spoon-feeding
Doing everything for
Spoon-feeding is giving someone food with a spoon, as one does with infants or the infirm.
The figurative sense dominates: providing information or assistance in such small, pre-digested portions that no effort is required from the recipient.
The implication is usually critical—that someone is being coddled rather than challenged: The professor refused to spoon-feed students the answers.
Also spelled as one word or two.
Nourishment for infants
- highchairTall infant seat
- infantVery young child
- weaningGradual dietary independence
- pureeSmoothly blended food
mashed · bib · nursing · caregiver · formula · jar · teething · solids
Overindulgent, protective treatment
- pamperingLavish attentive care
- enablingMaking something feasible
- overprotectionExcessive safeguarding of another
- helplessnessLacking ability to cope
crutch · babying · sheltering · entitlement · laziness · reliance · passivity · mollycoddling
Excessive guidance or support
- oversimplifyingRemoving necessary complexity
- guidingLeading toward destination
- explainingMaking something understood
- step-by-stepIn sequential stages
scaffolding · tutoring · coaching · mentoring · breaking down · demonstrating · walkthrough · remedial
Biased information for influence
- indoctrinationSystematic uncritical belief instillation
- biasUnfair inclination or prejudice
- narrativeAccount of events
- agendaFormal discussion list
manipulation · curated · selective · filtered · controlled · censorship · spin · messaging
baby food
Nourishment for infants
puree · mashed · bib · nursing · caregiver · formula · jar · teething · solids · burping
coddling
Overindulgent, protective treatment
- pamperingLavish attentive care
- enablingMaking something feasible
- overprotectionExcessive safeguarding of another
helplessness · crutch · babying · sheltering · entitlement · laziness · reliance · passivity · mollycoddling · cushioning
hand-holding
Excessive guidance or support
- oversimplifyingRemoving necessary complexity
- guidingLeading toward destination
- explainingMaking something understood
step-by-step · scaffolding · tutoring · coaching · mentoring · breaking down · demonstrating · walkthrough · remedial · instruction
propaganda
Biased information for influence
- indoctrinationSystematic uncritical belief instillation
- biasUnfair inclination or prejudice
- narrativeAccount of events
agenda · manipulation · curated · selective · filtered · controlled · censorship · spin · messaging · brainwashing
- affectionhug, kiss, care, cuddle, caress
- caregivingcaregiver, take care, nurture, look after, compassionate care
- overparentinghelicopter parenting, helicopter parent, overprotective, overprotection, overprotecting
spoon-feedingindependent learning
Education pursued without instruction
self-directed learning · autodidacticism · self-teaching · discovery learning · learning by doing
spoon-feedingsink or swim
Succeed alone or fail
baptism by fire · challenging · trial and error · Socratic questioning · trial by fire
feed, spoon, feeding, spoonful, feeder, feeds, spoon-fed, spoon-feed