ok, when do spoon fed babies start feeding themselves with the spoon?

[bunnyhunny]

ds is 9 months old, and grabs the spoon from me, but it ends up everywhere if it's loaded up with food. So I let him play with a spoon or eat finger food while I spoon feed him.

When should I start letting him feed himself? I don't actully put the bowl of food on his tray, as he tends to throw the bowl onto the floor for the dog .

I'm just getting a bit paranoid-1st-time-mum as all the baby books say he should be doing it by now ;)

I think mine started trying at around that age, but weren't really properly feeding themselves with the spoon til 14 months I reckon. So I wouldn't worry.

I can't remember when my dtds started feeding themselves with the spoon, can only remember not letting them for a long time because two lots of food on the carpet would have been hell to clean and we are renting! They were feeding themselves definately by the age of two

The thing is, i am doing the same with dd3...

My ds is 11 months, and can't really eat with a spoon yet. He can eat ok using his hands and I tend to let him do that.

i think control over a spoon comes a bit later so I wouldn't worry too much.

thanks. I thought he was about normal.
hv told me he should be feeding himself, not books (sorry, not sure why I said books!).
just like she said some babies only need 10 mins sleep a day (long story)

Bunnhunny, my ds is 16 months and only now is he beginning to use a spoon. He is good at eating with his hands and used to just play with the spoon but now he gives me the spoon to put food onto so he can then put it in his mouth. I suppose it's like everything else, our dc all reach different 'milestones' at different ages, please don't worry - In fact I would like to know of any babies who can feed themselves at 9 months!

DTDs were old (probably nearly 2) before we let them loose with a spoon. We didn't want the mess and figured that the longer we left it (as long as they weren't desperate) the less mess.

DD3 started self feeding at nursery at about 15-16m. WE have started at home in the last month or so (18m now). We started by using a small metal fork (less to fall off if the food can be stabbed rather than scooped) and loading it up for her, but letting her guide it to her mouth. Now she is doing most of it herself and is a brilliant eater of most things. She needs a little help with some foods which she can't scoop herself. I wouldn't have started earlier though, and probably only started now because they had at nursery and she was getting a bit 'helpful'.

Thankyou [smile

I can take the flame-proof jacket off now...there's another twin mummy in da house!

dd is 13 months and is keen to try (very messy!)

ds would have been quite happy if we'd spoon fed him until he was about 4!

guessing it depends on the child.

My son is one and has a spoon of his own to use while I feed him. Usually we eat at the same time so there is usually a gap while he waits for us to spoon some food into him. He'll sometimes spoon some food himself but it is a bit hit and miss really.

Nah can i come and share it????

I was adament that I was going to wait with DD3 because it worked so smoothly with DTDs late spooning.

I was forced to do it earlier because she is at nursery (DTDs weren't so we could get away with it). But honestly she is fantastic.

Like I said I started straight with a metal fork and it is brilliant. I stab the food to load it -- she shovels it in.

Go on Godzillions, try it...you might be surprised. You might get to eat a hot meal!!!!

Lol...not yet SMS...she is only 10 months and you can't stab her food!

Fair enough......but I was just trying to say...you don't need to wait like you did with DTDs!!!

DD2 was about 15 months she was BLW but grabbed DD1's plastic fork and started stabbing peas with it. Her manual dexerity has always been good where food is concerned.

Ah, i know, but see, we're still in the rented house and stingey bugger landlord hasn't changed the carpets...and they were cheap nasty ones to start with. I can't bear the thought of the mess!

DS is 6.5 months. we are doing blw and if eating something like yoghurt I load the spoon and hand it to him or put it on the highchair tray. He can then pick it up and put it in his mouth.

we went for the two-spoon approach (one for them, one for me) for as long as they put up with it. when they figure out how to shout "no", "mine" and "self" then consider yourself redundant. Fortunately none of mine like getting their hands sticky so stick to eating with spoon rather than fingers

Dd3 just sticks her spoon in her mouth and chews it so i can't get any food in

Today we had asparagus risotto. My son lost patience with the spoon so tipped the bowl onto the tray. He picked out and ate the asparagus and then had great fun spooning the risotto onto the floor.

He is one. Am hoping that eventually the spoon will go in his mouth.

DS1 refused to let us spoonfeed him from 13m. He was reasonably competent with a spoon at that age. We'd done two spoons since about 10m.

ds is 15 mths and has been spoon feeding himself for about 2 months now, hes getting better though he doesnt miss his mouth any more

LOL! this sounds barbaric, but i (by circumstance rather than intention) end up with later mealtimes than most, thus hungry children, and as they want to eat cos their tummy is hungry they happily take the fork-full or spoonful put ready for them on the edge of the plate rather than chase it round themselves. I don't suggest starving them mind u!!