I’m a little embarrassed to admit I haven’t taught my 19 month old twins to use a spoon yet. DS likes to drop everything & DD will copy him. I just can’t imagine how it would work with him throwing the spoon & bowl/plate on the floor all the time, not to mention the clean up afterward. Lately he has been indicating he really wants my spoon, fork, plate, bowl etc. and knowing how babies like to imitate their parents I think it is time start this lesson. Any suggestions? TIA
I understand your position, having a 15 month old girl is difficult for me (i ran out of energy :rolleyes: sometimes ) I can’t imaging having two!!!
Catalina made me a huge mess today at lunch time eating her yogurt using spoon,but I think sooner or later this has to happen.
she is being using a baby spoon for the last month, I started just giving her the spoon to play with(no food) just to get her familiar with it, so she will chew on it,put it in her mouth …etc.
Next step I did giving her solid food, like cooked rice…just a little bit in her plate …so she doesn’t get to messy.
Then since the last week i started giving her liquid food like yougurt… and of course she is making a mess…but it is ok…because she needs to practice to became a better spoon user.
I have to say she does really good with solid food, like rice, or any kind of dry food,she eats at dinner time with us,chicken or meat…etc.
What I will suggest is to start giving them a baby spoon(there are some made form wood (we have that one) or also they have plastic too) and let thm play with it and let them practice to put it in their mouths.
Good luck my friend, it is a process but like somebody say to me . " the sooner the better for you because they became independient, and it is nice to enjoy your dinner with both hands in stead of one" if they can feed themselfs you can dedicate time to eat and relax too.
I was very proud of my little 13 month old today as this morning I put a bit of porridge on her high chair tray and gave her a spoon. I have never done this before so imagine my surprise when my daughter scooped a bit of porridge onto the spoon and then put it into her mouth. A huge surprise. lol hopefully a sign of things to come.
What age is the best to start teaching our little ones to use a spoon? Do you have any tips on how to keep cleaning to minimum while still providing a way for our baby to learn?
My daughter was pretty good with a spoon at a very youg age. Then she went back to eating with her fingers. Now at 19 mos. she wants to use a spoon agaain.
I think it is important to give the opportunity, but not stress about it. Kids do wht works. If Em can get a good scoop of sometning she uses her spoon. If she would rather pick it up with her fingers she does that.
Try puting old newspaper under the chair before you eat , and let 'em go wild! Also I always have towels handy.
I think making a big deal of it helps too. When Em started using her spoon agaain I would say," Look at that, Daddy! Emma is usiong a spoon just like Mama and Daddy do. What a big girl!"
Now when Emma uses her spoon she will say, “Daddy!!!”, and hold her spoon up to show him. Of course, he oohs and ahhs and she is delighted.
hello there,
My daughter knows how to use the spoon at early days. But she, most of the times uses her hands since we using our hand to eat as it is our custom and tradition. She also uses her hand when she eat at the restaurant or other place than the home, eventhough we are using the spoon and fork.
I just think that she used to it and we doesn’t really stress the need to use the spoon. Maybe when she a liltle bit older, than we think we will enforce the use of the spoon…
anyway, when she used the spoon,it get really messy and she will eat less than when using her hand. so for me, just let your child use what she prefer to and at later stage we can teach to use the spoon…that’s my opinion. they worked out how to use it someday, i believe… :laugh:
Hi…don’t feel embarassed that your 19 month olds don’t know how to use a spoon, my almost 3 year old does not know how to use a spoon or fork with making a mess everywhere and sometimes needs assistance. For most of my sons "bad’ habits I blame myself, even though it was his nanny or my husband or grandparents who spoiled him. He was spoon fed and really never had the opportunity to eat food on his own. I now believe given the chance and opportunity babies / children learns so much more than just having things done for them. But off course they will make a big mess in the process, but its all a learning adventure for them.
my son has started to use spoon and fork while eating (not at the same time, either ones) however, he would prefer our cutleries rather than his own which is in plastic sets, he would always grab ours and would not use his own set.
i started giving him spoon at the age of 10 months, just to play with it (he use it as a drum stick, as teether)but i wanted him to be familiar with the spoon and to get the grip of it as well. when he turned 11th months, i saw himplaying with his spoon n plate and pretending to spoon something from the plate and put it in his mouth, which was very surprising for me, then later on,tried to put some solids in the plate.
continue to encourage ur children the use of cutleries, mess is fine, although it gets bit tiring to clean every time, what i did with issam, i keep him seated on the floor especially when his eating yogurt, if he tries to stand n move around the house, i will sit him again on the same spot,n i sit with him on the floor as well. now he sits on the same spot every time he eats!so i hve to clean only that area now! 