is this normal and please tell me its a phase?

[Morph2]

18m old DS. Always been a good eater. Never really been good at feeding himself with a spoon etc but could pick up finger food. Just lately he has gone really funny about picking up food and getting his hands dirty. Started with cheese on toat but in the last few days he doesn't even want to hold try food like a biscuit but will take a bite if someone else is holding. If he does get his hands dirty he starts pointing at and shouting for the wipes or just starring at his hands.

I don't want to be spoon feeding him when he's 21

Give him his own cutlery? DS is 21mo and happily uses a spoon and fork. It's a bit messy but not too bad.

yes was thinking i will buy him a fork and see if he gets on any better with that and the spoon together

DS definitely found a fork easier than a spoon to start off with. He's still not using two pieces of cutlery at once though.

I find plastic picnic cutlery better than special toddler ones. Or I just let ds use normal stuff (not steak knives obviously).

I hate to say it but are you a bit enthusiastic with cleaning him up? Because I was talking with two mothers who were saying their children were very upset at any spills, mucky fingers etc and they both said they felt it was because they had cleaned up any little mess straight away when weaning them.

Sounds like you need to get him into messy play, hand paints, play do etc

Not a phase but def don't pander to it, my dd wasn't keen on having messy hands but liked her food too much to make an issue out of it !!

i wouldn't say i was over enthusiastic with cleaning him up but his favourite thing has always been having a bath and water play. i take him to a place on a friday where they have messy play amongst other things. Mum took him last week tho cus i was working and she says he just touched some play dough then started looking at his hands