kath68~ Fork and a butter knife.....is it really time???

[KimberleyDawn]

OMG is it really time for our little ones to be using butter knives???? Hahahaha William is 3.5yo and I haven't let him try yet.

[kath68]

Well, so I have been told -- nothing with a sharp edge or anything, of course. What do other people do? Now you have me wondering.

DH's eyes bugged out when I brought a butter knife to the table for DS. And the forks I have are more like stubby plastic sporks.

This all came about for me because I took an on-line evaluation (I'll have to dig up the site -- it was connected with univ. of oregon) to see whether Charlie was developing normally on several scales -- socially, motor skills, etc. I stated at 24 months that he never ate with a fork, and that apparently sent up all kinds of red flags for the researchers -- I got a personalized email of concern. But I explained that he never ate with a fork because *I* never gave him one. He shouldn't be dinged for that!

I asked my daycare provider about the fork thing, and she doesn't use them with the young ones. She said DS was probably ok to start with forks, though, under close supervision. Similarly, a wise and experienced parent told me they allowed their children to use a dull butter knife at dinner when they were Charlie's age.

IMO, I think what is going on here is that certain societal norms have changed, and the evaluation I took is outdated in certain things. Kids are less likely to know how to play with shoelaces, since their shoes have velcro now, for example. Kids aren't as likely to eat with forks until later (heck, many used to start solids at birth, and that norm has certainly changed). It doesn't mean they can't, they just don't get exposed to the same kinds of things.

It all balances out in the end, right? Charlie will eventually be able to eat with a fork and a knife. He has to start somewhere. :)

[kboyle]

Charlie has been using a "real" fork (smaller adult fork) since he's been 2 and he can cut soft foods with a butter knife if i ask him. I used to give him a spreader (mini-like the ones used to spread cheese spreads around the holidays) and taught him to cut using bananas. now, if asked or given a knife, he can cut soft foods pretty well, all other stuff is obviously pre-cut by me.

but i dont give him a knife on a normal basis, actually i never do, he really only gets a hold of one when we are at resturants, then i'll let him cut his food since it gets him to eat more.

[californiagirl]

DD has been using a fork since she was about 18 months and table knives (no sharp points) since she was 2. She can spread jam pretty well and can cut things like melon, kiwi, cucumbers... Then again, she started self-feeding at about 11 months and was pretty determined about having utensils. Also, she still does put things onto forks and spoons with her fingers when she feels the need.

She's determined to be independent and I'm tolerant of mess -- I think parental mess
tolerance is one of the big factors in how young they feed themselves.

I do not, however, expect her to tell the difference between a butter knife and a table knife and use them appropriately, which I suspect is what the OP was laughing about. Actually, I haven't got any butter knives. Actually, come to think of it, I never put butter on the table...

[holliam]

For what it's worth, Mari has been using a fork since about 12 months. She just was very interested in self feeding beginning around 9 months.

She mastered the spoon around 10 months so we just moved on. It's never been a safety issue for us, and we exclusively use stainless steel forks.

Oneida makes some sets for kids and we have also picked up appetizer spoons and forks at Cost Plus. She can use an adult one too if we forget when we are out. I've shown her a butter knife and helped her spread and cut a few times, but I'm about to start working on that more as she is showing interest lately with her wooden food.

I will note that she is, by nature, cautious so I learned quickly that if she thinks she can do it, she probably can. She is not the type of kid to use it as a weapon. :) Also, if I had to rank her skills on a continuum, I would admit that her fine motor skills (including language) are probably much better than her gross motor skills. As an example, her attempts at jumping are still unbelieveably cute though not very successful. ;)

Holli

[kijip]

Toby uses our reqular flatware, though I often give him the salad fork vs. the dinner fork. And he uses a butter knife, though mostly to spread and not to cut.

[bunnisa]

DS uses cocktail forks! The baby forks are useless (tines are too dull).

Regular size flatware is a bit too cumbersome for him, but the cocktail size is perfect. I picked up a few sets at TJ Maxx.

I let him use a disposable plastic knife - it's lighter than the full size butter knife, and actually sharper, so it's easier to use. I just wash it in the dishwasher and reuse it.

Bethany
blessed wife and mama to two!

"And children are always a good thing, devoutly to be wished for and fiercely to be fought for."
-Justin Torres