Plates and utensils

So now that we moved to boosters at the table obviously eating off of a plate is more desirable How do I get them to stop picking up the plate? I bought some bowls that have suction cups but they seem to manage to get those up as well. How long does it take them to learn this? We would like to start learning forks/spoons once they've gotten this down...any tips on teaching that?? Thank

 

with plates, we just took them away when they started picking them up off the table or if it looked like they were about to take a trip to the floor. they figured it out pretty quickly. although, we didn't start plates until they were about 17 months old. before that, we just served their food on the table for them.

as for utensils, we also started giving those out around 17 months. i give them a fork or spoon at pretty much every meal & just let them go at it. sometimes they'll give me the fork/spoon and want me to load it for them but then they want to put it in their mouth themselves. usually though the utensils end up on the floor (at which point they're put away).

i think the best way to "teach" any of this stuff is just to sit down & eat with them. they'll learn by watching what you do. GL!

 

Ditto! I use the bowls with suction too, mine occasionally pull them up. I just take them away then. I give mine spoons with a big bowl of yogurt and a puree to practice with every night and some mornings. They are slowly getting good at it. It's messy, but it has to be done! They sometimes just pick at their food, then I give them forks and they get excited and try to use them. I just started the utensils at 17 months. It is definitely a work in progress. Goodluck!

 

I didn't move to boosters until my girls were over the plate tipping phase, which was at around 18 months. I started giving them utensil's with every meal when I took them off formula, and transitioned to table food at 15 months. They didn't use them consistently (and accurately) until around 18-20 months. Like everything else, it just takes practice.

 

I agree with previous posters, mine did not get utensils down until 18-20 months (and still have times where they prefer their hands over the fork and spoon). We just kept using them at every meal and had them watch us using them and eventually they got it. As for plates, I found that once we moved the kids to the table they did really well with plates and not dumping them. Good luck!

 

I just started using plates in the last couple of months. They do pretty good with them. When they start playing with them, I take them away. They are just now getting good at the fork. It takes a lot of practice. Most of the time they give up and use their hands.