Utensils

[Pinky]

What age did your DC start using utensils regularly? We let DD play with a spoon now and then and she can get food to her mouth but is super messy. I'm just wondering how early kids usually start using utensils with any accuracy. :D

[truly scrumptious]

It took DS a while to get the accuracy down. If I remember correctly it went something like this:
- we fed him with the spoon
- when he got interested in holding the spoon himself, we'd give it to him to play with once we were done feeding him
- when he started grabbing the feeding spoon, we'd give him his own to hold while we fed him
- every once in a while we'd let him try to feed himself when he was hungry but not desperately so. So he'd be motivated to be more accurate.
But it wasn't until he was over a year (maybe 16 months) that he could reliably feed himself with a spoon. We got lots of these (http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/70179754) bibs to help with the mess.

[llama8]

What age did your DC start using utensils regularly? We let DD play with a spoon now and then and she can get food to her mouth but is super messy. I'm just wondering how early kids usually start using utensils with any accuracy. :D


12 months for the spoon by herself and 15 months to use her own fork at every meal.

[Pinky]

Sounds like we may be running behind on the utensils. ;) Thanks ladies.

[♥ms.pacman♥]

ds is just starting to really eat things like yogurt, hot cereal etc with utensils. i think he is somewhat behind, if a spoon had to be used i used to feed him mostly (unless he could eat it with his hands). but then at his 18mo appt the ped mentioned he really needs to be eating on his own. we used to avoid that since he would make SUCH a mess, more than he already does. however, a few weeks ago we just gave in and let him eat yogurt and such out of a bowl..just gave him a spoon and let him have at it. well in a few days he managed to eat it all, despite getting his clothes totally messy (he downright refuses to wear bibs). he's getting better and better at it though. we're also starting to let him use a regular cup (not a straw cup).

having him eat on his own made things SO much easier for me, as i could just sit him down, give him food and then go to deal with DD. i am kicking myself for not doing it sooner.

[Pinky]

ds is just starting to really eat things like yogurt, hot cereal etc with utensils. i think he is somewhat behind, if a spoon had to be used i used to feed him mostly (unless he could eat it with his hands). but then at his 18mo appt the ped mentioned he really needs to be eating on his own. we used to avoid that since he would make SUCH a mess, more than he already does. however, a few weeks ago we just gave in and let him eat yogurt and such out of a bowl..just gave him a spoon and let him have at it. well in a few days he managed to eat it all, despite getting his clothes totally messy (he downright refuses to wear bibs). he's getting better and better at it though. we're also starting to let him use a regular cup (not a straw cup).

having him eat on his own made things SO much easier for me, as i could just sit him down, give him food and then go to deal with DD. i am kicking myself for not doing it sooner.
See I think that's my problem... I am holding her back because of my fear of the cleanup and I didn't even realize it. I just can't even imagine giving her the spoon and a bowl of yogurt and letting her go to town. :rotflmao: Though, I know that's what I need to do. Our ped even mentioned at her 12 month appointment to start letting her feed herself with a spoon but I sort of ignored that. Looks like we've got some practicing to do.

[lizzywednesday]

We started by pre-loading the spoon with small bites of yogurt, applesauce, guacamole, etc. and handing the loaded spoon to DD.

I let her try using her own spoon the other day to eat some yogurt.

Yes, she made a mess, but most of the yogurt made it into her mouth.

We're slowly introducing the fork. It's actually easier for her to understand how to use a fork than it is a spoon.

IDK, maybe I am weird, but I don't have such a problem with feeding-time messes; it's part of learning how to feed yourself. We have a splash mat that catches most of the food that DD tosses overboard ... and I've actually taken to feeding her in just her diaper so we keep the worst messes off her clothes.

[Pinky]

We started by pre-loading the spoon with small bites of yogurt, applesauce, guacamole, etc. and handing the loaded spoon to DD.

I let her try using her own spoon the other day to eat some yogurt.

Yes, she made a mess, but most of the yogurt made it into her mouth.

We're slowly introducing the fork. It's actually easier for her to understand how to use a fork than it is a spoon.

IDK, maybe I am weird, but I don't have such a problem with feeding-time messes; it's part of learning how to feed yourself. We have a splash mat that catches most of the food that DD tosses overboard ... and I've actually taken to feeding her in just her diaper so we keep the worst messes off her clothes.
Thanks for the tip... We're going to start working on this this week and you're right, they clean up easy so it's not really a big deal. Plus, we have a dog that cleans the floor the second anything hits it so that helps. :ROTFLMAO:

[CaliMommy]

DS (14mo) is comfortable with using the fork during his meals. Sometimes he wants to only use his hands though...

I haven't really given him the spoon yet. And I know a big reason is because of the mess he will make. :(

We use the Take N Toss utensils and we love it. Just the right size for him!

[div_0305]

I agree, once you get past the mess and accepting you will need to do a good amount of cleanup, your child will get a lot of much needed practice, and soon enough master the skill.

[Pinky]

I agree, once you get past the mess and accepting you will need to do a good amount of cleanup, your child will get a lot of much needed practice, and soon enough master the skill.

Thanks everybody! We're still working on it... hopefully she'll figure it out sooner rather than later. ;-)