utensils

should i be trying to give my LOs utensils to use?
when do they learn to eat with them? (or when is a good time to teach them?)

 

They should be learning how to use utensils at this age. Gerber has great utensils for the LO's and they come in different stages.

 

I would give them utensils. How long it takes them to learn how to use the utensils properly will depend on how interested/motivated they are. Just keep on showing them what to do (how to hold the handle, how to scoop/spear the food) and have a fork or spoon of your own to help them out with if they need/want you to.

 

i started giving my girls spoons and/or forks around 17 months when they started trying to grab ours from us and generally being nuisances until they got them. they do pretty good with them now, although they're still not proficient. we haven't done anything specific to teach them or show them how to use them - we just eat most of our meals together. sometimes, they'll just hold the utensil in one hand & eat the entire meal with their other hand. ardon: i'm not too worried about it - eating food with your hands is fun! and they'll get better at it when they're ready.

 

I started giving my guys forks (they're a lot easier to use than spoons) at about 12 months, but they were really just for practice up until very recently. Now at 2, they use forks pretty consistently and are getting better about spoons (but only for foods that are thicker). Even now, though, they will still sometimes put down the utensils and eat with their fingers because it's easier.

 

I just bought some of the cute utensils for fun around 15/16 months, thinking "What the heck, let them try it." To my SHOCK and amazement, they are GOOD at them! :lol: They always have to have a spoon or fork now, and they eat most of their foods with them. They do still drop stuff, and will resort to their hand when they get frustrated, but now they just sit there and stare at us if we forget to get their utensils out at mealtime! :lol:

 

I introduced utensils to the kids around 12-13 months...they are pretty good with forks and hit or miss with spoons.

 

We offered Ethan & Isabel those toss-n-go forks and spoons a couple of weeks ago just to introduce them to the concept and let them get used to the idea, thinking it was going to be a mealtime fiasco. But lo and behold, like Danielle, we were shocked that they took to using them right away and were actually pretty good at the whole plate-to mouth thing. Sometimes they need help stabbing the food, but we are amazed at how proficient they are. So yeah, go ahead and let your LOs have at it! They may surprise you!

 

I second those Take and Toss forks and spoons. They're short enough for them to wield easily, and the forks have enough sharpness to the tines that they can stab food, but not sharp enough to be "weaponized". :laughing: We just recently graduated to a sharper, metal fork because I felt the boys were old enough to handle them, but the Take and Toss ones were great for the entire second year. :good:

 

TY! I will go shopping for forks tomorrow. : )