Eating with cutlery

[theoldbrigade]

Please bear with me guys as I'm new here ! Just wanted to ask at what point did all you young Mums introduce cutlery.
Well aware I'm way out of touch being old but now a "life guardian" to best friends grandaughter. See her often and not too fond of allowing her to eat with her hands at 20 months. Not talking refined eating here but is a spoon too out of order ?

at this age it's all about following the child's lead

and I'm kind of leaning towards beak out, too

a spoon at that age is perfectly reasonable

My DD had cutlery introduced around a year I think. It was only a spoon and fork but she progressed to a knife around 4.
I can't bear to see children of her age (now nearly 10), spear a piece of food then take bites out of it off the fork.
What is a life guardian when it's at home?

We gave DS a plastic spoon pretty much as soon as he could hold one/started weaning. Even if he didn't dirctly feed himself, he got the general idea from us using a spoon to feed him (IYSWIM).
He's now 5 and people comment on him being able to use a knife & fork which I feel a bit about. But his 11 year old cousin won't doesn't use cutlery and won't doean't eat anything you need cutlery for.

Our DD started using spoon etc at about 18 months - but has now regressed (she is just 3) and has to be told repeatedly to use them!

DS is 22 months, he eats with a spoon (sometimes two - one in each hand) and sometimes a fork. I don't mind if he eats with his fingers though. Some things, such as the chick peas we had in last night's curry, aren't so easy to pick up with a spoon.

Can she not feed herself yogurt with a spoon though?

Kreecher beat me to it. What's a life guardian?

I introduced cutlery at weaning. But they ate with their hands then too. And they still do !!
Sometimes a spoon is easier, you can shovel much more into your gob, as quickly as possible, I find

A life guardian is basically a Godparent in old money ! Civil rather than religious ceremony.

Thank you al so much for responding so quickly ! At least I now feel I am not being a total dinosaur. Having lunch with her tomorrow in a very relaxed brasserie with her Mum so with this support maybe I will mention it.

So agree K !!

B. Taking the childs lead is admirable in many ways but unless introduced to basic utensils it's not really a lead they can take surely ?

Not really your business, even if you are a godparent/life guardian. Leave it to her parents to decide when to introduce cutlery.

FWIW I agree it's time for a spoon, but it's not your child. I wouldn't mention it if I were you.

if they're offered the cutlery but aren't using it or use it for a bit then get bored and shovel that's pretty normal I'd say.

They will work it out eventually. (right?!)

Tomorrow might provide a good opportunity for you to offer her a spoon. It will be something new for her to try, and might keep her amused a little longer while you and her mum chat.

You could buy a sweet little cutlery set and present it as a gift.

I guess you should check is ok with her mum before offering it though.

Some kids are majorly resistant to cutlery, like my DS (who is 6 but a tiny bit dyspraxic/fine motor skills a bit delayed). He will use a fork or spoon, but doesn't cut his own food and would rather use his fingers. I am trying steady coaxing and reminders at the moment, because I am not (tbh) that bothered, and I'm hoping that peer example will gradually do the trick.

Ds is 17 months and can use a fork himself and is just mastering the spoon.