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Mikal Takita

Moving my baby's meals outside...


My bub is roughly 11 months old and he's taken to dropping ev-er-y-thing off the side of the highchair tray. He hasn't been a huge "consumer" when it comes to food (which is merely my own perception, though clearly he HAS been eating and growing and getting what he needs). However with a few days of a lower appetite for milk feeds as well, I was starting to sweat as I know nutrition is so important.


I decided to move our lunch meals from the highchair to eating outside. I love eating outside, being outside (it is Summer here at the moment which helps), living outside, so for me it has been a nice change to bring bub outdoors and do some mealtimes differently.


I've been using an old towel that I'm not worried about getting mess on as a picnic blanket. I have him in his nappy and a t-shirt under the heavy shade of a tree and bring our lunch on his highchair tray plus his water bottle.


He loves moving his body, so often I've noticed he isn't a fan of the constraint of the highchair anyway. He loves to crawl to the tray, take a seat, check all the food out, try what stands out to him, all while having autonomy over his body and actions. He loves to be outside where is so much to see and touch.


Being in nature is known to influence a calming effect on us (1) and nature has been demonstrated as sensory-rich learning environment for children (2). The benefits not only include inducing a more relaxed state, but also for children to have the opportunity to have autonomy with moving their body without the constraint of a container like the highchair or bouncer (building on all their skills and milestones), and building on their sensory development, seeing more interesting things, time to explore and feel the the grass and trees.


I always find myself much more relaxed outdoors, and with my son's eating and "consumption" when we eat outside. When we're at the dining t


able and he is sitting in his highchair I tend to be so focused on watching every bite, quantifying how big the bites have been, what's ended up in the chair or on the floor and still in the bowl versus what it looks like he's swallowed. It can be so stress-inducing. The total opposite of the lovely relaxed family mealtime that promotes better eating habits.


I resonate with many of you that mealtimes tend to start out in the highchair and stay there till confidence with baby's mealtimes grow overall. Once you feel like giving the outdoor meal a go, there's many ways you can approach it.


  • Take the highchair outside. The change in scenery can still be lovely for your bub, observing the leaves of the trees, seeing the sky or even the birds flying by.

  • Get a low to the ground, camp chair booster seat with a tray and harness. We grabbed one from Kmart that suits 6-36 month olds and we keep it in the car. We've used it so much when out and about and wanting our son to be able to be outside but stay securely seated and eat safely. It means he is at our level when we sit on the picnic blanket and can be a part of the mealtime, whilst being safe for eating until he was confidently eating well.

  • Let them sit on the picnic blanket (or old towel) with you. It, and bub, will get covered in food. Smock bibs can only do so much. However, if they are confidently self-feeding then this is a great opportunity to practice self-serving as well. For those active bubs, think safe foods for your bub to eat on the move (to lessen any choke risk while moving and eating at the same time), or help them to practice sitting independently while eating.

Are there any downsides? It's a bit difficult to do this when the weather is rainy! But in seriousness, whether you eat in or out, there's still dishes to clean, and maybe a towel and clothes that need to go in the washing machine. Although is that any different to any other day with kids?


I try to keep it simple and take the bare minimum out to the garden. A towel to sit on, plate of food or lunchbox and drink bottle, and sometimes if I've had a really switched on day, some wipes for the end of the meal.





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