Montessori Weaning
Although baby is still small in size at 6ish months, the introduction of solids is a significant step in their independence.
Weaning is a new developmental stage marking their physical and psychological maturity. Weaning is defined not as the cessation of breastfeeding or formula feeding, but the introduction of solids.
Montessori-style weaning has two defining characteristics:
- Respect for the child: trusting them to learn to handle an array of textures not just purées, respecting their appetite and their control over what goes into their mouth
- Beauty: in the way food is presented, how it is served, and who it is eaten with
Dr Silvana Montanaro directed 0-3 training on 5 continents. Her book, Understanding the Human Being, was required reading on my AMI 0-3 Asst course. Her advice:
- Avoid insisting baby open his mouth
- Avoid forcing baby to finish a desired quantity
- The most important guest at our dinner table is the child we conceived- prepare the table accordingly
Montanaro carries on:
- When a child takes his place at the table, there is a human dignity that he has
- Previously he sat in our lap or was carried in arms, now he sits across from us sharing “one of the most human and pleasurable acts of social life”
Can you see how timeless and respectful the Montessori perspective on weaning is?
Montessori and Baby-Led Weaning (BLW)
I believe BLW to be very complementary with the Montessori approach. I have done BLW with my first two babies. I just wouldn’t go as far to say that Montessori would have endorsed BLW herself, the way I’ve heard some people claim on social media- we don’t have enough proof for that.
For clarity, let me briefly state that there are some differences between Montessori and BLW, such as Montessori’s use of cutlery and an orderly place setting.
Overall I do find the main aims of independent self feeding and enjoying a wide variety of foods, textures and tastes very complementary.
(Important sidetrack for WHEN to start solids. Doctors today recommend looking for signs of readiness, such as being able to sit upright with a little assistance, and being interested in food/ watching people eat, able to bring hand to mouth. For my 3 children, I observed these signs of readiness between 5.5-7mo.)
Setting Up A Weaning Table and Chair
Some influencers start by telling you what to buy for introducing solids. I take a reverse approach:
With that great respect for the child, and that understanding that infants can accept a wide array of foods and textures, we can then decide what to buy.
The essential pieces of Montessori furniture would be a classic low table and chair, OR high chair, OR both.
Many Montessori families may opt for just a high chair, especially if you lack the space for both a high chair and a low chair. How to choose the most Montessori-friendly one:
- Choose a high chair with a footrest, because it makes them feel secure at a height, and therefore more likely to remain seated
- Choose a high chair with a detachable tray. When your baby is bigger, remove the tray and serve the baby their food at the same dining table as you. Baby sees they’re sharing the same eating surface and truly a part of the family
- Choose a high chair that allows the child to come and leave independently, facilitating a Montessori concept not just for weaning but for all of childhood: freedom of movement. The Stokke Tripp Trapp high chair or Yamatoya Sukusuku is top of mind
Low table and chair
When we recognise the significance of the infant literally taking his place at the table, a low table and chair can be seen as investments. Our weaning table and chair are purchased from Sprout Kids which ships internationally. If shipping fees are pricey, you can also order similar from various retailers online, get a local carpenter to make a set for you, or buy just the infant chair and cut a coffee table or IKEA lack table down to size.
The infant’s weaning chair should have
- armrests
- a high back
- low to the ground
5inches or 12 cm was the recommended seat height, but for my 6mo even that was too high for him to place his feet securely on the floor so go with the smaller size where possible as it will still last your child through to toddlerhood.
Baby should be able to sit up with a little assistance. If the weaning or high chair is a little too big for them it’s worth taking the time to get their posture correct, by providing 1-2 thin rolled towels or seat cushions to keep him upright, minimising slanting. For these short periods of mealtime, and for the developmental significance of weaning, it is completely ok to put baby in a “container” like a chair; it is in fact safer that way for eating.
The weaning table and chair can be used for snacks if you have a high chair for meals, and later on in toddlerhood, for food prep, play and activity.
One other – purely anecdotal- benefit of a low chair? I notice baby throws alot less in the low chair than the high chair!
Positioning and Other Pointers
Common mistake is to position the weaning chair facing the wall with some wall art. It is preferable that baby faces you rather than wall art, as they learn so much from human faces. So instead of baby facing the wall, I’d suggest that baby’s back and chair be against the wall. The small space provides an added feeling of security, keeping them hemmed in between the wall and the table edge, while allowing them to see the whole room.
Whether you choose a low chair or high chair, sit/ eat with your child. Do not let them sit/ eat alone, for eating is such an integral component of social life. Baby feels safe, when they see that they are eating what we eat. I remember the first time we offered 6.5mo baby chicken, he cried and didn’t know what to do with it. Its flesh must have felt slimy, and the drumstick heavy, in comparison to the veggies he had been getting. Then I got my husband, who was eating the same chicken but seasoned, to sit at the low table and eat. Almost immediately, baby calmed down and began eating his chicken too!
Montessori Weaning Essentials
Glass cup so baby can see the liquid inside (AMI 0-3 guide friends love Ikea POKAL, $2.90 for a pack of 6). I just went for a cheap, sturdy shot glass at my local department store Isetan. Why glass? The transparency allows the baby to see that there is something inside.
We provide the water at the end of the meal, when I observe baby to have finished most of his food, or is dropping/ throwing more/ looking less at food. As baby gets older, I intend to place the cup on his placemat throughout the meal.
For more tips on cups:
- Want to know how I taught my 7mo to drink from an open cup? Video here!
- Concerned about breakage? Place a bathmat under the weaning table! Video here
Bowls
For baby, I chose the smallest bowl from a set of Korean nesting bowls we already had. It is meant for banchan (Korean side dishes). You may also use ramekins, Corelle side plates, just ensure that the sides are shallow enough so the baby can easily grab what is inside.
Bibs
Bibs today do too good a job of protecting baby from the messes and spills. I prefer a cotton or terry bib that is not too cumbersome, and ideally isn’t even too absorbent, so that baby can feel some of the wetness and stickiness that comes from dropping food. This is a sensorial experience after all!
Utensils
Here’s a point of departure from BLW. The Montessori approach encourages use of utensils whereas BLW encourages babies to self feed with their hands.
This is largely dependent on the foods served, things like mash potato, yoghurt, hummus may be better served with utensils. We like the Num Num gootensils as a pre-spoon which we used from abt 6mo up and the Edison utensils which we used from abt 8-10mo up.
The Edison utensils are well-designed, the spoon is deep and blunt-edged to make it easy to catch the last bits of soup or rice, while the fork has ridges on each prong so it really “grabs” whatever food, even spaghetti, that baby spears with the fork.
In 0-3 training it is recommended to have 2 spoons or 2 forks (no particular brand). One which you pass to the baby to self-feed from, one which you pre-load and pass to baby when he’s done with the first utensil. In practice, my baby prefers holding both spoons or both forks at once.. I flow with it, since the main aims of exploring food and independent feeding are still being met!
In Closing
That was 2000 words! If you made it till the end, congrats!!! At 8.5mo, baby’s current favourite foods are avocado, apple, broccoli, bok choy stems, durian, Omega-3 enriched eggs (omelette incorporates the nutrient-dense and less allergenic yolk better), hormone/ antibiotic-free chicken and sourdough bread (some serving suggestions in image below).
Like all humans, baby’s appetite varies from day to day.
Baby’s role:
- To learn to chew (for baby already knows how to swallow milk)
- To open his mouth (or not, at the start)
- To decide how much to eat (I do not coax him “just one more bite/ finish this bowl” as it undermines his own satiety cues)
My role as parent:
- To trust baby – not force him to finish a particular amount or even, at the start, to open his mouth
- To follow baby’s cues – if he is looking at/ engaging with food less, throwing or crying more, I end the meal calmly
- Provide a wide variety of textures and flavours (if you’re keen to prevent picky eating, I’ve read on Solid Starts that it’s better to serve a wide variety of foods (regardless of how nutrient-dense) rather than serve only a few nutrient-rich foods)
- We teach the child to chew by modelling it ourselves, while eating the same foods
- We educate ourselves on the differences between gagging and choking, so we do not over-react when baby’s protective gag reflex kicks in
- Make mealtimes consistent and beautiful, as deserving of our “most important dinner guest”
Two more resources:
- How I Weaned Myself by Michael Olaf – a traditional Montessori approach to weaning. (Caveat: You may find some suggested foods and start dates outdated, but please read with an open mind and remembering those larger principles of Montessori weaning, like respect for the child’s appetite and choices, food/ flavour variation, and environmental setup)
- Solid Starts – evidence-based approach to starting solids, with a free First Foods Database and app that I refer to regularly
I thank the Montessori approach, for helping make mealtimes calm, enjoyable and peaceful for all.