Is your child eating with utensils yet?

Allison - posted on 06/11/2011

My Dec 2009 baby is using a spoon in the yoplait yogurt container every morning. He always wants yogurt! He'll use it for apple sauce, too. Generally, though, if the food is pretty solid, he'll just hold the spoon or fork in one hand and bring the food to his mouth with the other. He finds the forks very frustrating, probably because they aren't pointy enough to pick up food very well.

Laura - posted on 06/11/2011

good to know a lot of toddlers this age aren't pros yet, I thought it was just my daughter. She doesn't eat much, but lately I've been giving her a fork at every meal, and I'll take her hand with the fork & stab at the food, and she eats it off the fork. But she hasn't figured out how to stab it herself. She will occasionally put the food on the fork with her free hand, then take it off and eat it with her fingers! And forget the spoon, she won't even eat anything that requires a spoon so there's no point using it. I'm not too concerned, especially since I really just care about her getting enough calories each day without having to resort to a pediasure in the evening.

Casey - posted on 06/11/2011

I never pushed it with my kid, but starting maybe last month, he took an interest. We totally skipped baby spoons and forks, because honestly, who are we kidding. Its hard enough to scoop cereal for such a little guy, but let alone to scoop cereal onto something the size of my thumb and put it in their mouths-probably not happening anytime soon. I guess we live on the edge of danger :) because I give him a fork as well.He stabs his food and puts it in his mouth. It looks scary, esp when he gets a little wild, but we have yet to poke an eye out ;) Plus, I am sure you are right there to supervise anyways. I think at this age, offering silverware at every meal is your only job. I mean, he watches you eat with silverware. Nature ensures he will be curious and goodness knows they mimic us in every other way anyways.

Katherine - posted on 06/11/2011

There is no way I'm giving my son a spoon or fork until he doesn't want to send his plate or bowl across the room...lol...and I'm not too sure about handing him a "deadly weapon"...I'd like to keep my eyes...lol

Jacqueline - posted on 06/10/2011

It's possible that your baby will let you know when he is ready. About a week ago my daughter (17mo) managed to get her hands on a popsicle stick and bring it to dinner. I noticed she was pushing her peas around with the stick so I brought her a small toddler spoon (not the rubber kind I used for baby food but plastic handle, silver spoon part). She grabbed it immediately and while she would not let me help her eat with it, she thinks she very independent, she did start scooping things and getting them to her mouth within just a few mins. I haven't tried a fork yet but now I put anything I can into a bowl (peas, pasta, bits of meat, rice, etc) and she can scoop all of it into her mouth with no mess. I have not given her liquidy stuff like sauces bc I think she tips the spoon too much on the way to her mouth but otherwise she's good to go with a spoon. I would say keep making it available and maybe even practice scooping during play like sand outdoors with a little shovel just to get an understanding of the whole scoop process if you want to try for a spoon. Good luck :)

Lisa - posted on 06/05/2011

My 17 mo. old daughter plays with the fork/spoon but doesn't eat with it. I try to show her to stab her food and put it into her mouth and she pushed it away or takes the food off of the utensils and puts it into her mouth w/her hands so I am not forcing her but trying to encourage it. Maybe soon, but as long as she eats I'm happy!!

Shae - posted on 06/03/2011

my son is a year older but this convo popped up and i just wanted to add something that helped for me (at least for using a spoon)- try giving them something tasty in narrow container (i.e small plastic cup). yoplait yogurts work great for this! give them a spoon and walk away. it isn't mean, they can still get to the yogurt, baby food, etc but the spoon becomes the more efficient tool. if you think about it from their perspective, why use this thing everyone keeps handing me if the foods right in front of me? you might even want to get yourself one too and eat it in front of them at the same time at first so that they can copy what they see. it gives them good practice and it can be a simple as sticking a spoon in a yogurt cup. the hardest part is cleaning up the mess.

Karenda - posted on 06/03/2011

My daughter will do the same hold the fork or spoon and then eat with her other hand. Sometimes she will even use the free hand to put food on the spoon smile then use her free hand to take the food off the spoon and put in her mouth :). The only thing she will use her spoon for is sticky items or cold items like yogurt or ice cream.

Christine - posted on 06/03/2011

my lil one has been for months shes 17 months will now even eat out of yogurt pots, just keep giving it to him and try a fork as my lil one found it easier :) they will learn tho when they are ready

Sarah - posted on 06/03/2011

I don't think there's too much to worry about... as long as he's eating! I started off showing my 17 m/o how to use a fork a few months ago (we tried a spoon, but it didn't quite work..), so she's had quite a bit of practice and is really quite good at it now.

I decided a few weeks ago that it was about time she started practicing with a spoon, and although it started out VERY messy, she's getting the hang of it really quickly. Of course, after a few mouthfuls she usually resorts to using her fingers, but at least she's getting some practice with the spoon and fork.

I think the best thing to do is just keep offering them to him to practice using and don't stress if he's not interested.

Shelly - posted on 06/02/2011

My 18 month old boy has been trying to feed himself since he was a year (with all the mess), when he turned 17 months we started letting him sit at his table/high chair and feed himself, now he wont let us feed him, he wants to do it all by himself, and he does very well now, still a little mess but he manages

Tina - posted on 06/02/2011

My daughter is 18 months and she wont even feed herself. I even tried to get her to eat with her fingers, but she wont even do that. She wants you to feed her. These days i am even having a hard time getting her to eat at all.

Elfrieda - posted on 06/02/2011

Okay, I've been wondering the same thing! I've been giving my son a fork with some meat on it, etc, and then he puts it in his mouth, and very occasionally he manages to get the spoon in the bowl and then to his mouth, but it's very haphazard. By when are they supposed to have learned this skill? Age 2? Sooner?

Sometimes I give him a spoon to practice with, but other times I don't bother. I feel like I have no idea what I'm doing. I guess that's normal? :)

Shalena - posted on 06/02/2011

My daughter just turned 18 months and she does the same thing..holds her spoon/ fork with one hand and eats with the other..well today everytime. She tried to eat with her hand I told her noif she kepted doing it I would take the plate away and tell her no..we eat with a fork than gave her the plate back..she ate her whole meal with the fork

Rachel - posted on 06/02/2011

Ok. That helps calm me down some. Haha. Having the one and only baby right now gives me lots of time to think and freak myself out. Thanks all!

Belinda - posted on 06/02/2011

Nope Im in the same boat as you. I was wondering the same thing. Guess our kids are normal lol

Vanessa - posted on 06/01/2011

We've been giving our son utentils for a few months now and even though he wasn't a Pro at it right away, it was good practice. He's almost 18 months and still uses his fingers but tries really hard with his fork and spoon and usually does a pretty good job with it for the most part. The messes become less and less each day :)

Darlene - posted on 06/01/2011

Tyler has been showing more interest lately in using utensils. Of course, he wants to do anything his big brother does! His brother wasn't using them much at this age. Fingers are easier and faster! :)!

Kim - posted on 06/01/2011

I just started a few weeks ago giving my twin boys a fork. One of them is starting to get the hang of it, but it's still a mess. The other one just holds it and eats with his hands. I just keep giving it to them and I'm sure just like everything else they will get it. They have no interest in spoons, so we have the little baby forks that aren't sharp so they won't hurt themselves. Sometimes I put food on it and hand it to them and they eat it. I would say just keep offering it, and model how to use it and eat with him and show him how mommy does it.