9 tips for feeding your special needs child (cross-post)

Yesterday, I posted an essay from Enabled Kids on why it's important to treat a child's issues in concert rather than focus on a single one. 

Today, go check out my post on their site about the tips I've learned from feeding Malachi. I wrote it a while ago and just went to reread it and actually found myself laughing out loud! So go ahead and make the extra click, it's a fun read and chock full of tips for feeding your kids, even if they don't have special needs.

What? Still here? Fine, here's a sneak preview, but you have to go over there to get the rest!

1. Make a mess!
Meal times for babies are VERY messy affairs. With twins, I just had to accept that I was going to be sweeping the floor three times a day, washing six trays a day and wiping off twelve wriggling hands! With motor problems, your "baby" will probably be pretty messy for a long time to come. So accept it! The more mess he is able to make now, the faster he will learn what trajectory his hand needs to take to most efficiently get to his mouth. Parents (myself included) can often hold their children back by not allowing them to try. Unless your child is purposefully putting food where it ought not be, just repeat to yourself: It's all good. This is what washcloths are for.
And take pictures of their adorable messy faces.
And send them to me.