Posted: August 20, 2025
Learning a new skill begins with the basics to lay a good foundation. An infant or young toddler learning the skill of feeding themselves is no different. Building a proper physical foundation for feeding is necessary for the best feeding experience.
An adult cutting a banana in bite-sized pieces to feed to a toddler in a highchair
Here are the top three tips to remember when infants and young toddlers transition to self-feeding:
- Ground the feet when eating. Feet help form the foundation. As the child grows, it is important for their feet to be grounded when eating. This is an often overlooked, but critical piece of successful self-feeding. If a child is in a high chair, feeding seat, booster seat, or seated at a low table, the legs and feet should not be dangling, but should have solid support. Securing something to the footrest of the high chair or feeding seat will allow a child's feet to have support, providing stability. Tape a small cardboard box to the footrest and add spongy shelf paper to the box to provide a grip surface for small feet (Fernando & Potock, 2022).
- Proper sitting position. It is important for a caregiver to take time ahead of eating times to sit the child up in a solid, stable posture in the feeding chair so they can chew and swallow properly. This includes making sure that a child is seated at the proper angle so their body trunk, head, and neck are in alignment (Fernando & Potock, 2022). To achieve and support this alignment for infants starting on solid foods, roll up a dish towel or hand towel into tube-shaped bolsters and place them around the left and right of a child’s ribcage to give the needed support. Feeding specialist Mel Potock, MA, CCC-SLP, recommends using spongy waffle weave shelf liner which can provide traction to children to sit on to keep the pelvis at the right angle and prevent the child from slumping down in the chair (Fernando & Potock, 2022)
- High chair tray placement. The tray should be placed at the bottom of a child's breastbone (Fernando & Potock, 2022). If the child is too low, place a folded towel under them to boost them up. Proper tray placement allows the infant or young toddler to be stable enough to grasp and hold finger foods as the child transitions into self-feeding. These placement and positioning tools can be used even as the child begins to self-feed until they grow and are no longer needed for good positioning.
For more information and strategies to be responsive and supportive during this transition to self-feeding, check out the BKC On Demand course, "Supporting Safe Self-Feeding with Young Toddlers." This course discusses the specific nutritional needs of young toddlers, how to guide and support them in self-feeding, and strategies for success when working with multiple children and feeding stages within a group.
