Silverware

When did you introduce silverware/plates to your children?

 

We mostly use the plastic "Take and Toss" bowls and spoons (the boys are only 6 1/2 months old), but for their baptism, my grandmother got a "youth set" of our flatware engraved for the boys. They do really well with the baby spoons!

 

We only do plates occasionally, though we do use bowls for things like yogurt and cereal (obviously). They seem to enjoy it if I give them their pasta or whatever in a little cup rather than just on the tray, but I don't always bother (and half the time they dump it out of the cup onto the tray anyway). I don't see the point of official baby bowls -- we just use small tupperware dishes.

We started giving them silverware (plastic) around 12 months. Sarah got the hang of the spoon surprisingly early, like 13 months (though it was messy then, and is still messy now). Amy didn't start with the spoon until more like 16 months. They both use forks now (starting around 15 months), but half the time they still use their fingers -- or they use their fingers to put the food on the fork.

I've just recently started giving them metal salad forks rather than toddler forks. The toddler forks are more like sporks -- very hard to actually stab anything. I've been keeping an eye out for forks that have regular metal tines but very short handles, but haven't found any.

 

We started with plastic spoons and forks pretty early. I do give them a real fork lately when we're eating together. They are getting the concept. :icon_biggrin:

 

I've always let them use a spoon, bowls and plate around 11 months, 1 year... Forks a little after that.

 

I don't remember exactly, but I think they were getting them regularly at around 18 months.

 

mine are really great at using forks. we have some toddler ones, but they have metal polies (whatever they are called! )They do ok with spoons. I dont give them plates. they just toss them. But the forks/spoons started having around 1 year. they still use their fingers a lot (as does my 2 1/2 year old!).

 

We started around 15 months. I made breakfast for Father's Day and DH says, "Why don't we try giving them a fork." They loved it and got it right away. Once they got the hang of the fork, we started giving them their food on a plate (they were too absorbed in using the fork to think of throwing their plate/bowl). We added spoons last, since I think they are a little tricky, but they got it right away. I would say by 18 months, they were proficient at using utensils!

 

Wow, yall are way ahead of me. Our girls just tend to play with whatever utensils we give them instead of focusing on what they're eating, so we've given them the utensils a handful of times. I think the only time they've used them in earnst was when I dip the spoon into cream of wheat,hand it to them, and then they'll put it in their mouth, but then again, half the times I've tried that one or both end up refusing to put it in their own mouth. I figure they'll get it sooner or later, and they won't be ten with no idea how to use them.

 

Only within the past few weeks has DS stopped tossing a spoon onto the floor within 3 seconds, so I let him hang on to a spoon. He chews on it, but that's because he's teething. DD still just throws it on the floor to hear it clang. I think it'll be a while for us.

 

Silverware -- 14 months
Plates -- 21 months

They used the fork correctly from the first demonstration; the spoon has been more of a challenge. I waited until they were past the "tossing everything on the floor" phase before I introduced plates.

 

I give ours plates and spoons, however, they usually end up on the floor.