Feeding at what age?

krissyh21

Do they get the concept of spoons forks and a plate? D likes when I give him a spoon but ususally attepts to smoosh it or take what is on the spoon off. I tried showing him, but more food goes flying across the room then in his mouth. With plates, he shows interest in wanting the stuff on the plate rather then on his tray table. We tried the Tommy teepee suction thing plate, but he discovered how to peel the suction off, grabbing the plate and dumping it... I am assuming these experiences will get better when he is ready or is there some trick to teaching them? (sorry for lack of paragraphs, I am on phone)

oct11bride03

This is one of the reasons we have a splat mat on the floor under K's chair.

I know they practice with utensils at daycare, but we've been trying to do more of it at home as well. For now we're just working on the spoon. I'll give her applesauce in a bowl with a spoon. She knows HOW to do it, but most of the time she reverts to picking up the applesauce with her fingers and eating it that way, while holding the spoon in her other hand. HA!

They'll get the hang of it. It's messy for sure, but practice makes perfect.

RoxBride

DD had untensils down by a year.  I think it helped that she sat at the table with us for all her meals and not in a high chair.  She just watched and learned.

When it comes to plates, I think the simplier the better.  We use basic plates from IKEA, nothing fancy, just plastic.  Less tempting to pick up and throw. 

I believe it is just a matter of practice makes perfect.

laura1

DS didn't really get the hang of it until around 18 months.  Partly because I didn't often let him try because it was so messy :P  We started with things like applesauce and yogurt because he could just dunk his spoon in it and the food would get stuck on it.  We used those suction cup bowls, too.  

As for forks, he still isn't so great with it.  He usually just wants to pick up the food with his hands and eat it that way.  We did find a bulldozer fork that he loves, so that has been helping a bit.  

Good luck!   

Mrs.Reem

Practice makes perfect... and also a mess. If you truly want them to get it, you kind of have to overlook the mess. We have a splat mat and long sleeved bibs.  Ana was able to leave her plate on the tray and use utensils by about 10 mos. About the same for Katen but again, I started giving utensils to play with at about 8 mos.

epphd

Sam eats with a spoon at day care, but not at home. Who knows why.  He likes it when I fill his spoon and will happily eat that way, but doesn't quite have the dexterity to scoop.  As for bowls and plates - he really likes picking them up, shoving his hands into them, etc.  At "school", they are starting his class on eating at a table off of plates this week.  Hopefully that will help him at home. 

 

AvaLikeLava

Gosh, it was well over a year for us. I guess I've always been intimidated by having flying baby food around my dining room, so I fed G for a very long time. He didn't really get a chance to mess around on his own, as result.

mrsolsenk12

We started offering a spoon/fork at 15 months (per our pedi's urging) and at first it was a playtoy. Same with a plate. If I put food on it, he dumped the food out on his tray and threw the plate on the floor (simple plastic plates here). He started "using" the silverware around 18 months and the plate stopped being thrown right away. Now at 21 months, he is getting to be an expert with a fork and spoon and uses his plate for eating, not throwing. We just kept offering it each meal each day and he got better with time. Now, he doesn't let me feed him or even help him anymore. He tells me no and pulls the fork/spoon/plate away.

CBL

What about a fork instead?  G hasn't mastered a spoon yet and has little interest in it other than sucking on the handle, but he does really well with a fork and just LOVES eating off a fork.  I tend to spear his food and then let him put it in his mouth, but I see him starting to scoop food with it too.

We've also done natural PB on a spoon and even given him natural PB and some cheerios and demonstrated how to use the pb to grab the cheerios. 

 We need to get more consistent with it too.  Especially using plates.  Ain't no suction cup that can stop my boy!