When babies begin weaning, many parents understandably focus on minimising the mess. We wipe sticky hands, retrieve dropped spoons, clean faces between mouthfuls and try to keep food on the plate where possible. We do it because mess feels like the problem.

But what if, by focusing only on containing it, we risk overlooking what is actually happening?

To you, it looks like lunch, breakfast or dinner. For your baby's brain, it's one of the richest developmental workouts of the day.

Every time they squash a raspberry, reach for a spoon, smell a piece of broccoli or smear yoghurt in their hair, millions of neural connections are being activated.

Supporting messy mealtimes does not mean encouraging chaos for the sake of it or engineering elaborate sensory activities. It means creating an environment in which they can be set free to explore without limits. Mealtimes represent a natural opportunity to explore and discover.

Here are 10 practical ways to make space for that learning while keeping mess manageable for the whole family.