The One Thing You're Neglecting That's Making Mealtimes Impossible

Sometimes it feels like feeding your baby is an impossible task. No matter what you try, nothing works to get them to actually eat the food you're giving them.
Often it all comes down to one foundational piece of the puzzle not being quite right. This can lead to kids not wanting to sit at the table to eat, refusing to try food, tantrums and meltdowns, and what seems like picky eating.
But when you get it right, mealtimes become so much easier. Even if it feels like you've tried everything and none of it works, this one change might be all you need.
I hope this helps!
✅ Get your free Mealtimes Essentials Guide with links to all my favorite plates, cups, cutlery and more here: brightestbeginning.com/bb_opt...
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[@kristinaw3420]

As a first time mom who has no previous baby experiences, Emma has given me so much confidence with my baby. I am so grateful to have found her channel and to her. I can't express how much gratitude I have to you Emma❤

[@EmmaHubbard]

Thank you so much ❤️ This has honestly made my day!

[@vickynikol2772]

My words exactly! Thank you Emma❤

[@kamiaesanto]

Amen, me too 😊

[@daniohs]

I love how empathetic you are. The first clip of you in a big chair, asking us to lean and drink water - key to parenting that I often forget 😊

[@s.r.3908]

In Germany we have Trip Trap chairs. They are made specifically for this purpose and grow with the child until they are around 8-10 years old.

[@lolasunflower6350]

You can still sit on them as an adult😁 they are THAT durable and adjustable

[@claudialandgraf4450]

I have one my self. Greatings from Germany aswell.

[@aleksandrapawlak5466]

Trip trapp are swedish and are popular all over Europe :)

[@venyl6028]

It's popular in North America too!

[@idzit]

That sounds brilliant!

[@Wesenskern]

OMG that might explain why my two children NEVER had issues with eating. I must admit I just sat my babies on the table next to me. We did BLW (baby led weaning) and they could see and easily grab what they wanted .... I had to clean up a lot afterwards but for me it was worth it. I would have never considered the height of the chair being a potential issue, but it's actually obvious once you point it out.

[@EmmaHubbard]

Thanks for sharing!!

[@laurenwilson4680]

Emma, I am so thankful that I've found your videos. They have been so helpful as a first time mom. Thank you for all you do to help us care for our babies better! 🥰❤️

[@EmmaHubbard]

You are so welcome!

[@eaudunilturnip3441]

I've seen you talking about high chairs in another video and you mentioned thinking about it in adult terms. I've been trying to do that more when I'm playing or working with him. Thank you for the advice, it's been helping.

[@EmmaHubbard]

It's so good you have been able to apply this idea with your little one. It really does make it easier to understand why things might be a little challenging for them!

[@kieramoore6501]

I've discovered the best way to get my little one to eat the food I give to her is to allow her to sit on her playmat and put her dish in front of her. She sits there quite happily eating at her own pace (making an absolute mess) but it's a small price to pay to get her to eat her veggies. I've almost given up with her chair, it's so much easier this way for me. Everyone is different, of course, but this works for us

[@Free-sm8qc]

After listening to your advice from another video about chairs i purchased a Stokke Steps, it has been a blessing, my little one loves eating and interacts with us while we eat, the chair is so comfortable as I observed, he could sit for 30-40 minis without crying, he is 9 months old now

[@EmmaHubbard]

That is awesome!

[@EmmaHubbard]

Thanks so much for watching! Have you noticed these challenges with your little one? Don't forget to get your free Mealtimes Essentials Guide with links to all my favorite plates, cups, cutlery and more here: brightestbeginning.com/bb_optin/mealtime-essentials-guide/

[@liisr5939]

Thank you so much for all your videos. They are really helpful

[@EmmaHubbard]

You're very welcome!

[@user-li1op9ig7x]

Thanks you so much for all your videos❤

[@EmmaHubbard]

You are so welcome!

[@Salesmanclub01]

So many “ah-ha” moments 🎉 so glad I found this. FTM here and so many of your videos have helped!

[@EmmaHubbard]

Glad it was helpful!

[@michaelcolmenares8087]

Thanks!

[@EmmaHubbard]

❤️

[@lobiyabean]

Can you please make a video on how to choose a car seat? Love your videos 💚

[@EmmaHubbard]

❤️

[@thenewhew1136]

My 11 month old refuses spoon feeding. She refused solids until about 9.5-10 months--freezing dots of puree made a huge difference

[@EmmaHubbard]

Thanks for sharing!

[@music4lif]

Can you please share more about how you froze dots of puree? What kind of containers did you use? How big were the dots?

[@claudialandgraf4450]

I have to say a big thank you. Until resently I only used a belt to strap my baby on a chair. But he got more mobil and leaned forward to grap stuff from the table. Therefor I put on the the desk of the high chair. My son startet to eat less willingly by himself. It was so untypical. Thanks to the video and 2 dictionaries he his sitting high enough and we started with eating a "bite of bread" by him self instead of the former slice for his fist to grap. Its wonderful to see how he gets better each time. Soon I will put 2 pices in front of him. Without the video I would have wondered about the decline.

[@EmmaHubbard]

That's fantastic!

[@wildcatannu]

Ms. Emma, please can you tell us more about baby food pocketing. I have tried baby led weaning and purée methods and both strategies have led to my girl pocketing food in her mouth for minutes long and meal time goes on for hours. I initially thought she might have some difficulty to bite and swallow but she can happily bite and swallow junk food. I have tried the right utensils and high chair but she prefers to pocket fruits and vegetables in the mouth however has no problems in gulping down milkshakes pizzas and French fries 😮

[@aurora6920]

So helpful thank you! My other issue is that my baby keeps their mouth shut at all times when I try to feed them! Not sure how I am meant to start weaning if he refuses but I will use your tips. He doesn't put finger foods made from Ella's kitchen in his mouth either, yet will put any toy in his mouth.

[@and.p.146]

Try not to feed them. Just place the food in front of your baby and start eating yourself. They will become curious and imitate you

[@EmmaHubbard]

Glad to help. In regards to your little one keeping their mouth shut. Sometimes when you are spoon feeding it can be really helpful to smear some of the food on the table or tray first. This gives them an opportunity to see what you are going to feed them, as well as, touch the food to familiarise themselves with the texture and temperature of the food. This might then make your little one more willing to try the food. I hope this helps!

[@aurora6920]

@@EmmaHubbard Thank you so much, I will try this each time :)

[@aurora6920]

@@and.p.146 Thank you, this might work better!

[@basitahakimyar1291]

I have the same problem with 8 month old 😢

[@LaShadyLane]

I noticed in your examples of proper positioning (starting around 5:40), the babies do not seem to be strapped in to the chair. Is this intentional in order to achieve the desired 90-degree angle?

[@mayabarnes5973]

My 1.5yr old is in a Trip Trap and still says “all done” as soon as I put the plate on the tray. Mealtime is very stressful.

[@ashleyortiz4785]

Is the Tripp Trapp Stokke High chair a good one?

[@EmmaHubbard]

The Tripp Trapp Chair is honestly my faviourite highchair (my 6 year old still sits in one). I am aware though that it's expensive, but the good news is there are other highchairs available now which are very similar. In Australia where I live there is the Mocka Original Highchair, the Nanny Annie Wooden Highchair and other versions that you can get at Target. The main difference is I prefer the highchair insert for the Tripp Tapp (plastic guard that goes at the front) over the highchair insert on the Mocka. I find the Tripp Trapp is insert is sturdier and provides more support. That said I do really like the Nanny Annie harness and method to clip in the tray. I hope that helps a little!

[@Zora3y]

fixes at 5:30

[@vickismith9550]

What is the brand/name of the high chair used at 0:40?

[@Zumarequestrian643]

Hello my daughter is 4 and half nearly 5 she start school in this month full time my conser is she very hyperactive less focusing on thing i very worried about her please give some advice about her on the others hand she is very loving girl love to everybody but my conser is focusing and activities in school's..

[@rachelle2227]

Oh boy, I was hoping I could potty train my daughter around her second birthday since she will be 27 months old when baby number 2 comes. Hopefully she will be ready, I really don’t want two in cloth diapers 🙃.

[@superpikkle3983]

My 10 week old will not nap in his crib or bassinet. He sleeps for hours at night without issue but during the day he wakes up after 15 minutes if not immediately. I have the windows almost completely blacked out, white noise and he's swaddled (although he kicks himself free). His diaper is clean and his belly is full. What am i doing wrong?

[@devyanishukla7176]

It's too early to expect a routine... It's all okay.. you're doing nothing wrong ... just give it time.. upto a year even

[@SMK97-qs7cf]

Hi. My baby is 9 months old and at first seemed to be advanced in fine motor skills at age 6-7 months and developed those way faster/earlier than her gross motor skills. Around this time we noticed that she almost stopped mouthing altogether rather exploring toys with her hands and eyes. We never considered this a problematic behaviour up until now. She loves to be spoon fed and eats with joy but since she doesn’t put toys or things in her mouth, she also doesn’t do it with finger food naturally. We let her play with her purées/avocado/ baby cookies you name it and different textures and model the hand to mouth movement a lot. She only chews when we present her the finger food in front of her mouth. If she sees things she wants to taste on the tray, she gets intensely frustrated but doesn’t seem to realise that her hands are her instruments to get them in her mouth. I am worried that this is some kind of red flag for her cognitive processing. Other than that she easily places her finger in her mouth, rotates her wrist and does the pincher grasp. I can also brush her teeth so I doubt it is a sensory issue. Please help

[@Telamond]

What can I do if my LO likes to stand in the highchair and doesn't like being restrained?

[@EmmaHubbard]

It really depends on why your little one is standing up. Sometimes kids attempt to get out of the highchair when they are finished eating. If this is the case, try and pick up on their earlier signs that they are finished. When you notice these signs, say "All finished" and get them out of the highchair before they start standing up. Or they may be standing up because the highchair is not providing them with enough support or too big or they're trying to see the food. The strategies mentioned in this video should help overcome these issues. Or sometimes they need to be taught that they need to sit down to eat their food. To help them learn this you would say "We sit down to eat" or "Bottom on seat. Then you can eat" and then you would help them sit down. Once they are sitting, you would give them their food. But if they stand back up again, you remove the food and restate that they need to sit down to eat. Eventually they will learn that they need to remain seated in the highchair to eat. Hopefully one of these tips helps!

[@viktoriailieva4460]

​@@EmmaHubbardI experience the trird issue with my 11-month old. I tried to put him down but he starts crying for food. If I give him milk, he is ok. And for a week he was almost exlusively on formula. He seems to be just fine without any solids but he will start daycare soon and there they will feed him solids only. No milk is allowed. What can I do?

[@annechan5168]

What to do when a nine months old baby only wants to play and refuses to drink milk during the day. He will wake up to drink milk two times in the middle of the night. He starts to enjoy eating solids.

[@sumerashahid4441]

My baby is 9 month but he is not sitting on his support so how i make him sit or eat Led kindly guide me I am wortied😢

[@EmmaHubbard]

Hi! I am not really sure what you are asking so I am going to answer two questions. At this age we would be hoping the bub can sit on their own. So if your little one isn't yet sitting, I would recommend getting in touch with a paediatric physiotherapist or physical therapist for an assessment and tailored recommendations. If your little one is sitting independently but not wanting to stay seated in the highchair there are a few things you can do depending on the reason for this behaviour. Sometimes kids attempt to get out of the highchair when they are finished eating. If this is the case, try and pick up on their earlier signs that they are finished. When you notice these signs, say "All finished" and get them out of the highchair before they start standing up. Or they may be standing up because the highchair is not providing them with enough support or too big or they're trying to see the food. The strategies mentioned in this video should help overcome these issues. Or sometimes they need to be taught that they need to sit down to eat their food. To help them learn this you would say "We sit down to eat" or "Bottom on seat. Then you can eat" and then you would help them sit down. Once they are sitting, you would give them their food. But if they stand back up again, you remove the food and restate that they need to sit down to eat. Eventually they will learn that they need to remain seated in the highchair to eat. Hopefully one of these tips helps!

[@nelus7276]

Lol. I can't believe the chairs I'm seeing in this video. Who would feed a baby in a chair with a cushion? Do people have nothing better to do than laundry?😂 We got the cheapest simplest most straight backed wooden chair we could find with an adjustable height.

[@music4lif]

Can you please share which chair you got and how did you end up liking it? Thanks so much!