when does messy eating become 'bad manners'?

[Bangonthedoor]

DD is 14 months old and generally eats well. However, what i'd like to know is when does throwing food around and squashing it into the high chair tray become a bad thing?

I didnt really think it was much of an issue until FIL said that she has bad table manners :-(

Will this just kind of come to a halt when DD is a bit older?

Thanks in advance.

I would start encouraging good eating now, by 2 I think most people would expect children to be having a good go with cutlery and not throwing or squashing food.

Ah she's such a baby still!

Mine ate exactly how you described and now mostly eat with cutlery at 4 and 6 years. Just keep modelling the behaviour that you'd like to see and it will all come good

How did you not laugh in his face! . I would say school age.

At 14 months its all part of the fun!

Thank you all!

She uses a spoon with some meals and fingers with others depending on the consistency. She does like to lick her fingers clean!

Its not neccessarily that shes not interested in using a spoon its just sometimes she'd rather wear the food or try and lick it off the tray!

Im quite happy for her to continue this way but i just wanted to know when i should start encouraging her not to throw food etc and labelling it as 'bad behaviour'

Ffs by 2 a child should eat fairly tidily with cutlery

IMO my 2 a child should be able to use spoon or fork ( but will revert to fingers sometimes)

By 18mo they should start getting a row for deliberatly throwing food in floor

By 2 and a half I would be expecting it to mostly stay on the plate

By 3 I would be expecting mostly mouth closed chewing

To me it is more important that my daughter experiences relaxed pleasant mealtimes and develops a healthy long term relationship with food than learns to eat tidily as soon a possible and gets barked at every 30 secs

I used to clear away if they started chucking food around. This seemed to work. Did this from very young and I didn't have a problem with it. But at 14 months I wouldn't mind food being smeared around the high chair tray, I'd let them get on with it!

But to me getting them happy and relaxed and enjoying food is the important thing. I'm not too bothered about a little mess. I am bothered that they learn to eat healthily.

Both of them enjoyed using cutlery but using a knife and fork properly, cutting etc, didn't really come til 5 or 6. But by school age they didn't make much mess. And our lovely school employs friendly dinner ladies who cut up for the kids in yr r and yr 1.

And I've always been keen on pleases and thankyous, helping to lay the table and clear away, waiting to start until everyone is ready , this type of thing can be done early from 2 ish. Dd learnt to count putting cutlery out for everyone.