we still cut up all food and throw it on their trays. when can i start using a plate? LOL? whenever they see a plate, they tip it over and throw the plate. i would really like to teach them how to use utensils/plates.
Utensils, I started around 12 months old. It was easier for them to get the idea of using a fork first then a spoon. Plates, I think we started them around 18 months, when they started eating at the table with us and the novelty of throwing food was over with.
I agree with Nancy. We did a plate when the novelty of throwing things off the tray was done. I know we did some plates when he was still in his highchair but don't know what specific age. Silverware was when they could get it into their mouth. Mealtime was NOT my favorite thing to do with the kids.
We started a plate this week when we moved them to the table/boosters. We started utensils a month or so ago. Henry has no interest in throwing so I watch Jacob. When he is done, he will start to grab at his plate to tip the food away. At that point, I take away his plate and let him down. We do not have a rule in our house that they have to stay at the table until everyone finishes. If we did, I would be at the table until the cows come home because my oldest takes years to eat 2 kernels of corn (he is often talking).
We never bothered with plates until we moved them to our table a bit before 2.5, or at the restaurant before that, and we had no problem with the transition. We started utensils slowly around 1.5... mostly forks because spoons were a mess. We just gave them forks at every meal and they mastered them pretty quickly (you can find toddler friendly forks that we still use). We honestly just reintroduced spoons a month ago and they did great, I'm sure they could have mastered them a long time ago but I just didn't want to clean them all the time.
We had our guys in highchairs until they were 2, then we moved to boosters at the table. When we did this, we started giving them plates. They did tip them over a bit in the beginning, but they got over that pretty quickly. Now when they start "farting around" as I call it, I know that they're done eating. Forks we gave at 12 months for practice. They're pretty good at them now. Spoons we really didn't introduce until about 18 months. They're good with thicker things like pudding, but half of their cereal this morning did end up in their laps. <_< They're getting better every day though! :good:
Our nanny used to work at a daycare and she said they had to serve food on a plate, so they would tape the plates to the table. I recently bought some plastic plates for our boys (after she put one of our Mikasa plates on their tray!) and I leave some tape on the table so she can tape the plates to theirs trays if she wants to.
Heh heh - I don't think mealtime is ever going to be my favorite. We have been doing plates since about 15 mos. We are successful most often now but there is the occasional frisbee plate episode if I have the audacity to get up and load the dishwasher or do anything around the kitchen. They do pretty darn well with forks and spoons...sometimes if they are really hungry they forget them and use their hands, but generally they prefer utensils.
Oh my I feel so behind...we haven't even started them on using their own fingers and utensils..man I feel so bad.. :unsure:
