Here’s Why It’s Good To Let Toddlers Make A Mess At Mealtime

As parents, there are times when we need a whole lot of patience, and times when we need to remind ourselves to stay calm. Making a mess at mealtime is one of those times when parents need to breathe and stay calm because it’s good to let toddlers make a mess at mealtime even though it means extra work for parents!

Yes, there will be messy hands, a messy face, sticky tables and chairs and stains on clothes to take care of but the benefits of letting a toddler make a mess at mealtime make it all worth it. Keep baby wipes handy to take care of the mess.

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Why Is It Good To Let Toddlers Make A Mess At Mealtime?

Promotes Independence

When we let toddlers learn to explore, and self-feed and encourage them to use their hands while eating, they not only learn self-feeding skills but also promote independence. Try not to give in to the urge of correcting them or cleaning the mess right away.

Helps Develop Fine Motor Skills And Hand-Eye Coordination

When toddlers use their hands to eat, they learn how to bring their hands correctly to their mouth even though there will be some misses at first. This helps develop their fine motor skills as well as hand-eye coordination.

Helps Raise Happy Eaters

Squishing food can be fun for toddlers, it also activates and engages their sensory receptors. This helps them become more aware of new tastes and textures and also makes them more open to trying new tastes in the future. They start associating mealtime with fun.

Promotes Vocabulary

When toddlers are allowed to explore and make a mess at mealtimes, touching, tasting and smelling food, they are more likely to make conversation and ask questions. When they touch the food they start making sense of words like cold, hot, squishy etc. 

Cleaning up after these little humans becomes a part of life for toddler parents and can be frustrating but think of all these benefits of letting your baby make a mess at mealtimes. It’s one of the best things you can do for your toddler’s growth and development.

Cover image source: freepik