spoon feeding
Doing everything for
Spoon feeding is literally putting food into someone's mouth with a spoon, as one does with infants or the infirm.
The figurative sense dominates: giving someone information or help in such small, easy portions that no effort is required on their part.
It usually carries a negative connotation—implying the recipient is being coddled or denied the chance to learn independently: The professor refused to spoon-feed the students; they had to find sources themselves.
- nurturingSupportive care-giving
- coddlingOverindulgent, protective treatment
- helicopter parentingExcessive involvement in children's lives
- pamperingLavish attentive care
- babyingTreating as helpless
hand-holding · sheltering · overprotecting · hand holding · mothering · cradling · highchair · bib · baby food · mush · puree · soft food · infant · dependent · helpless · easy · dumbing down · chewing
- feedingmeal time, mealtime, breakfast, lunch, dinner
- eatingchewing, biting, swallowing, nibbling, munching
- baby itemspacifier, teething ring, baby blanket, stroller, high chair
- infant feedingbaby bottle, baby formula, infant formula, engorgement, bottle
- overparentinghelicopter parenting, helicopter parent, overprotective, overprotection, overprotecting
- hand rearingformula, hand rearing, orphan care
spoon feedingSocratic method
Teaching by strategic questioning
discovery learning · self-directed learning · independent study · learning by doing · sink or swim
spoon feedingtough love
Beneficial strictness from affection
challenging · trial by fire · baptism by fire · pushing · stretching
spoon, feeding, spoons, spooned, spooning, spoonful, spoonfuls, feed, feeds