how to get DD to use utensils

tmwishful · January 2013

Help! DD is 18 months old now and still can't use a spoon or fork. I've been giving them to her every day for months. I've held them in her hand and lifted them to her mouth but she still hasn't gotten the hint. Of course we've both eaten in front of her and showed her.

Nechie122 · January 2013

Have you tried making a game out of it? I used her toddler fork very "aggressively," in an exaggerated way, to stab pieces of chicken on her plate. Sound effects and everything. She thought that was hysterical and wanted to try it too. We cheered when she got a piece. That was the beginning of her love affair with the fork.

With the spoon, I'm not sure; she learned it in daycare.

LadyXaverian · January 2013

We're still working on it, too. She'll generally use it for a few bites and then decide that her hands are faster/easier. She'll use a spoon more willingly with yogurt, cottage cheese etc.. I guess because it's messier.

I guess I just figure she'll get it eventually. It's not on my list of things to worry about.

JenniCollins · January 2013

I have found that the shape macaroni and cheese (we had phinas and ferb) is extremely easy to eat with a fork. Every time my daughter tried to stab a piece with a fork she came up with a piece! She had already mastered the fork, but I passed this to a friend with 15 month old twins and she said after having shape mac and cheese twice they now use the fork very well!

karmajupiter · January 2013

my son didn't really have an interest in using utensils at 18 months. he's now 21 months old and uses them more often than he doesn't. he kind of just did it at his own pace. like you, i just gave them to him everyday and would encourage him to use them. what i think was most helpful and when i began to see an increase of interest is when i started giving him different choices of forks and spoons and let him choose which ones he wanted to use. also, i bought a set of construction vehicle shaped utensils. my boy loves trucks so that was a huge motivator.

april262011 · January 2013

Mine never showed any interest in using the spoon until 20 months. I never encouraged or pushed it, though. He preferred for me to feed him. Then, one day, he reached for it and has tried to use it ever since. I wouldn't worry...it will happen in the next few months.

tmwishful · January 2013

Thanks, ladies. I thought it was something I should worry about, but I will just keep working on it.

Jenny952 · January 2013

My DD is younger than yours but I try to put a fork or spoon out with her meals so she gets used to having it in her hands. Sometimes she'll hold the spoon in 1 hand and use the other to stuff food into her mouth. I also put a piece of food on the fork for her and then let her try to get it into her mouth. And we still feed her certain foods, like yogurt, cottage cheese, or anything else kind of liquid-y. I wouldn't force it too much, she'll get it eventually. Just keep showing it to her, offering her to use it and then letting her watch you eat your food with utensils.

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