How to teach toddler to use fork/spoon?

[smzapalac]

My soon-to-be 2 yo doesn't really use a spoon much to eat. She prefers eating with her hands as she can get more food in her mouth. I really would like her to eat more with a fork and spoon. How do you teach your child to eat with a spoon instead of their hands? She just seems to get frustrated by the way I am helping her now. Any advice would be SO helpful. Thanks!

[SnuggleBuggles]

I always just provided them at every meal and let ds choose for himself. Mayb I should have pushed it more but it seems to have worked out.

He is 4.5 and still likes to use his fingers for eating but if he has to use a sppon or a fork for something (like yogurt or applesauce) he does great. I always worried that he wouldn't be able to do it since he didn't practice much.

You could start serving food that she can only eat with utensils for a few days. :)

Beth

[kedss]

I would give her a spoon at every meal and see what she does with it. It's something you just have to let them do on their own sometimes, even if its a messy proposition. :)