05/02/2020
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“As the learns to touch and feel the food, this touch sends a signal to the that this food is wet, dry, sticky, or mushy,” says feeding specialist and occupational therapist Judy Delaware. “We learn through our sense of what we consider to be safe or otherwise. When we allow children to explore food through their hands, arms, faces, and yes, feet, they learn what to expect of the food and what feels good to them. Messy and purposeful play with food is a very important part of development. It’s a short-term issue with the parent portion of the mess, with a long-term investment in your child’s eating skills.”
All the interactions around food are key to development too. Learning to ask for more, getting into a mealtime routine... These actually have far-reaching effects on your child’s brain.
“Eating works on a variety of developmental skills, including social-emotional, communication, cognitive, fine and gross motor, and of course, the skill of adaptive or self-help skills,” says Delaware. “The social-emotional area includes engaging in modeling, imitation, and social engagement. Communication skills might also include babbling and single word requests, like requesting more of a certain food. Fine and gross motor skills are facilitated by learning to grasp and release foods, utensils, and cups.”
She adds, “If a child is showing signs that the touch of food to their hands isn’t safe, even after numerous exposures, it’s something not to ignore. Talk to your child’s pediatrician about this and request a referral to an occupational therapist to evaluate your child’s sensory processing system. Try not to force what you think is safe onto your child’s hands and body as a child might need to progress at a different pace than you realise. Trust your instincts when you see something that does not seem right when it comes to your child’s sense of touch and getting messy.”
https://www.romper.com/p/why-you-should-let-babies-make-a-mess-when-they-eat-21772615
