So why can't my nearly 2 year old son coordinate a spoon or fork yet then?

[Pascha]

Or hold a pencil, or have any interest in attempting to?

Because he's a nearly 2year old boy!

Because hes only 2.

But why can all the other nearly 2 year olds do it?

He will get there eventually, though I have a 6 and 9 year old who will still use their fingers, grr.
I work with young children as well as being a mum and it is quite normal for boys to have no interest in pencils etc, especially compared to girls. Hope this puts your mind at rest.

Pascha - they can't, honestly!

I know many 8-year old boys (my DS is one of them) who still can't do it very well. It infuriates the hell out of me but if they can't do it yet they can't do it.

In an older child it could mean dyspraxia or muscle weakness or poor eyesight or any number of things, but in a nearly 2-year old it doesn't mean anything by itself..

I hate him being the only one at the table who can't do it.

Do u mean seeing him with others at nursery?

My 20 month old DS doesn't like using cutlery. I've seen him use a spoon and fork but he will always choose to use his fingers unless it's yoghurt.

It annoys the hell out of me but I've decided to let it go. He's about to start nursery so im hoping that will cajole him

My 21 month old DS can't. He tries but gets frustrated when nothing ends up on the spoon - or worse, gets some but then accidentally flicks it all over the place before he can get it into his mouth. He's also really into textures getting filthy so he prefers using his fingers. Even for yogurt! Messy beggar.

Yes, he's the only one of his age not able to actually get food on the spoon/fork without substantial help.

Different DCs learn different things at different rates. DD used a spoon early, but she was over 16 months before she even tried to walk. So your DS would have been running rings around her while she sat on the floor and waved a spoon at him!

I feel silly because I know my reply to someone else would be don't worry, all kids are different, he'll get it in the end, etc... but when its your own child its really hard to see.

he did walk just before a year actually. Has no words though.

He's probabily better than other 2yr olds at doing something else tho, holding a spoon is frustrating & boring and he will pick it up

DD had a few words early, then babbled with emphasis for a while. :) Once she got it though, she was off, and now she never shuts up. Both her and DH talk in their sleep. :(

Sometimes they just like taking it all in until they feel confident enough to do it themselves, then they pick it up really easily. Just like DD was with walking.

God i'm daft. Please ignore me now, its the pregnancy hormones. I'm a loon today obviously. I resolve in future not to have tears over cutlery usage

My ds is 2 and a month. Only a few words here too whereas my dd's were speaking in full sentences. If he was my first is be worried
He can pick up food on a spoon/fork but prefers to fling it than to eat it!

I can't remember what age my DS got the hang of cutlery but it was way after age 2. At three he was the only child at nursery who couldn't use chopsticks (it was in Japan, to be fair). But there were lots of other things he was ahead of the other children in. Don't stress - but I know it's easier said than done.

I can't use chopsticks now!

DS doesn't have many words either. Out of interest, does yours still dribble a lot?

Arf at being the only one not to use chopsticks at 3, exexpat. Probably not a leap from my nn to guess we have J connections. If DS's chopstick wielding skills turn out anything like mine he's doomed I tells ya, DOOMED :o

I'm a dab hand with chopsticks (living in chopstick-using countries for 12 years or so probably helped) but DS didn't get the hang of it for years. Both DCs now expert, though, and enjoy showing off a bit to their friends, I think.

It really doesn't matter; the main thing is he eats. Think of all the mums on this board complaining that their child doesn't eat. He will get there in time. Can't think when DS started using cutlery properly - too busy eating my own food to notice. And as for holding a pencil, he really doesn't need to.

My nearly 2yo can use a fork and a spoon but does prefer his hands as I think it's quicker for him and less of a faff.

You don't see many 20 year olds still eating with their fingers so I assume he'll get there.

DS is 2.11 and this sounds EXACTLY like him til about, oooooooh, 2 months ago? When he had a lightbulb moment and now happily feeds himself with cutlery.

Still dribbles excessively though (although I understand from the dentist that this is 'a good thing').

I agree with lots of the above.

DS has bad eczema on his hands and both dermatologist and eczema nurse said it'll continue till he gets to the point of using cutlery more than his hands, which is usually at age 4 or 5.

He's 2.7 and can use a spoon but prefers fingers. He can use a fork by picking up food and using one hand to spear it onto the fork he's holding in the other hand. He only started getting vaguely interested in cutlery a few months ago (and really, he's only interested in chopping things with knives and eating yoghurt with a fork. )

Excessive dribble can be something which is worth investigation. 'Salivary continence' happens at a really wide range of ages, but it can go along with slightly delayed oro-motor skills (ie ability to use all the mouth muscles).

Our paediatrician has referred our 2.7 y.o. to speech therapy because he has poor diction and dribbling (his actual language use is very good). He said that just one or the other wouldn't warrant a referral (and not all SALTs will treat a child due to dribbling) but that the combination of the two is worth investigating. I also think DS has a slight tongue tie/upper lip tie and an unusual swallowing mechanism.

There's dribbling & dribbling though. DS goes through 1 or 2 dribble bibs a day, which isn't bad. The paediatrician says he sees children who go through 7 or 8 bibs (or 7 or 8 changes of clothing) in a day. He has had all his teeth for 12 months so I know that's not a factor.

Everybody here is so nice. I feel much better about it today, and DS managed 2 spoons of cereal from bowl to spoon to mouth all by himself this morning. He needed a lot of help the rest of the time but small steps and all that...

No excess dribbling here Subarashii. Just no language.