Using spoons...age & ideas?

I've heard from a few mothers who are starting to let their little ones try to use spoons. Of course, more of a mess than success right now, but trying to get them to learn self-feed techniques.

Mine are 12 months - should I start letting them do this? Also, what are some good "foods" to try it out on? I'm worried anything I put in a bowl or cup will get thrown off the tray. I was thinking yogurt but how do I keep it from being tossed off the side of the highchair?

 

I've heard from a few mothers who are starting to let their little ones try to use spoons. Of course, more of a mess than success right now, but trying to get them to learn self-feed techniques.

Mine are 12 months - should I start letting them do this? Also, what are some good "foods" to try it out on? I'm worried anything I put in a bowl or cup will get thrown off the tray. I was thinking yogurt but how do I keep it from being tossed off the side of the highchair?

 

I don't have any advise for you but I do wish you the best of luck! We're at 18-months and still can not figure out the spoon thing. We try it at many meals but they hold it in one hand and pick up food with the other. We demonstrate how it's used and explain what we're doing and they still stare at us. I've heard some people have more success with toddler forks. I haven't tried that yet but we'll see how it goes. I'm taking it one day at a time with this stage

 

I have tried with ds (almost 15mos), dd will not let me show her anything (too independent for me !). If we put the food on the spoon he will put it in his mouth, but he cannot pick the food up using the spoon yet. He does the same with the fork..we haven't tried bowls of food yet

 

I liked the gerber spoons as they were flexible/soft/deeper so they were easier to use (but they do get messed up in the dishwasher, so I would handwash them).

good foods to start with are yogurt, applesauce, oatmeal, pudding, ect. I even put rice cereal in yogurt to make it thicker and easier to get on a spoon. Yoplait also makes a thicker toddler yogurt that is easier to get on a spoon. As far as throwing the food, unfortunatly it's part of the process. Just get those rags ready to clean them up and the kitchen too!! You can also let them play with spoons in the bathtub and gain coordination that way without making a mess!

 

We introduced them around 15 months, and it was a slow process. My kids are almost 2 now, and are just starting to do a fairly decent job of keeping the food in their bowl or mouth.

If you approach it as a learning "experience" and not a skill that you have to teach them, then it is a lot more fun. Try all kinds of food! Things that are more firm are easier (oatmeal, refried beans) than things that are slippery (mac n cheese, cereal in milk).

 

We put an old shower curtain liner under their chairs and let them go at it. At 12 months, they did a lot of dipping. Each got a spoon, but we held the bowl. Both became quite good with the spoon -- we used yogurt, applesauce, soups [thicken with baby cereal], jello, mashed potatoes, etc. Once they were OK with the spoons, we added forks [which they love] and bowls sometime around 16-17 months. We have a ton of different spoons and the best ones are disposals -- they come in a box, different colors, and animal shapes on handles -- got them at the grocery store. They look huge, but ours do really well with them. Forks also included in package. I put them through the dishwasher and they are still in perfect condition.

 

We started spoons and forks at 12 months. It takes practice, practice, practice. Go for it and just keep doing it. They will eventually get it.

Angela

 

yogurt is good b/c it sticks to the spoon very well. applesauce also sticks pretty well. just do it on a day when you have to mop your floor anyway... LOL. You can hold the cup down on the tray and let them dip and eat. if it's too frustrating you can always take it away and try again tomorrow or next week. Just give lots of praise. The suction cup bowls/plates don't work all that well for me...

I'd suggest starting off w/ an empty plate. When they pick up the plate, say "no, keep the plate down. Look at mommy's plate. It's down. No touch plate." Resort to holding the plate/bowl/cup whatever down. When they throw it to the floor make a sad face and say NO, that makes mommy sad. I usually use the "3 strikes and you're out" method. Bye bye plate, and I resort to feeding them myself. If they are hungry they will eat. When they get full they will play.

 

My guys were very excited to start using bowls and plates. If I saw them pick them up or play with them, then they got one warning, and then they lost the plate. They quickly learned to leave the plate on their trays. They still manage to get some food on the floor. Using silverware, plates, and bowls definitely decreases the amount of mess compared to when I just used to put food on their trays and they would eat with their hands. Forks were much easier for my guys than spoons. We're still working on spoons. They still will pick up food after they get frustrated with the spoon. We'll just keep practicing and cleaning up the floor.

 

We just started using them 2-3 months ago. More of a mess and still just playing for the most part. Katie will put her food on her spoon with her fingers then try to make it to her mouth lol

 

my mom gave my boys spoons at 15 months or so... and now at 17 months they are almost pros with utensils.

i say at 12 months independent feeding is probably early, but there is no harm in giving them some children's utensils to hold and practice with for fun.

 

We started with spoons at about 12 months. Then we started using salad forks a couple of months after. The forks were easier for them to actually get things to their mouths with. They have learned to hold the bowl with their left hands and use the spoon/fork with their right.
It seemed to take forever before they actually put the silverware to use instead of just holding in their hand while using their other hand to eat. At 22 months, they are finally getting more in their mouths than everywhere else. Sometimes they still use their hand if the fork isn't fast enough. But they are getting better everyday...thank goodness.

 

We didn't start until about 15 months. And it really hasn't improved much! It is definitely a long process. DD is pretty good about scooping or dipping with her spoon but prefers her fingers because it is faster. And forks she can sometime spear with but again, prefers fingers.

DS is further behind than DD--he cannot scoop but can get the food in his mouth quite well without spilling. He RARELY spears with his fork but when he manages to, gets it into his mouth. Overall he is much like DD and prefers his fingers. Usually he'll take one bite with his fork or spoon and then put it down and start using his fingers for the rest of the meal!

So it will take time, I would not stress about it though. I have heard that a lot of kids don't really get good at it until they are closer to age 3.

--Karen

 

Mine are 14 months. I would have thought 12 months was too early to start with the spoon, but Sarah kept grabbing for the spoon and the dish when I was trying to feed her, so one day I just let her have it -- and wonder of wonders, a lot of food made it into her mouth! Now I try to let her practice once a day at least. It is messy though.

Amy still has no interest. If I offer her the spoon, she sticks her finger into whatever is on the spoon, then licks her finger, then reaches with her hand directly into the dish.

They do get spoons at daycare (though the teacher said it's mostly "Bang, bang, throw" and then they eat with their hands), so I'm hoping they'll learn that way and I'll have less mess to deal with!

Re: what foods to try with, I've used baby food and yogurt. I was worried about the throwing issue, but so far it actually hasn't been a problem. I think they're just not quite at the throwing stage yet -- they're more interested in holding the bowl, putting all their peas into it and then taking them out one by one, etc. When they learn about throwing, I'm not sure what I'll do!

 

HI!

We started using spoons shortly after 12 mos. I've used the plastic, disposable ones from First Years (also forks) It does take a while to get the hang of it. I fed them with the spoons and them let them play with it too. The Yoplait yogurt for kids is great - its very thick and sticks well to the spoons so it doesn't matter so much if the spoon is upside down or not!! Thick oatmeal works well too!

About a month ago Josephine didn't want the little plastic spoons/forks, she wanted the ones we were using at meal times. So I bought some toddler ones that were metal (blunt forks) and they love those. I think I bought some Gerber and a couple from the $1 bin at Target.

I bought a couple of plastic bowls at the $1 bin at Target also but after they take a few bites they just want to dump the food out onto their placemats. So I guess they don't want the bowls for now!!!

Good luck.

 

Our occupational therapist said to start around late 13 months early 14 months. She also suggested using that spray whip cream, spray it on their spoon- that stuff doesn't fall off easily (as long as it's not a big glob), pudding and yogurt work well. What also works for us is letting them dip their spoons in something- so they might not be exactly "feeding" themselves- they are at least seeing the whole "transaction" per se- from getting it out of the bowl to the mouth. Relax too- if they feel you uptight- they'll be less likely to either cooperate or try. We aren't feeding ourselves yet either- but our problem is these girls are underweight and I have to get in them whatever I can so if we sit there for a long time- we lose their attention and calories

 

My girls stopped letting us feed them at 9 months so they would only eat finger foods. At around 12 months, we started giving them a spoon or fork with (almost) every meal. At first, they would just hold them or throw them, but they eventually started using them. We probably did not start plate and bowls until around 15 months. Now at 20 months, they are pretty good with spoons and forks. This morning for breakfast, DH gave them cereal with milk in it for the first time. Elizabeth ate her entire bowl of cereal and even attempted to pick up the bowl and drink the milk like her daddy. Grace immediately picked up the bowl and dumped it on the floor. So, things are not perfect, but they do know how to use a spoon and fork. They usually start the meal using the spoon/fork, but by the end are using their fingers. We never made too much of an effort to show them how to use the utensils. I will put some food on the spoon or fork to encourage eating, but otherwise, just let them figure it out. I think it just takes practice and lots of messes.

 

DH is the SAHP and by the time I get home the boys have had all 3 meals. He has not given them spoons or bowls.

What I do on weekends is fill a spoon with food and hand it to them. At first they'd scoop the food out with their fingers but are now getting to be quite handy with the spoon. I have been too chicken yet to given them the bowls.

 

We didn't try until closer to 18 months. They are great with forks (we use regular adult forks) and insist on using them for almost everything (even goldfish). Spoons, however, are just so tough for them still. We try them a couple times a week and they are getting better, but it's so much easier for them to use forks. I guess I should push it but we'll just keep practicing here and there.

 

Our 3-point plan for toddler self feeding:

1) Sassy easy grip "less mess" spoons and/or toddler loop spoons
2) Bumkins long-sleeved bibs/smocks (great for art, too)
3) A dog

-Karen

 

Love the dog idea!!!

Thanks everyone - great ideas! I gave them spoons last night during dinner just to hold and I caught both of them actually trying to put it in their mouth - baby steps...

 

quote:
Originally posted by cellomom:
Our 3-point plan for toddler self feeding:

1) Sassy easy grip "less mess" spoons and/or toddler loop spoons
2) Bumkins long-sleeved bibs/smocks (great for art, too)
3) A dog

-Karen




Seriously, though, our dogs have been a huge help in this process. After N & G are done, we let them in to pick up the big stuff and then I go back with the vacuum and mop (if necessary).

We started with spoons around 14 months. One tip... move them away from any walls, if you can. I find cleaning the floor is much easier than getting the stuff that made it's way on to the wall (or ceiling).

 

We have just started our girls on spoons. I give them diced carrots, apples, bananas, etc. They pretty much just push the food around with them. Every once in a while they will get some food on it. We have to put the food on the spoon for them and then they will put it in their mouth. I figure they will eventually figure it out in time.