Let them have fun while they eat!

I was very "strict" with my first son while he would eat.  I would make sure if he was eating something messy, then I would feed it to him.  Not anymore.  Let them experiment.  My second is now almost 18 months old.  He will eat anything...with or without silverware.  We load up his highchair tray with 3 or 4 different items from different food groups with various textures and colors.  He eats almost everything every time.  I feel that kids need to feel that independence, even if they may not recognize that that is what it is.  He learned to eat at a pace that was comfortable with him.  And to this day, he is still usually the last one done eating, but again, he cleans his tray.  He is not as picky as  an eater as our older son.  Now, I won't say that he didn't have spaghetti in his hair tonight at the end of dinner.  But that is what baths are for.  I will do the same thing with my third son.  Kids need to see that being in their highchair or booster seat is fun and experiment with food...even if it is dumping it on their head.