what age do they start using cutlery?

[hairymcleary]

DS is 2.5 and always given a fork/ spoon with his meals, however he hardly ever uses them any more. He will eat weetbix and even ice cream with his hands. I can understand not using the fork all the time, as it can be quite tricky to spike some things, however I would have thought a spoon would be easy peasy. Am I expecting too much of him?

Tricky one. DD1 is 2.11 and uses fork for a lot of things, and knife for poking but not cutting but can use a spoon.
However, if she is hungry/tired/bored she does ask if she can eat with ehr fingers as it is faster. We have a compromise where she is allwoed to eat peas/sweetcorn etc with erh fingers but must use a fork for larger bits which works quite well adn avoids frustration.
Plus she doesn't like cutlery that has 'shaped' handles (the ITNG especially) so might that be an issue?
DD2 (1.3) can use a fork but she picks food up in ehr fingers, spears it on fork, takes it off and then eats it, so doesn't really work!

Um, well depends on what qualifies as 'use'. DS2 is 16 months and uses a spoon. Food goes everywhere, but he does use a spoon, and he does feed himself. He actually refuses to be fed, and has been feeding himself for a few months now. DS1 is 3.3 and uses a fork, and TRIES to use a knife but doesnt get very far as the kiddie knives are blunt anyway. Yours should be at least using a spoon, as what will happen when he goes to school, plus surely eating icecream with his hands is a tad messy for you to clean up anyway? IMO I'd start the whole cutlery training now, using specific kiddy cutlery, and get some nice ones he will like using, with some sort of picture on them. Encourage, rather than demand obviously, but he should be using the stuff, yes. Except for chips, which always must be eaten with your hands..

DS1 - could use a spoon (sort of) before he was 2, used a fork (without knife) until he was about 6 then started using knifes. Has just about got the hang of it now at 8

DS2 - similar age for spoons and forks. Started using a knife at 4, just turned 5 and nearly got it now.

DS3 - 19 months - been using a spoon for about 7 months now, often uses a fork rather than spoon though. If he has a fork and a spoon together then he often tries to use one of them like a knife

gecko uses a spoon and a fork
she is 23 months
still does the turning the fork upsiode down and losing the food before she gets it to her mouth on occasion
but can spike things with her fork fairly well

'still does the turning the spoon' not fork

He can use a spoon and fork- very effectively, but just chooses not to most of the time. He's a bit of a hit and miss eater, so generally I'm happy if most of his dinner goes in his mouth and not in his drink!

Good question OP will watch this thread carefully. I give DD a spoon and she pretends to use it, i.e wipes it across her plate then puts it in her mouth with no food on then claps her hands manically Then eats the rest with hands. She is only (almost) 12 months tho

I would definatly encourage he used them but not demand. Ice cream would be less messy and less cold if eaten with a spoon so maybe try to insist he eats ice cream with a spoon but tell him he cant eat other things expecially chips! with his hands?

DS is 2.6 and has been using spoon and fork for as long as I can remember - I know he refused to let me feed him from about 15 months and did it himself. He only uses fingers etc for sandwiches and finger food. TBH I wouldn't let him eat weetabix or ice cream with his fingers! He's just started asking for a knife but only uses it for about 3 attempts before reverting to spoon and fork. They only get faster and more proficient at it with practice so maybe say 5 moutfuls with spoon/fork then you can eat the rest with your fingers and gradually build it up? in order to minimise the frustration and stop it being a battle.

ds2 is 21 months and uses a spoon and a fork - although he still reverts to fingers occasionally. He's been doing this to some extent since before he was one. ds2 didn't really master a knife until just before he started school though.

I would not worry about it if you know he can do it then he's obviously jsut exploring. He'll get fed up with it soon and pick them up again.

DS is 7 - I's still asking the same question

lol