Can anyone else's 2 or 3 year old not use a spoon or fork yet?

[nappyaddict]

DS can do it if i load it up for him but he can't load it up himself yet.

[ilovetochat]

hi nappyaddict, dd can eat with a spoon and is just starting with a fork, she shovels things up with a fork or stabs at peas, its not a neat/clean experience

[whomovedmychocolate]

Do you mean as a flicking implement or for actual eating? DD is 2.10 and she can pick stuff up with a fork or spoon (messily) but generally they are used to increase the trajectory she can fling the food!

[jemart]

She CAN use cutlery, she just chooses not to half the time

[allaboutme]

ds2 who is 17 months can use a spoon and fork more easily and neatly than ds1 who is nearly 4!!

[Seona1973]

ds can stab with his fork and eat yoghurt, etc with a spoon (he is 2.10 years). He used the fork more at first.

[iwantitnow]

I would not load the food up, leave out fork & spoon, child will use them or hands

[nappyaddict]

If I do that he will use his hands at least if I loads it up he is getting practise at getting the spoon in his mouth.

[Gargula]

I was just going to post something very similar to this!
My lad is 20 months and I'm having to load up his spoon for him, which he will then quite happily put into his mouth and then hand it back to me for more.
I've been trying to encourage him to load it up himself but it just results in tears of frustration and no food eaten.
I've been getting paranoid as most people I chat to seem to leave their child to just get on with their meals themselves.
But I do wonder what age on average children eat their meals 100% independently.

[FaintlyMacabre]

I've recommended these on here before, but they really helped my DS. He's 21 months now but has been able to eat fairly tidily with a spoon since he was about 14 months, I'm sure due to this cutlery.
Apparently the Baby Bjorn set is also good and a little cheaper.

[RhinestoneCowgirl]

DS has just turned 3 and happily uses a spoon and fork, has done for some time BUT I think this is down to the fact that he is just a trencherman. Food is put in front of him and he eats, it's what he does, it's nothing to do with my parenting.

He will still resort to hands when tired or particularly hungry. Feeding themselves (by hand or implement) is the main thing I think, cutlery is more about manners/cultural expectations.