Table manners..

[sunnyside]

My ds is nearly 14 months and eats like a horse thakfully. He's v determined and wants to feed himself which I'm happy to let him do despite the mess! This evening he ate a big roast dinner, some of it with a plastic fork but lots of it with his hands (brocolli, carrots, pieces of chicken) Is this ok or do you think he'll get into a habit of eating with fingers?

BTW not obsessed with this just wondering!

13mo is far too young to worry about the niceties of actually eating - things like not throwing the food and not chucking his drink, yep, teach now. He sounds like he's doing brilliantly!

as long as they find food a great thing - i wouldnt put any rules on them just yet - i think around the age of 3 - 5 maybe they should sit at table start with cutlery - but nothing anal

and it will grow until they want to immitate you.

I would just concentrate on meals being a happy positive family time. If there is some use of forks great but fingers are fine. You only have to worry when your 5 yr old still insist on eating spagetti with hands . The food you mention is great finger food anyway, at this age I would maybe encourage forks or spoons with messy stuff like pasta or soup .

Crikey - definitely too young to worry about cutlery....It's great that he is eating a variety of things. A lot of older babies / young toddlers go through a very faddy stage, so it shoulds like its going brilliantly ....

To young to worry about cutlery. It is perfectly accetable for a 14 month old to use fingers.

dssfvffrfee hanks everyone that's his thankyou at xcbeginning!jk mt7g8yooh and some more

I have always gone with the theory that as long as they are eating, I actually don't mind how the food gets into their mouths!! There's more time later at 2-3 years plus to start requesting better manners and use of cutlery.

So, please don't worry, let mealtimes carry on being messy and chaotic and be thankful (if not a little smug) that your DS is keen to shovel as much food in as he can!!

i thinkk its almost not even thinking about tabel manners until they are 2ish...

its more important that they learn to eat and enjoy their food at this stage!

also at 13 months what realistic chance do they have at getting food onto spoon, then getting spoon to mouth while food doesnt fall off!

I wouldnt worry at all, plenty of time for tabel manners later