When should self-feeding with cutlery start?

[Mmmmcheese]

DS is 12 mo and is happy to feed himself finger food etc.

When I'm feeding him he sometimes grabs the spoon and with my help can just about get it in his mouth but he seems a long way off being able to feed himself with a spoon or anything else.

I just bought some "toddler" cutlery which says babies can start feeding themselves at 12mo. Is this right or am I worrying over nothing?

It depends on the baby- they're all different. DD1 didn't feed herself with cutlery for an age, DD2 used a fork from 12 or 13 months. Don't stress. He eats, that's all that you need to care about!

My DS could manage a spoon around 12-13mo, and I think he was one of the earlier ones from my antenatal group, but it was very hit and miss for a long time. We did BLW, and even at 2.10 he much prefers treating everything as finger foods... Sigh...

Ignore the cutlery packet. It's just a suggestion and it doesn't mean anything is wrong with your DS if he can't manage it yet - perfectly normal I think.

I would just keep offering it, but don't worry about whether it gets used properly or not. They will copy you and get it right eventually!

For months DD would have a few mouthfuls then chuck spoon/fork on floor and finish with hands. She does really well now at nearly two. (but still does the floor trick) Cutlery takes a very long time to master from what I have seen of other children.

I just kept putting the fork/spoon out and one day he used it a bit and then the next day a bit more etc etc... Let your DC pick the day/pace...

DD3 has been using a spoon quite insistently since she was about 12 months. She wasn't actually all that interested in food before that so I don't know whether she'd have been readier any earlier. She's now 17 mo and uses a fork and a spoon (and our cutlery if she can get hold of it!)