When did you give your DC's 'proper' china?

[JackBauWooohooohoowaaer]

Instead of plastic/melamine plates and cups?
That's all really?!

I sometimes let DD have her food on a china side plate, she's 2.6, depends on what mood she is in though She is allowed a glass of water when we are out but she has to leave it on the table between slurps.

Oh goodness, mine mostly have the kiddie plates but really should be on the proper stuff.

Oh good, not being cruel then making DD1 have them still at 3.8 as it is easier when DD2 is nearly 2 to have them both using the plastic stuff!

Daren't say how old mine are.

Mine used china from about a year old, but I find I'm using the plastic more as they prefer Mr Men to my usual dinner service (they're 2 and 5). For their dinner I use pasta bowls, they're big enough to not be flung around but easy to eat out of.

Mine have used china from about 8 months, it was a top tip from a friend when I couldn't get DD1 to leave her "kiddies" plate on the table. Started using a plain white china plate and it was never played with again - too boring I expect. DD2 has always used china.

That said our whole dinner service is seconds so its not the end of the world if something gets broken.

DH breaks more than the DDs. DD1 is now 3.6 and has broken about 4 plates in that time, DD2 (1.6) hasn't broken any.

Should add that mine is all plain white cheap stuff, I wouldn't let her use anything that would cost more than a pound to replace

DS has his straight off the table

DS1 (2.5) has been using our everyday china since about 2yrs old, he doesn't want to eat out of plastic dishes and prefers the same plates as Mummy and Daddy. I do cringe at times but to date he's not broken any yet. He is ok with plastic for snacks / on the run but for a proper meal he wants proper china along with everyone else. I rarely let him use a glass glass though, too risky in case of breakage.

DS is 3.8 and has a mixture of his patterned melamine/plastic type and sometimes china or big boy plates as he calls them. To be honest I have found the china better as his dinner cools much quicker (my plates for some reason come out really cold from the cupboard)

We haven't got any china.

But they have been having earthenware and glass plates on and off since about age 2 but we mostly use the melamine because they can reach that cupboard and set the table.

DD is 22 months and is just starting to.

Ours are 8, 6 & 4 and have just moved onto china plates. We had been looking for some cheap nice ones, but got a plain white set from ASDA which had 4 dinner plates, 4 side plates and 4 bowls which was only £3 so we really don't mind what happens to them.

Really small size plates so perfect for little people!

I am a nursery nurse and used to work in a nursery that used proper crockery for all the children except the babies. It worked really well, actually, and we hardly had any breakages.
They used proper cutlery too, just smaller sized.

I was going to say, OSOTC, how posh is everyone on here that they use china???? We use pot, except for my bone china mugs which of course is the only thing you can use with tea.

DD1 was still having plastic plates until about last year - she's 12 now!

I don't own any china.

all mine did from about 2 but they all still use the plastic kiddie stuff as they like the patterns

9, 4 and 2.8 but they all use real crockery and glasses, mugs aswell as plastic

I don't own any china either!

How posh are you lot?

I got nice melamine plates and my boys (3.4 and 5.9) usually eat from those. DS1 often has a "grown-up" plate but DS2 has rejected them in favour of a pattern or a thomas/maisie number so far. They both happily use china when out. DS2 doesn't want to use a glass glass either. Coloured plastic beaker, please.

I don't care so long as they don't chuck 'em on the floor .

Mine (4 and 7) use melanine/plastic cups at breakfast (it is left out on the side and they help themselves), lunch is packed lunches at school. Evening they have chunky everyday plates/bowls etc, but plastic cups. They seem to be good at spilling with glass (ours are quite big/heavy). They also use these when we bring out the "good china" dinner service for christmas etc as it was a wedding present (discontinued) and too delicate for little ones!

Well I say china, but of course it isn't really {pretentious]

They will use grown up stuff when out but at home I have accumulated a whole drawer full of plain or character plates and they insist on them. was just wondering whether to bother getting them used to crockery in the house or not.
Our dining table is on carpet but the kitchen has hard tiles and everything smashes when dropped on there.