Tips for introducing cutlery

[ijustcouldntthinkofausername]

Hi all 👋🏻 FTM.
DS is 13 and half months and loves his food!
Weaned as spoon fed but have gradually transitioned to baby led since.
I have tried giving him a spoon on many occasions but he will just play with it then throw it over. I've tried showing him how to scoop, tried navigating it to his mouth, I eat in front of him and he watches me but he's just not getting the idea of doing it himself yet.
Niece who is 5 weeks younger has got the knack of it already. And other niece who is weirdly really ahead of her age (she's 9 months and pretty much walking already!) is also showing signs of spoon feeding very soon!

And as I'm a FTM I don't know if he should be doing this by now at his age or not yet?

Any tips please? 🙏🏻

Definitely. If anything I think you are offering cutlery on the later side. He will be fine buy him some plastic stuff for now but you will want to move to metal cutlery by 2.

I have one child who was an early adopter of cutlery, and another who at age 5 would still try and get away with using his hands. First child has always had better fine motor skills, younger child struggles a bit. I’d say that it’s fine for him to take his time, and if he’s keen on food I wouldn’t be too bothered if cutlery takes a while.

Best thing we ever bought was a doddle set. Plus lots of eating together, right now all my little one wants is a knife as he wants to eat like us.

I just gave cutlery and then let her do what she wanted with it. He'll start copying you eventually and use it on his own, but there's no rush. He'll figure it out.

@ijustcouldntthinkofausername Just keep doing what you’re doing and he’ll get it eventually. Pre-load the spoon and sit it down for him to pick up with the food on it too. Give him a spoon at every meal.
I introduced a spoon from the very start of weaning at 6months and by 9/10 months DS was able to eat a bowl of food himself using his spoon. Once he’d mastered that I introduced a fork and he really quickly picked up that he could scoop and stab with it. I can’t remember exactly how long it took but he’s definitely been using a spoon and fork properly since before he was 1. I’ve waited a wee while to introduce a knife but have just done so now at 18months 😊
When he had his 14months assessment with the Health Visitor she said they look for them to be confidently using a fork by age 2 so you definitely want to be working on cutlery with him 😊 He’ll get it eventually so try not to stress!

It is maybe a big late to be introducing. What about selling it to him, letting him choose a cutlery set. "A knife, fork and spoon like a big boy".

Please don't stress about this at all. Just offer cutlery and model using it when you eat family meals (I mean, you can't help but model it when you eat, not that you should go over the top with "lessons" on how to use it). He will get the hang of it. Really not something to worry about at all.

I'd just hand him a spoon and let him have a go. They get the hang of it eventually. DS1 was purely BLW and could use a spoon by 12 mo, DS2 is getting the hang of it at 16mo after showing no interest apart for months (he's been spoon fed something's since weaning) but can use a fork really well.

Something I did for a while was have two identical spoons - so I could load one whilst he had control of the other. I’d then take the one he’d used and load it with the next spoonful.

but as others have said, just have cutlery available. DS is two and a half and still doesn’t consistently use it for “dry” food but it’s always there.

I ordered a Doddle set (as recommended by pp) and I ordered a MAM set this morning and the MAM one came today with Amazon prime same day delv.

I put the food on the spoon as per usual and laid it in front of him and to my delight he didn't spin it round and throw it on the floor.. he picked it up and ate it!!! Several times too 😁
Must have been that I needed a smaller set after all.
Aww I was so proud ☺️ just hope it's not a fluke 😂😂