Tips: Bite not shove all in?

[Dreamalittledream]

I have 2 daycare children; one is 12 months and bites all his food...self feeds perfectly. He also,is the better walker of the the 2. The other, a girl, is now 15 months and is cruising but not walking (she was late to sit, crawl)...she just shoves everything in her mouth...until she reached 12 months I would cut everything up in tiny pieces (even then she would take as much as she could cram with both hands and shove it in), now I've been giving her big pieces in hopes she would bite off pieces and not choke on it (every single meal she is choking...not to the point I need to assist, but she clears it on her own...so nerve racking). At home her foods are still either puréed (they demanded it be so here too until 12 months, but I started introducing tiny pieces). So, now with a big cracker, for example she still just shoves the whole thing in...if I hold it she has no concept to bite a piece off with her front teeth, tries to gum it with her tongue. Am I expecting too much? Any other tips? Mostly, I've just resorted to giving her tiny pieces & a little at a time...but I really feel that she should be progressing beyond this from eating in this way for the past 6 months? At this point, I have had others who have already been eating with a spoon and she won't even try that.

[Inspired by Reggio]

My only advice is that 'eating' is a skill just like everything else in life and the fastest way to master a skill is to have consistent expectations and practice between home and program ... if they are spoon feeding her big spoonful portions of pureed food still that this is what she is used to eating wise and she is trying to get that same full mouth sensation with the 'chopped up' food that you are now serving her ... the only way she will 'catch up' to the others who have been given more chance to practice with solid foods is if she has the same chance to practice that they have ~ otherwise it will take her longer to get there if the only place she has to practice is your house and she has to deal with the mixed messages at home on top of that.

If the parents are not on board with her being self feeding and on table food yet your choice is to figure out a way to get them on board so she can master it faster OR learn to accept that she is going to be 'delayed' in this area compared to the others whose parents do share that expectation of their children. To prevent choking you can only give her small servings of foods until she gets that at your house she needs to put small portions in her mouth and BITE/CHEW the food, give her a tiny spoon to eat with and so forth?

[Crayola kiddies]

I had a dcm that was a nurse ... She said if you cut things up in little pieces most kids will keep shoving food in till they choke however if you give them large peices they will only put a bit in at a time. I was very nervous with this cause well it's not my kid and I'm not interested in doing the hiemlich (sp) anytime soon..... But I followed what she said cause this is what the kid was used to and low and behold she was right...... Give the kid a whole wrap with veggies and rice and she ate it .... This was a 14 month old. I did cut her grapes in half in the beginning cause that was my comfort level .... She also never allowed her child a sippy cup it had to be free flowing.