Managing the Mess

March 19, 2025

While developmentally appropriate, messy eating can be super frustrating for parents. Food waste and constant clean-ups may drive parents to spoon-feed their toddlers, but research shows there are important benefits in having toddlers practice feeding themselves.

Here's what to do in practice:

Suggest to parents that they consider serving smaller portions at a time, introducing utensils, and encouraging messy play elsewhere - like in the sandbox or bathtub.

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