Community› The Bump Local Boards› Northern California Babies
Northern California Babies
New Discussion

2 yr old eating with hands vs. utensils

alyssa7alyssa7
in Northern California Babies

Sometimes when Charlie eats Rotini pasta, he will stop using his fork and just use his hands to eat. He knows how to use the fork so I'm wondering if I should if I should 1.) just be happy he's eating (we struggle at meal time) or 2.) try to encourage him to use the fork

I'm not sure if its an issue (like if he's regressing). I'm guessing he just thinks its easier to use his hands - he does eat a lot of finger foods.

 

Warning No formatter is installed for the format bbhtml
Report Reply to Post

Re: 2 yr old eating with hands vs. utensils

  • Mrs.K&CMrs.K&C
    Sabrina is 3 and does that occasionally. We tell her to use her fork or whatever but honestly, it's not a battle I'm willing to fight since she doesn't eat much for dinner most nights (if anything at all).
    Image and video hosting by TinyPic
    Lilypie Third Birthday tickersLilypie First Birthday tickers
    Report Reply
  • Loading the player...
  • green*eyesgreen*eyes
    I'm with MrsK&C. DS is 3.5 and still uses his hands for certain foods and I'm ok with it.  It's just easier with some things so I don't really blame him! 
    Report Reply
  • mrscerruti2bemrscerruti2be member
    Crash does the same thing and like the others, I'm just happy he is eating! :)
    Report Reply
  • llamakinsllamakins

    imagegreen*eyes:
    I'm with MrsK&C. DS is 3.5 and still uses his hands for certain foods and I'm ok with it.  It's just easier with some things so I don't really blame him! 

     

    same!

    Lilypie First Birthday tickersBaby Birthday Ticker Tickerv
    Report Reply
  • RevJGRevJG
    I say be happy he's eating.  Like the others, utensil use is the last battle I am willing to fight (she knows how to use them fine, just sometimes chooses not to).  In the whole scheme of things I find it not to be a big deal at all.
    Lilypie Third Birthday tickers Lilypie First Birthday tickers
    Report Reply
  • Mrs.BoomBoomMrs.BoomBoom
    My favorite is picking up the food with his hand and then putting it on his fork (or vis versa)
    Report Reply
  • My.ABC.LifeMy.ABC.Life

    imageMrs.K&C:
    Sabrina is 3 and does that occasionally. We tell her to use her fork or whatever but honestly, it's not a battle I'm willing to fight since she doesn't eat much for dinner most nights (if anything at all).

    Pretty much the same thing here! 

    Warning No formatter is installed for the format bbhtml
    Report Reply
  • futrkingsleyfutrkingsley member

    imageMrs.K&C:
    Sabrina is 3 and does that occasionally. We tell her to use her fork or whatever but honestly, it's not a battle I'm willing to fight since she doesn't eat much for dinner most nights (if anything at all).

    Us too.  DS is 3.5 and has been using utensils since he was 11 months old (he hated dirty hands!).  But sometimes he just prefers not to.  I encourage and model and hope for the best.  I know that at school, he is "required" to use a fork for foods that require it and I know he knows how.  If he didn't know how, that would be a different issue but eh, if he knows how and prefers sometimes to eat with hands, so be it.  I sometimes prefer to eat with my hands and I'm 38. 

    Report Reply
  • hersheykisshersheykiss
    I agree with the PPs. It is just easier sometimes. I equate it to eating sushi with chopsticks. When I first started eating sushi, I would use chopsticks for about 2 mins, then switch to fingers or fork. Little by little I moved up to using only chopsticks. It just takes time and patience, and most kids don't have the latter. 
    Report Reply
  • jsugrinjsugrin member

    At 2 Cooper still eat with his hands, hmm, probably 75% of the time.  It drove me batty because Andrew was eating exclusively with fork and spoon by about 18 months.  I would usually ask him if he wanted to use his fork/spoon as a gentle reminder and he's usually tell me no and that was the end of it.  Eventually he started using the utensils more and now it's about unheard of for him to use his fingers for non finger foods.

    I also found that Cooper really likes to pick out his own utensils, as in the specific one he is going to eat with so you might try that.  If you have kiddie plates and utensils put them in a drawer he can read and if he's using regular stuff maybe he can sit on the counter or have a stool to reach up and get his own.  Giving him more ownership over it might help it be more exciting for him.  In the end though he'll catch on and one day you'll just realize that you haven't seen him use his fingers in ages and think "wow he's getting so grown up::sigh:::"Big Smile.

    Report Reply
This discussion has been closed.
Choose Another Board
Search Boards
"
"