Toddler choosing to eat with hands

[DeathMetalMum]

Dd 2.5 has recently decided she doesn't need to use cutlery (except for mixing her dinner up into a huge mess) and just uses her hand for most things anyone have any ideas to encourage her to use cutlery again. We eat as a family so sees me and dp using cutlery but she doesn't seem to want to herself.

Could you make it into a fun thing in some way? So maybe pretend that you are at a restaurant, call her Madam & insist that she can only eat at this fine place if she uses cutlery etc.

Or can you get her some new cutlery, maybe some that's a little bit grown-up? She could even help you choose it.

Or maybe a reward chart, so if she eats every meal of the week with cutlery (where appropriate) she earns eg a comic or stickers?

HTH

Marking place. DD (2.4) is the same having previously been really good!

Might try the new cutlery idea, not quite sure she would get the restaraunt game - we don't eat out a great deal. The silliest thing is she doesn't like having dirty hands so asks for them wiped all the time, I have tried ignoring this but she doesn't eat if I don't clean them as she gets really upset.

TBH I think its a phase she'll grow out off and you shouldn't be too concerned

Could you find cute cutlery that she likes? Maybe with little cartoons on them? If they look more like toys she might be more inclined to use them

I had similar with a 3 year old. The rule was no fingers; eat with cutlery or not at all! Certainly by 3, more than capable. So it's not an issue of being unable. I'd be strict and insist on good table manners. Eating with hands, messing around with food, give one warning, then remove food until they comply. Obviously this is a hard line approach, really depends how much it bothers you. For me it was important he sat nicely and ate with good manners. We eat out a lot, and playing with/ messing with food was not acceptable. Other families/cultures won't see it as a problem. If its something you want to change I found a hard line approach worked very very quickly. Good luck with whatever you decide. Your lo will eventfully grow out of it, even if you do nothing and put up with it.

I don't think it's a big deal. She can probably get the food down her more quickly using her fingers than a fork or spoon.

You know she will grow out of it, I would just ignore.

I didnt't encourage cutlery til 4. At 2 ds used cutlery of his own accord but dd ate all with hands, even spaghetti bolognaise. Transition to cutlery was much easier once fine motor developed. Who has the prob with it? It made my dd happy if messy and although initially dparents balked at it gradually they realised that of the grandkids she was the best eater or as they said 'we love watching her eating'.
It's not very British but they don't need cutlery at 2.

I was never fussed as long as ds fed himself. Cutlery use is over rated imo

She's 2, just keep using it yourself and praise when she does. At that age not a big deal at all.

Have had the same concerns about ds. I occasionally make a token remark, like "do you think you can use your fork and spoon like a big boy?" But I mostly just let him get on with it. He has actually improved since I stopped nagging. It's just that he knows he can shovel food in faster with his hands when he's hungry!