01539 272034 SouthLakes.SLT@gmail.com

Category: Feeding

  • Ready to Wean – Top Tips

    Ready to Wean – Top Tips

    Top Tips from South Lakes Speech & Language Therapy to make weaning easier for you and your baby.

    1. Set Your Baby Up for Success

    Make sure your baby has a comfortable and supportive seat for feeding; and start by offering food at a time of day when your baby is well-rested and has a content belly. No one likes to try something new when they are uncomfortable, tired or overly hungry; and that includes your baby.

    2. No Pressure

    Early weaning is a time for babies to learn about food through play. Between 6 and 12 months breastmilk or infant formula will continue to be your baby’s primary source of nutrition as they learn about solid foods. Don’t worry if they don’t swallow much food when you start weaning; the most important thing is that they enjoy weaning and feel happy exploring a variety of solid foods.

    3. Mess is Good

    Babies need to explore and play with food in order to learn about it. This will be messy. To make clean up easier, put a plastic sheet under your baby’s chair and dress your baby in old (or no) clothing. Try offering food immediately before bathtime.

    4. Calm is Key

    Your baby looks to you to help them regulate their emotions and know whether a new situation is safe. If you are calm around food, that lets your baby know that they can be calm around food too. If you feel anxious about weaning, your baby will too.

    5. Gagging will Happen

    Gagging is a normal part of weaning. It is the body’s way of preventing choking, and new feeders will gag while their body learns how to respond to and manage different food textures and sizes. Remember Top Tip number 4, ‘Calm is Key’.

    6. Be a Role Model

    Family meals are an important part of your baby learning to eat solid foods. Include your baby in family mealtimes so they can see you eat and learn about family foods and mealtimes. When possible, give your baby the same foods as the rest of the family so they start to develop a taste for family foods early on in their weaning journey.

    7. ‘No’ Doesn’t Always Mean No

    Babies and young children need multiple exposures to a food before developing a like or dislike for that food. So, if your baby makes an unhappy face the first time they taste broccoli, offer it again (and again) at different meals.

    8. Baby-Led vs Traditional Weaning

    Both weaning styles can lead to happy, healthy eaters; so do what works best for you and your baby, and don’t feel pressure to choose one method over the other.

    9. Store-Bought vs Homemade Baby Foods

    Store-bought baby foods are great for when you are out and about or short on time, but if you want your baby to eat family foods when they have transitioned to table foods, use
    predominantly family foods during weaning.

    10. Batch Cook and Freeze

    If you are making your own baby food, freeze it in ice cube trays so you have a variety of foods and flavours in small portion sizes ready to defrost and serve to your baby when you need it.

    For more information about weaning and children’s feeding, see South Lakes Speech & Language Therapy’s Information and Resources page, and sign up to our newsletter if you would like new posts sent directly to your inbox. If you would like support with feeding your child, please get in touch.

  • Back to School

    Back to School

    For children with speech, language, and/or feeding needs, a new school year can bring unique opportunities and challenges. There are some things you can do to help your child feel confident, prepared and supported as they return to school.

    Supporting Children with Speech and Language Needs

    1. Establish a Routine

    Children thrive on predictability. Establish a school day routine with consistent wake-up and go to bed times and structure school mornings so your child can predict what and when things happen before leaving for school (e.g., getting dressed, eating breakfast and brushing teeth). Some children may benefit from a wall calendar that shows the day of the week, and for children using Now / Next boards or other visual schedules, make it clear what days are school days so your child knows what is happening each day.

    2. Practice Self-Advocacy Phrases

    Practicing language such as “I need help”, “I am hungry / thirsty,” or “Where do I go?” can help your child feel more confident advocating for themselves at school. If your child’s speech is difficult to understand, help them communicate in other ways when needed such as describing or showing what they are trying to say; and if your child uses Makaton or other sign language system, make sure you show your child’s teacher the signs and their meaning. Whenever possible, provide pictures of your child’s sign vocabulary to be kept in the classroom. 

    For children who use pictures to communicate, be sure to provide the classroom teacher and teaching assistant with a copy of the pictures you use at home and explain how your child uses the pictures. There will be new picture vocabulary that you child will need at school, so talk to your child’s teacher about what pictures they think may be relevant in school that you have not yet used at home.

    3. Expand School-Related Vocabulary and Activities

    Introduce words your child might hear at school such as, “schedule,” “assembly,” “school hall,” “recess,” etc. and model how to use this new vocabulary in real-life. Looking at books together that tell stories about children at school and have pictures of classrooms and school settings is a good way to support your child to learn school-related vocabulary.

    4. Practice Social Communication and Play

    Practice social situations like asking for help, taking turns, or joining a group during free play or at recess. If your child is shy or has difficulty navigating social scenarios, simple scripts like “Can I play?” or “My turn” can help your child build confidence when meeting new friends. For children who use pictures and/or sign language to communicate, introduce social pictures and signs at home and practice using them in situations your child may encounter at school.

    Supporting Children with Feeding Challenges

    1. School Dinner and Lunchbox ‘Dress Rehearsals’

    Borrow a dinner tray and/or plate from school and let your child practice eating some meals from it at home. If your child will be bringing a packed lunch to school, let them practice eating from their actual lunchbox at home. This includes using the same containers they will bring to school. This way your child gets used to a new mealtime routine and you can see which containers, if any, are difficult for your child to open or close.

    2. Stick to Familiar Foods

    Avoid experimenting with new foods at the start of the school year; the sight, smell and sound of having a mealtime with peers can be overwhelming for some children. Pack safe, preferred foods your child is most likely to eat in a busy, sometimes overstimulating environment.

    3. Involve Your Child in Meal Preparation

    Let your child help pack their lunch and choose containers so they know what to expect when they sit down to eat. 

    4. Talk about Lunchtime Expectations

    Explain school mealtime rules: sitting in one spot, limited time to eat, and not always having an adult to help immediately. Practice these at home, so your child knows what to expect when they sit down to eat at school. 

    5. Help School Understand Your Child’s Mealtime Challenges

    Talk with the school’s mealtime supervisors to make sure they understand your child’s feeding challenges and how to support your child at mealtimes. It is important that mealtimes be pressure free and that your child find mealtimes at school enjoyable which may mean they don’t always make a healthy choice or finish what is on their plate.


    For more information about supporting children with communication and/or feeding difficulties, please see South Lakes Speech & Language Therapy’s Information & Resources page or get in touch; and sign up to our newsletter if you would like new posts sent directly to your inbox.