At what age and how did you introduce your dc to a fork/spoon?

[TheChicOfIt]

DS is 18 months old and although I have given him a spoon in the past, I have never let him feed himself yet.

Have I left it really late?

He is a great eater and quite happily feeds himself finger foods, but if it is rice or something fiddly then I will spoon feed him.

He starts nursery a week on Friday and they all sit on little chairs at a table and feed themselves by fork/spoon, so I would really like to get him started on this before he goes (I have the added problem that he still sits in a highchair too.)

So any tips greatly appreciated. I have let him use a spoon every day for a few days and he can do the bowl to mouth action, but most of the food is ending up in his lap .

Help!

i gave my ds a spoon at 6 mths he had one i had so he could mess around with the spoon and i could feed him

as he got older i still gave him spoon and fork but he'd mainly use his fingers just give both then you can still feed and he can feed himself also he will make mess etc but its the fun part of eating and experimenting

i used to put old shower curtain under his high chair and leave him to it mess is mess its all the learning curve of how to do it properly and experiment

Spoon at 6 months, mostly messing about with, however, by 12 months DTs were feeding themselves happily and by 2 years there's very little spillage. Forks came to play around 12 months. At 2 years, they are eating with 'big people's' spoons and forks, from china plates and bowls and only drink from china cups.
Can't stand plastic.

As soon as he started to eat "proper" food. Right from the start we would set his place with his knife and fork, 9 times out of 10 he would put them down and use his fingers though! He is 3 now and uses them relatively well.

I wouldn't worry too much about getting him used to how it is at mursery, he will manage well enough when he sees the others doing it. My DS is 15 months and in a highchair (well, booster seat with tray) at home, but when we go to the children's centre he sits on a little chair at the little table for snack time and has managed really well since about 12 months - I thought he would get down all the time but provided he is interested in eating he stays put.

We have done BLW and DS has fed himself with his hands and straight from the tray mainly, but more recently he has liked it to have some food put on a fork for him which he can feed himself. A fork is easier as it's stabby - scooping a spoon is more difficult. Just give some soft foods, place on tray, load up a fork (in front of him so he can see) and then let him have a play.

Don't worry, let nursery get on with it themselves. When he is at home, put a spoon or fork on his tray and let him do what he likes with it. Chill about mess! Also don't worry about what he sits in. Again, nursery will be4 quite used to children to whom this is all new. My dc always at in highchair with tray at home, strapped to ordinary chair at my parents and ILs, and in boosters at the table in restaurants. They cope fine.

DS has always had a spoon too, always wanted to hold one whilst we fed him!
He almost always feeds himself now (also 18mo) but it's very messy, always ends up with his dinner in his lap, hair, ears, everywhere!
It's good to be able to get on with stuff whilst he eats so we just put up with the mess. If we're in a rush or something I will spoon feed him though.

he's also still in a highchair at home and sits at a little table at nursery.

Thanks for all your replies .

It's not really the mess I'm so worried about - just the fact that there is no food going into his mouth!!

I will keep persevering though!

My ds is also 18 months and been going to nursery since 8 months and you will be amased how quickly they learn things when see others doing it.

I hardley had to "teach" him at all. I just give him a little fork and he gets on with it. Mostly he puts fork down and eats with fingers or will give me the fork and point to what he wants. But occassionally he will try to stab at stuff himself (worryingly he says "stab stab" whilst doing it

He also wears on of those catcher bibs so a lot of the food is going in there and he's learnt to dig that out!

Gave DD a spoon as soon as she got her head round solids, about 7 months, and a fork from about a year. She has refused a high chair, bib or help since she was about 14 months old and now at 2.0 she sits at her little table and eats with a knife and fork with occasional fingers and looks so grown up

DS had a spoon to play with from when we started weaning, even though BLW. When he was about 15 months old, he grabbed my spoon off me when I was eating ceareal and started feeding himself. 16 months now, and has the odd stab with a fork too.

Mine is just starting to eat with a fork! Well I didnt even offer him one. I was eating my noodles when he grabbed my fork and started eating it on his own! I was amazed at how well he worked out the use of it and he ate quite a lot without me having to interfere. Much of it did land on the floor, but hey, who cares! I just put a little extra in his plate so he still gets to eat a fair portion after dropping a lot of it .