Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

Flip

Original poster

When did your DC start using cutlery?

6 replies

mindtheagegap · 26/03/2011 13:51

My 17 month old shows no signs of using her spoon and fork for anything other than stabbing her food with the wrong way up. If she is having something mushy (e.g. mashed potato) she likes to stick both her hands in her food and is very good with 'finger food'. She will let me feed her from a spoon (after a period of refusing this) but is not inclined to do so herself. I always give her a spoon / fork to hold when eating and occasionally she'll get something in her mouth (more luck than judgement), but generally seems uninterested. Is she too young or should i be trying something else?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

tinierclanger · 26/03/2011 13:57

Well she's not too young to be capable but I don't think it really matters. Just keep giving her the option and she'll get it eventually. Does she see you eating with cutlery?

Tee2072 · 26/03/2011 14:32

This past week, at nearly 22 months, my son ate almost an entire bowl of porridge with a spoon.

Soup was not as successful.

Meglet · 26/03/2011 14:35

Nursery started them at about 1yo (we did a lot of BLW at home) and they were both pretty competant by 2yrs. I think if it was just me trying to get them to do it they would have taken longer to learn.

monkoray · 26/03/2011 19:01

my 17 month old has just started feeding himself with a spoon if the food is mushy. He has to be in the right mood though - ie never at breakfast time and often he's too tired at dinner time and i just end up feeding him. He struggles with some spoons if the handles are too long. I have found that boon spoons (see amazon) are best for him as they have stubby handles and small bowls. But he really has only just started to show an interest in doing this so i wouldn't worry too much.

IWillNotNeverEatATomato · 26/03/2011 19:15

DS1 only really started using a fork and spoon properly at about 2 and a half. he is a very lazy eater and used to want to be fed by me all the time.

DS2 16months is reasonably confidently using a fork and spoon

I wouldn't worry too much, she will get there in the end

Original poster

mindtheagegap · 26/03/2011 19:18

Hi, thanks all for your replies. She does see us eating but doesn't seem inclined to copy us. Will check out the boon spoons and see if they help - it'd be good to have spoons with a bowl at each end as she always holds the bowl end and sticks the other in the food! My DH says i should just leave her to get on with it and she'll pick it up - but i am a bit paranoid about her eating enough, especailly in the evening, as she wakes in the night if she's hungry. Will try and chill out a bit.

OP posts:

Flip