Dear Kay:
OK I have tried to show him to chew while I have food in my mouth and food in his mouth, but by the time I put the food in his mouth he has swallowed it already. He is not my son I just babysit him I already told his mother but she says nothing so i am trying to help the baby swallow. I give him soft foods nothing hard, then one day I gave him those Lil fruit cups the same thing and I tell him chew baby chew like this he does the chewing thing after the face that he done swallowed his food. I don’t know what else to do. Please help me.. and yes he has choked on me already.
Abby
Dear Abby:
Thank you for writing to me. You need to sit the mom down and make her show you how she feeds him. Don’t allow her to say no. If she wants you to watch her child she needs to be concerned enough to make sure he is okay when he is not with her. I am concerned as most 2 year old’s already know how to chew. Something is not right here. Mom needs to deal with this issue. Also, it sounds like you could use some classes on age appropriate behavior. Babysitting is not a career unless you keep yourself up on child development. You wouldn’t want something to go wrong and then be blamed for it. Please do read up on children and child development. I have some sites you may enjoy. www.talaris.org, www.zerotoone.org and I am sure if you google you will find many more to read great material.
Best Wishes!
M Kay Keller