Don't Play with Your Food!

“Don’t play with your food!” .
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I think I know this phrase so well because it was often directed at me in childhood 😬...we actually had a ‘messy corner’ spot at the table so the mess would be at least somewhat contained 😅 .
...and now I’m experiencing the same frustration as a mom of a um... curious?...toddler 🙈 .
Well, if you have an especially messy eater and you can resist the urge to stop the mess, your child may actually end up being better at picking up new words!
Research out of the University of Iowa showed that 16 month olds were better at retaining the names of non-solid (mushy or liquid) foods if they explored them more. .
The study also found that kids who sat in high chairs did better on this task! (Rather than at the table). Turns out when sitting in a high chair a toddler/baby is often given more freedom to make a bit of a mess than if they are sitting at the table.
So do your best mamas and papas to let them explore their food as much as you can handle 😅
. ... I recently found pulled pork stuck to my wall so... solidarity 👊🏻 .

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Research 👇🏻
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/12/131202082318.htm