What do you use for cutlery/plates for your 5-10 year olds?

[amidaiwish]

we seem to have outgrown the toddler Tommee Tippee stuff, and the Ikea plastic stuff... now what? everything seems to be for babies and toddlers.

do you just get your kids used to adult cutlery and normal plates? or do you have separate cutlery, plates etc. for your primary school aged children?

TIA

Primary aged children should just use the same plates and cutlery as adults surely?

Mine ( 3.10 and 6.8 ) would be most affronted if served meals on anything other than proper adult china - full size plates and cutlery. I sometimes try to give the smaller one a smaller plate etc but she kicks off massively so have stopped bothering.

DS likes the biggest plate in the house. And the biggest knife - which is actually a decorative cake knife so not very sharp.His fave fork is an extending one my Dad got as a joke. We have to hide it regularly as he gets overexcited and steals food from other people's plates.

If they have friends over and have a snack I use the Ikea plastic bowls - this seems to be acceptable for snacks.

I think we switched to normal crockery at that age, probably still used plastic stuff occasionally for more snacky things.

Ikea used to do metal cutlery with a funky plastic handle, in-bewteen toddler size and adult size, and it was great. Just right for young children. Don;t know if they still do it.

Just the same ones as the rest-part of the dinner service and normal cutlery.

Normal cutlery and plates - since around about starting primary school - they've both been fine(ish!) with it - although most some food tends to get eaten with fingers from time to time...

I use normal cultlery and plates for my children and have done ever since ds2 was about 18 months old.

eating off plastic isn't nice, and once a child doesn't throw their crockery on the floor any more, they should be allowed to join the human race.

(My children had pasta out of plastic bowls today, but this is because I'm A Slattern and haven't washed up.)

both dds use china stuff. not part of our service, but their own stuff, eg Gruffalo set, christening sets etc. they are 5 (with ASD - only mentioned as she is very clumsy too) and 3.

one of dd1's plates did get broken - by dh!

dd2 did swipe a bowl when she was about 2 - we used plain ikea bowls at that point, so no real disaster done.

but only the 2 breakages so far.

I only use plastic/melamine stuff whenout and about, tbh.

dds do use children's cutlery. again, they got sets ofr christening etc. but they can (and do) use normal service stuff if we are at a restaurant, or big dinners (Christmas etc) where the table gets laid properly.

Normal stuff here too. Couldn't wait to ditch the plastic.

There's some melamine lurking around for Beaver/Cub camp, picnics, and for visiting toddlers though.

all my children use normal crockery and cutlery. Aged 21m to 7y.

Our DTs are 2.5 and have been using regular plates/bowls/cups and cutlery since they turned 1.

All normal stuff here. DD (4) does havea few melamine plates which she sometimes has sandwiches on, but generally is a side-plate from our china. She also uses normal cutlery but child sized.

normal stuff of course

altho ds2 does have a melamine superman plate he cherishes

Hmmm, Doesn't anyone think the plastic plates are more fun? Mine are 2.5 and 4.5, eldest is at school. They both still have the melamine stuff cos it's got pictures on of pirates or bugs or other silly things. Am I the only one who thinks you should make the most of the years when you can have fun stuff, like batman on your pants

I do agree mana but sadly my DC don't

They do both however still have silly pants

IKEA do a nice set of metal childrens cutlery, a bit smaller than adult ones but completely metal. DD loves these as she feels grown up using them.

Mana - more fun, maybe, but mine aren't really that fussed. We have some plastic/melamine stuff but it's hardly going to scar them that they mostly use the normal stuff they are desperate to use because 'we are big girls!'.

my two(6 and 3) have normal size plates etc but smaller cutlery (for ease of use for smaller hands, but they use use whatever when we're out and about) Usually have plastic beakers but that's mainly cos beakers kept in a low cupboard and kids help themselves to drinks when they're thirsty.

In fairiness though we have Swedish schnapps glasses for them that we fill with fizzy water and cordial when we toast our friends' engagements/birth announcements etc with bubbles, so we're obviously weird

taffeta cat, silly pants rule

Like the schnapps glasses too

DD won't wear silly pants. I on the other hand have marvin the alien on mine I'd eat out of a melamine bowl too if I was allowed.............

dd1 was 4 when she started to use the same as us as before she had her own smaller metal knife and fork with plastic handles (tomy tippee).

We just use ordinary family plates and cutlery.

What is the problem?

Ordinary cutlery and plates here, have done so since they were about 3.5

Once they were out of the high chair it was real china and cutlery for my DCs.

Nprmal plates and cutlery from 5