self-feeding with a spoon - when??!

[emeraldgirl1]

My 23-month old nephew is not yet feeding himself with a spoon - even a basic attempt at something like a yoghurt. He makes no attempt to reach for the spoon and never has. He's OK at feeding himself the occasional tidbit with his hand like a bit of biscuit or individual bits of cereal. But no sign of interest in a spoon yet. His parents were very keen not to go through a messy stage several months ago and so haven't actively encouraged him to try it for himself. But I know others who've not encouraged it and the child does seem to eventually show some desire to try it out. But that is a girl in that case - any differences? What other experiences do people have, and what is considered 'normal' for self-feeding?

[MrsJamin]

DS started feeding himself with a spoon around 12 months, so I think nearly 2 is quite late TBH. What happens when he is left to his own devices with his meal?

[emeraldgirl1]

Actually, I have never seen him left to his own devices with meal... I suspect, from observing him when his mum is distracted for a moment or two, that he would still make no attempt to pick up the spoon himself... I thought I'd heard that nurseries insist a 2 yo can feed themselves when they start, which he is going to be doing a couple of mornings a week in a few months time. But I don't know if this is true or not?

[CMOTdibbler]

Nursery will not be expecting to feed a NT 2 year old. Help them out a little with something tricky if tired, but otherwise they feed themselves. In fact they certainly start self feeding in the baby room.

Time for your sister to start leaving him to it I think.

DS self fed from 6 months, but no idea when average is

[stickylittlefingers]

mine were both greedy little beggars who were only too keen to start shovelling it in themselves . However, a friend of mine's ds is 18m and she still feeds him, so I think it differs...

I'm sure any decent nursery would just go with how he is, encourage him to self feed and probably if all the others were doing it, he'd be keen to as well. I really wouldn't worry about it, anyway!