Hi, I’m Tara! I am a Paediatric Occupational Therapist and a mum-of-two little boys.
For the last 12 years, I’ve been working with children with disabilities, and I feel very honoured to be able to walk alongside these families on their unexpected parenting journey.
I’ve partnered with Babymate to provide useful tips and guidance on navigating the precious first years of your babies life.
Top Tips for Starting Solids
Starting solids with your little one can be so overwhelming - when, how, what, where are all questions flying around your tired brain! So here are some top tips from Tara Ient, a Paediatric Occupational Therapist and Mum to help you on your journey!
Choosing a highchair
There are so many highchairs on the market to suit all different budgets and styles which makes it very hard to know which one to choose for your child. So let’s walk through some important things to consider;
1. Is your child developmentally ready to sit up? This can typically happen around 5-6 months old, but you are looking for your little one to be able to sit with some support and have great head control developed e.g., no bobbly heads allowed!
2. Does the highchair have something to support them sitting upright? Look for highchairs that have a padded/inflatable insert to support your child’s trunk in remaining upright, straight and supported.
3. Does it have a tray table or armrests? This will help support your child’s posture and allow them to rest their arms/elbows to support their fine motor skills.
4. Does it have a harness? Safety, safety, safety! A 5 or 3 point adjustable harness system is a must!
5. Does it have an adjustable footrest? Most highchairs don’t actually come with a footrest but it is so vital! We want to achieve a 90 degree angle at the hips, knees and ankles to best support your child’s posture. Without a stable place to put your feet, the body has to work extra hard on balancing and is then distracted from developing the actual skills to eat e.g. fine motor, oral motor and coordination. Bonus points for it being adjustable so it grows with your child.
OT Top Pick: The Stokke Tripp Trapp Chair
This chair ticks all of the boxes and grows with your child from newborn well into childhood, in fact adults are also able to sit on it. It features a completely adjustable seat and footrest and includes a range of accessories that allows you to use it from the newborn days
First Spoon - What to Look For
You may never have put much thought into a spoon before, but when it comes time to start using one with your child there are a few things to keep in mind to help you have a successful start to your solids journey.
Look for a spoon that:
- is shallow so that your child is able to clear the food easily off the spoon with their top lip;
- is no wider than your child’s tongue so that they can still use their tongue properly around the spoon;
- is light weight;
- is soft and flexible as your little one is likely to enjoy chewing on the spoon for their teething gums also!