Question about self-feeding

Geek_Girl

DS is pretty good about finger foods but will only use a spoon every great once in a while - he's more than happy to let DH or I feed him.  And forget using a fork, even if we make his favorite foods, he'll just use his fingers, no matter how much we try to show him how to use his utensils.

Any thoughts or tips?  He's going to be 2 in August and I'd like him to be using them by his birthday.  

laney75

How about taking him to Babies R Us or Target (wherever they have a large selection) and letting him pick out his own new cutlery?  Something with a character or color he really likes.  Maybe get him the matching bowl and plate too.  We have a cheapie airplane spoon that my son loves and sometimes he asks for his "airplane schoon".  We haven't had a problem with him using forks and spoons, but it seems like if it was a little fun, maybe he'd enjoy it more? 

EnglishMajor03

Parker is going to be 4 in July and rarely uses spoon/fork at dinner.  We always have it there for her to use but usually she ends up still using her hands.  I am definitely going to push the issue once she turns 4 but, I don't know, before now it seemed okay.  FWIW she does eat yogurt, ice creams, etc. with a spoon and is fine to do it by herself. 

I think your LO might be a bit too young to eat with a utensil all the time.  That might be JMO but I definitely wouldn't push it.  He's only going to be 2.  In many ways he's still a baby  

Geek_Girl

Laney, we have all sorts of colors, shapes, sizes, etc.  It seems to be more based on whether or not he feels like it.

EM, thanks for making me feel better about this!  I thought maybe I was doing something wrong and that maybe he should be doing that already.  He'll use a spoon when he feels like it, but when he does use it, he does really well with it.

jen5-03

DD can use a fork and spoon very well... when she chooses to. And she'll be 4 in a couple weeks. Not a meal goes by that she doesn't eat at least part of it with her fingers. We only push it for the really messy stuff.  On the other hand, DS loves to use a spoon and fork and is pretty good at it for his age... but I think that's a 2nd kid phenomenon. He just wants to be cool like big sister.