When did your toddler start feeding themselves with a fork or spoon

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DS is 17 months. Happy to shovel food into his mouth with his hands and, until very recently, only wanted me to spoon feed him and couldn't give two hoots about feeding himself with a utensil. The important thing from his perspective was to get the food in, and pronto!

I can't say I have been too bothered, as it has meant no mess!

However he is now begining to show an interest in feeding himself with a utensil, and I am encouraging it enthusiastically.

I have no idea when most children are able to feed themselves with a spoon or fork, and also any tips pls??

Thanks

Dd2 is 16 months and can manage pretty well with a spoon or fork. I usually end up helping her, but she starts off and makes the mess first :)
Split a big black sack and put it on the floor under the high chair, that way all the mess can just be shaken into the bin after meals. The bibs that have full sleeves like the ones we had in infants for painting are also great for this stage, I got some in Ikea.

There is no right or wrong answer. If he likes holding a spoon, let him hold one. He'll hold a spoon in one hand and shove food in with the other. Gradually he'll learn to "use" the spoon by copying you and by playing with the spoon and the food.

You don't need tips on teaching your own child how to use a spoon!

My 2.3 DD shows no interest in eating, let alone using cutlery! So I still spoon it in !

My DS is 15mo and we've been giving him a set of cutlery with his meals from about 12mo. He tries to stab pasta etc. and enjoys scooping things like mash, but nostly he still uses his hands or I feed him from another fork.

He sits on a booster seat at the table with us and his big brother, so I wanted to 'include' him even though the cutlery ends up on the floor 90 per cent of the time!

DS is BLW and started successfully using a spoon at around 8 months. He started on a fork at about 16 months.

It was an outrageously proud moment when my 14m old was feeding himself rice krispies with a spoon!

around 12 months, but very very messy!

SingingSands why should op not ask for advice on her dc feeding themselves? I asked for lots of advice on my first dc, as is absolutely normal. Of course the op doesn't know exactly what to do, and does need tips on teaching her dc how to use a spoon.

All right, what about a knife then? All kids cutlery sets come with them - when should toddlers be using them? Genuinely baffled here.

We eat as many meals together as possible so DS copied us. From memory the bones in their wrists harden around 18 months which makes it easier to get the wrist action - before that it's pretty messy!
I bought DS a fork and spoon set which has chunky handles - he can feed himself with them a lot more easily.

DS is 2.3 and asks for a knife - again because he sees us using one. He can't quite do it but is trying!

DD is 15 months and can use a spoon and a fork quite well. Not tried her on a knife yet Smile! She is useless with a cup though. They all find their own way with these things in their own time.

cutlery set here

She started the minute our childminder got an older mindee. Seeing me eat with cutlery wasn't an incentive - the minute she saw a slightly older chlld do so, she insisted on a spoon and a fork for her yoghurt

That must have been at about 20 months.

From about 16 months in DD's case, although she'll still eat with her fingers if she's in the mood (which is often!) - she's now almost 2yo. DD actually had more success with a fork to start with, spoon came a bit later.

Oh, and I didn't try and "guide" DD in how to use utensils (she wouldn't let me!!), just gave her a fork and/or a spoon and let her work it out. I did a few demonstrations and we often ate together so she had a model to copy. It didn't take her too long to get the idea.

My DD started grabbing the full spoon from me when she was about 6.5mths old & steering it into her own mouth, but then she was mainly BLW'ed so had to learn to feed herself from the start. She would spoon-feed herself an entire little yogurt fairly successfully from about 14mths and now feeds herself her breakfast and any other sloppy 'food' without help (20mths). She has started to use her fork & attempted to use her knife from the toddler set recently.

Haven't really ever taught her as such, she's just wanted to copy us, hence getting her the toddler cutlery from the supermarket when she was about 16 months or so. She will happily eat with her hands rather than struggling with the cutlery at times, so I wouldn't say she's got the hang of it entirely!! :o

"Of course the op doesn't know exactly what to do, and does need tips on teaching her dc how to use a spoon"

MessyMammy I'm sure the OP knows how to use a spoon and can show her child.

Sometimes I think parenting websites can very useful and at other times I think people are not using common sense and ignoring their instincts.

Thasnks so much for all your msgs, and advise.

Singingsands... you're a loon! I was asking for tips in the sense of any decent toddler cutlery anyone recommend? best success with fork or spoon? etc. etc.

So 17 months is a good age then to really encourage going by these posts. Cool, thanks again for response.

I am sometimes.

Your post does come across as asking for help with showing your baby how to use a spoon!

Good luck and remember, you can't do it wrong! And just ignore the mess... dear god, the mess...

Yes at 17 months your DS should take to using cutlery really well.
My DD started using a spoon from about 10 months but was only competent with yoghurt for ages but is now starting to get better at keeping other foods on too.

Mine all held a spoon from when they were first sitting in a highchair, at around 6 months, but that's slightly different question from when they were successfully feeding themselves with it .
My youngest had a FAB spoon that had a sort of curved in bowl, so the food was already facing her mouth when she lifted the handle of the spoon, rather than having to turn it as you do with a normal spoo - I presume they must still sell them, it was so much easier for her to use than a normal spoon, so she mastered feeding herself sooner than her older siblings I guess.

DS is 2.1 and still hasn't got the hang of it. He'll pick up spoon and fork and stab away at his food enthusiastically but not much goes in his mouth. I'm not worried though, he'll be able to do it in is own time.