DS wont/ can't use cultlery

[tinky19]

DS is 16mo and won't use spoon to feed himself. For breakfast he has cereal and for dinner he will have something like spag bol or meat, mash and veg so only really finger food a lunch. Anyway spoon/ fork definately required to get said meals inside him but its just not happening.

We have been encouraging him since about 9mo. He holds a spoon whilst we feed him, we praise, we leave him to see what he can manage but nothing. Spoon either gets thrown on the floor or (more recently) he will get food onto his spoon and flick/ spread it over every surface he can reach (including his hair) but NOT in his mouth.

If any does happen to go into his mouth I do LOTS of praise, clapping cheering etc but that is having no positive impact either.

I'm due DC2 at the beginning of Dec and was really hoping that he would be able to feed himself/ be a tiny bit more independent to take the pressure off a bit but it's looking very unlikely.
I know it sounds pathetic but it's getting me down . We live in a rented house with a £900 deposit to try and get back in January (desperately needed) and I'm spending m life cleaning the carpet/ walls etc. (we have splash mats but he can throw further than that!

Any ideas/ advice?
Thanks

A friend loved these toddler.dk/en/the-products.html she was in much the same position as you and her DC found it easier to use. DS has been given a set for his birthday, one today! I may report back later :)

toddler.dk/en/the-products.html

Hi they look good. It would e great to hear if they work as they look like a bit of an investment.

Ok, so I'm pretty certain its a case of wont not can't.
This morning I have given DS his cereal and left him to get on with it. He can hold the spoon, managed to put nice neat dollops of breakfast all over his high chair tray. He can even put in in his ear ffs but did any go in his mouth? NO.
It's not that he wont eat it as if i fed him he would eat it all.
Now, DS has had no breakfast, I've spent 15mins cleaning carpets/ walls etc so what now. Do I leave him to go hungry or give in and feed him something myself??
Any tips? What am i doing wrong?

Reporting back: DS loved the posh new toddler cutlery it makes a much louder noise than his old spoons when banged on the tray/ bowl/ table. That said he decided to eat yogurt with his hands and when that proved too slow by sticking his face in the bowl...

I think they need to want to use it.

My 19 m.o. isn't really interested in using cutlery yet, although he likes risotto or porridge on a pre-loaded spoon (that's only happened in the last month or so). He is just starting to dip cutlery in his food, but not with any real intention of trying to use it.

We did BLW though so he does eat things like cereal and spag bol with his fingers - always has done.

It's frustrating, isn't it - I find it irritating enough me having to load up the spoons for him during breakfast (I've always given loaded spoons of things like porridge, but he's eaten most of it with his fingers).

I would spoon feed him, espicially at breakfast. I found that if intake was poor then the rest of the day would suffer. 16 mts is still very young really. Dont worry too much yet about the new baby, it will all work out.

Ds is 21 months and won't use a spoon, he will do it when he is ready. He happily uses a fork but still struggles with a spoon!

DS is 26m and uses a spoon for breakfast, but won't use a fork for dinner. I'm trying to think back to 16m time - I think you are expecting too much too soon. They are not that coordinated at 16m - maybe some spoons will go in if they really want to try but mostly he'll see spoons as a toy and will prefer to eat with his fingers, I think.

My DS is 3 in november and will only use a spoon if he HAS to eg with yogurt/rice etc I've never been bothered about it TBH

otherwise he will always eat with his fingers which is about 90% of the time. I even asked him a few weeks ago what his hand were for and he replied 'eating with' Mind you he also said that his feet were used for standing on one leg.

DS finds it frustrating using cultlery - he's 22 months and only now does he have a go (and his wrist bones are strong enough now - I think they harden around 18 months?) but will hand the spoon to me if he wants to eat faster. I don't give him much food that requires cutlery TBH.