Any recommendation for a self-feeding spoon that encourages effective hand placement?

[sebsmummy1]

My 15 month old is really enjoying trying to feed himself. This works with yogurt as it doesn't matter how the spoon is dipped in and brought up to the mouth, the yogurt tends to stick. But porridge isn't so compliant and I'm damned if I can find an effective way for him to hold the spoon without it looking really clunky and uncomfortable.

Is there a spoon that actually encourages a correct grip at all?

Both my blw babies made good progress, from about 10 months, with white plastic teaspoons from the Asda cafe! I used to go to Asda specifically to relieve the spoons from the cafe - you can't buy them.

Other than than, the Oxo Tots cutlery is good. You can get it from JojoMamanBebe.

Yes was going to say oxo tots. They also have a plate with a removable rim to help scoop up food. Was priceless to us when weaning!

Ha ha I love that story. Pilfering plastic cutlery from Asda!! It's out the bag now lol. That oxo cutlery looks nice and chunky.

I have no idea if I should be encouraging him to grip the spoon over the top or underneath, neither seem to work well. I've been staring at how I hold a spoon and I seem to hold it like a pen, it's too fussy to try and get it into his hand the same way. I assume they just work this stuff out on their own eventually?

Also, Boots do some baby cutlery with the heads at an angle to the handles, which ds really got the hang of. Dd worked out how to bend her wrist for herself.

I think as a child is going to have to get used to eating with a normal handled spoon anyway, its probably just easier to use a normal spoon right fom the off.

My 12mo dd is starting to feed herself (very defiantly!) with any old spoon and yep most of it goes anywhere but her mouth. I am seeing progress every day though.

DS had a spoon wirh the bowl part at an angle, for right hands. I'm abroad and it wasn't a well known brand name, so can't help you find one.

As for learning how to grip the spoon - they just 'do' . DS always preferred using DH's coffee spoon when we were out. Everything is covered in plastic as food goes everywhere, but they all manage spoons in the end

Oooh I've just googled angled weaning spoons and they look great!

When my dses were learning to use spoons (many, many years ago), I don't think angled weaning spoons were available - so I basically made sure that everything I gave them would stick to the spoon. Cheese sauce was very useful in this regard.

Boots toddler cutlery is very good. the heads are not too big and the handles not too long.

cant' see it online but they have them in most stores (a little knife, fork, spoon set) I have 4 sets (twins!) and tbh don't use the other cutlery for them at the moment. They are 13 months and have been usign them for 3 months or so (BLW) - they use the forks a lot as well - although I have to stab stuff for them.

Oh and make your porridge thicker. I do 1 cup oats to 1.5 of milk. You could pebble dash a house with it but it is very good at sticking to the spoon!

Weetabix is also very good at sticking to the spoon - but beware, if it dries onto anything (into the crevices of the high chair, for example - bitter emotion emoticon), little short of nuclear attack or napalm will get it off.

And the joy that is the weetabix sneezer - when your child sneezes with a mouthful of weetabix, pebble dashing everything within range - ohh that joy has stayed with me for years!

Grrr - that should be 'bitter experience emoticon.