1 year old and eating

Baby turned one 1-1-13 and started eating table food about a month ago, this past week though he has increased drastically. He seems to be doing pretty well with it now.
At home I cut everything he eats into bite size pieces - about pea size but the day care is giving him chunks. They said its easier for him to pick it up. Everything I am reading says give small pieces until age 2. The day care says he is doing good with chunks - they gave him a whole roll with hamburger - so today I wanted to see what he'd do so I gave him a whole piece of bread. he squished it like a ball and shoved it in his mouth!! I immediately took it away and made small pieces and he ate it all up.
I know the day care has been around a long time and they are excellent in every other way but this is making me very nervous.

Do you give your baby chunks or small pieces?

Re: 1 year old and eating

How big are the chunks?

I cute most of their food into little cubes - maybe dime-size?

If the food is harder, I cut it smaller. Softer foods (sweet potato, cooked carrot, waffles, pancakes, etc... I cut a bit bigger).

I don't give them anything they need to "bite" since neither has their top teeth yet.

Mine will turn 1 on 2/14.

Message edited 1/23/2013 9:35:22 AM.

1 year old and eating

My DS is one (12/28/12) and truthfully he eats better when I do not cut things up into bite size pieces. Chicken he will only eat when it is more in stips that he can pick up and bite pieces off it.

He gets waffle sticks and does great with those. Tiney bite size pieces he just pushes around.

ETA - DS has 6 teeth.

Message edited 1/23/2013 2:57:22 PM.

1 year old and eating

DS gets mad and won't eat certain foods if they are cut too small. He likes being able to hold a bigger piece and bite into it. Daycare gives him everything pretty much whole, from what I've been told. I sit with him while he eats so i'm there in case anything were to happen. He has 4 teeth on the top and 2 on the bottom if that makes a difference.

Re: 1 year old and eating

my son is 1 and a great eater. He's been on table foods since 9 1/2 months.

with my 1st, he wasn't so good with table foods and swallowing. So he got tiny tiny pieces for a long time.

my 2nd- my now 1 year old, has been a pro. We give him big chunks, depending on what it is of course. But yes for him- he does not like us to feed him and bigger chunks are easier for him to pick up.

So in other words, it depends on the kid i think.

and no i wouldn't give bread or anything he can easily shove whole in his mouth.

(he only has 2 teeth)

Re: 1 year old and eating

My DD has always been really good with eating, so I have the opposite situation with my daycare. They worry about choking more than I do. I give DD what she can handle. By the time she was one I was not cutting things up crazy small, but she was also eating table food for a few months by then.

Something else to consider - they are different at school than they are at home. My DD refuses cheese at home, but eats it at school. She shoves food in her mouth at school, but not at home. So if they are giving chunks and it works for him while he's there, maybe that's ok and you should continue doing what you're comfortable with at home. That's the bottom line - you have to be comfortable with it.