, being a kid is all about exploring
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One word. BIBADOO. 
They are a lifesaver for us when he needs to eat but I need to keep him spotless to go somewhere lol
Perhaps look at this another way Mamaā¦
Do you know how many parents would LOVE to have that problem?
It wonāt last forever. This is a part of your childās learning & development.
Take a breather & praise your child for his independence. Have him help clean up. Give him a wet warm washcloth & show him how to wipe his face, hands, & perhaps even the floor or highchair. Sing songs & dance & laugh & enjoy this time & these memories, for you NEVER know what tomorrow holdsā¦
Stop looking at the āmessā & acknowledge the accomplishments your young son is making already!
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My question is why 3 bathes a day? Let him live and be messy, nightly bathes are good.
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Mat on the floor. Bibs with the little food catcher on the bottom and I used to let my kids eat meals naked to avoid soiling their clothing. Then they would get a wipe down and get dressed after eating. I would try and give them the least messy things I could but they always found a way lol
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Kids are messy. Wipe them down with a baby wipe afterwards and call it a day.
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Try being proud of his independence. My kids were like that and are awesome adults that still do everything themselves from cooking to building houses
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My independent 7 month old. We get the baby food pouches from target and aldi
I donāt bathe after every meal. My son has been pretty much feeding himself since 8 months old. I take his shirt off and then just take him to the sink and splash water on his face and chest and wash hands. Takes maybe 3 minutes tops and we are good to go.
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I feel her. Like I know it sounds like a bitch thing to say "I hate him being so independent " but I was there 
its frustrating as hell cleaning up the same thing 30 times in the matter of 15 minutes. But honest advice , thug it out. Practice makes perfect, eventually heāll get a lot better at using utensils and less messy quicker than other kids because heās been doing it so long. Things are gonna be a whole mess right now, theyāll be easier in the long run though. My sons 4, he gets up, grabs a snack and a juice and lets me sleep an extra hour on weekends other kids donāt do that, encourage itttt
I just use a wet cloth or baby wipes. Why so many baths?
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They have so many types of bibs you can use. Strip the baby down to nothing but a diaper and put the bib on. Let the baby eat and be prepared to clean him up with a wet washcloth when heās done. My best advice Is to clean the tray, wipe the baby, clean the floor then release the baby. Other wise he might start playing with or trying to eat the food on the floor while youāre cleaning and create a whole new mess. Iām on baby number 4 and used to be an early head start teacher before becoming a sahm. Preparation is key! Just know whatās going to happen and breath through it. Itās a normal part of development and will be over before you know it.
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Get him almost naked before meals, use those big food catching bibs, and get extra wipes. Giving him a bath after every single meal must be exhausting for youā¦not to mention it could dry out his skin and make him develop cleanliness issuesā¦
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Kids have to learn at some point. We did baby led weaning with both of our children. Sure, itās messy in the beginning, but once they learn, thereās no more mess. Let him feed himself. Let him learn. This is a huge step in development.
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My son is 10 months old. He has been eating normal food since 7 months. It is ok to be messy. It is good for their development. Too many baths can be very bad for them. If they get messy just wipe them down with baby wipes. Being OCD about your 11 month olds eating habits is only going to stress you out. Let him be messy
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Use a warm wash rag and wipe him down when heās done eating there is no need to bathe after every meal at all. My daughter gets a bath every other day or every 2 days cause she has dry skin already. Itās normal right now. Let it be.
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Look into baby led weaning for food ideas! But I agree baths arenāt necessary 3x a day! We did the self feeding from like 6m and never gave baths 3x a sayā¦
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Buy a bunch of those plain white T-shirts, bibs with food catchers, and they sell mats to go under high chairs. Let him try to be independent. 3 baths a day is a bit excessive too, one a day will do just fine. Any more can dry his skin.
Warm wet wash cloth. No need to bathe 3 times a day. And thatās very normal for babes age.
Try allowing him to hold 2 spoons while you feed so he has his hands occupied and still feels like he can eat himself between your bites
Get him down to diaper. Be thankful for the independence. Use a wash cloth after the meal.
They have to have that hand eye coordination, teaching their brainsā¦itās very crucial in their development.the right side of the brain learning left side of body to coincide later in life.
Get a dog? my dog would happily clean up any messy child.
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Strip him down to his diaper when he eats and clean with wash rag or wet wipes. Itās very normal for him to want to feed himself at this age.
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Let him learn, that is part of the process of developing their brains. Wash the baby with a wet wash cloth after meals.
Let him get messy, he needs to learn to feed himself. Clean him up with wipes or wet wash cloth, no need to bathe him after every meal. My oldest is almost 2 1/2 and he didnāt really start using spoons and forks until around 1 1/2, my youngest will be 1 in 2 weeks and self feeds but hasnāt figured out utensils yet. Itās all part of the process, let him learn, messes can be cleaned up.
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