Can your child......

[piglettsmummy]

Use cutlery, walk up and down stairs with both feet and vaugely help dress themselves? My daughter is two and have been told from left right and centre that she shud be doing these things but she can't do any! We spent half an hour at tea trying with the cutlery and the only thing that happened? Food everywhere but her mouth. Stairs are a no way we have to carry her up and down and she can only do zips? She isn't lazy but thinking maybe 2 is a bit young to be expecting her to do all this! X

My 2.3 yo DD can use a fork/spoon, and negotiates stairs in both directions. She can't dress herself though, apart from unzipping a coat & taking off Velcro shoes.

Keep practicing

Who is saying this to you? Ignore them. Children develop at different rates and there is nothing to be gained from comparing. Your dc may not be able to use a knife and fork but I bet they can do plenty of other great things.

Einstein didn't start speaking till he was five!

Well my ds2 is 4 and can only just dress himself, and ds1 was the same! She sounds normal, just keep encouraging with the stairs and eating. Nothing to worry about!

Yes, my 2.2yo DS can do those things, although he's much better at taking clothes off than putting them on as he would rather be naked.

They are all different though, I wouldn't worry about people pressuring you!

Ds is 18mo.

He crawls up and down stairs. Much safer. Down is backwards.

He can use a spoon and fork. If your daughter doesn't use cutlery how does she eat breakfast? Ds has just learned to use things over time.

He is totally opposed to getting dressed so hinders and howls rather than helps.

Children all do things at different ages though.

The joyful we have been encouraging her I try her with Stairs everyday, although she falls down on them (I'm always right in front /behind her)we give her a spoon and fork (kiddie size) at every meal and try and encourage with dressing but I thinks she's too young to understand x

Jolly we generally feed her her breakfast encouraging her to take the spoon herself but it ends up everywhere so some of it we feed her do she actually gets food! Lol I'm a clumsy eater too so she's probably inherited my habits lol x

DD does shoes and socks and pulls up her trousers once they are on and maybe helps put her coat on but getting dressed is a big game as far as she is concerned and so she runs away from me.

She can and does use cutlery since 12-13 months although only relatively recently that she can cut things. And she walks up and down stairs if someone holds her hands.

But. Every child is different and mine is considered ahead with gross motor but has a severe speech delay. Swings in roundabouts.

Ahh not just me that has to chase a naked baby round to dress them then!! Thank god!!Ahha!!

DS is 3 in 3 weeks.

He can use a fork and spoon but not a knife but I wouldn't trust him with one anyway

he can walk up and down the stairs, although sometimes crawls up the stairs instead. It is only in the last 3 months he has been reliably safe coming down.

he can dress himself when he wants to other than socks but again that is a relatively new thing.

She will learn if she has to. When you arent rushed, encourage her to go up the stairs, dress herself and to use cutlery (maybe use a spoon as a play tool with dry rice / sand/ water?)

It wont happen overnight, just take your time and be patient. Its not like she will be an adult and still not have these skills. (Which is what I used to tell myself when dd refused to put her own shoes on!..thankfully she cracked it by age 4..)

DS is 2.0, he can use a spoon and fork, go up and down stairs one foot at a time but usually holding someone's hand, or the banister, he can pull his trousers up and put wellies on - and likes to think that he can put his t-shirt or jumper on himself but he can't really yet, so often has a small tantrum out of frustration when he is getting dressed - but he has to try or he'll never work it out.