When did you give them a spoon?

I am new here as of Tuesday. MY DD thinks she needs a spoon. When ever she can get a hold of mine or hers she wants it and cries when I take it away. She tries to dip it into the food. Not much success in the few times I have let her. I know it will be messy but how soon did you let your DC use spoons and when were they successful?

 

My oldest used a spoon around 15 months or so. The twins were around 18-19 months.

 

I started letting them have a spoon around that age just to hold. I would still feed with another spoon.

or else I would give finger foods only - hide the spoon and bring out at the end for them just to hold. Slowly started introducing them to it by letting them eat yoghurt after their meal and attempt with the spoon. Or oatmeal for breakfast is another good one as it sticks to the spoon.

At 17 months my son totally feeds himself and will not allow us to spoon feed him at all. My daughter will offer us the chance to do it but mostly feeds herself now.

 

I've been using spoons as "attention focusers" for a couple of months now, but they've only started to try to use them in the last couple of weeks. It is VERY MESSY because, while they can get food into their mouths if I put it on the spoon, they only choose to do that about 60% of the time. The other times they take the spoon from me and wave it around wildly, or just knock it out of my hand.

Still, most of the time it's worth the mess to give them the practice, and they are so proud of themselves when they get a bite in all by themselves. But I do hide them when I don't have time or patience to deal with yogurt on the floor (and the walls, and my shorts, and...).

 

I also gave them their own spoon around that age, but fed them with another. If they're interested, go for it! I remember our pedi telling us around that age that the mess is part of the learning process for them......textures, tastes, smells, they gotta get it all over them.

 

I let my girls have spoons early on, now at 17 months they can both use them well. It's all about imitation and doing things for themselves at one, it's amazing how they go from a baby to a little person in what seems like an instant.

 

We gave them their first spoon at 18 months. The still like to to turn the spoon backward and food comes out down to their table. I help them with the spoon but they don't want me to feed them. So, I introduced them to fork and it is much better since most food uphold onto the fork and goes in their mouth. The only thing I don't like is when the poke if they hurt their gums. The other thing is they do play around so I have to take it away and make them EAT, not play time!

Justin does better than Rianna. It is tiring to clean up from table to floor daily! We have no dogs, ugh!

D, w/Rianna and Justin (22 mos)

 

I didn't let mine have one until 18 months. Before then they just thought it was a toy and would shake food everywhere and throw the spoon.

 

Mine are just now to the point where I'm offering a spoon to actually eat with (before this, it was more a toy). They get the concept (spoon in food, spoon to mouth, repeat), but they just need to refine it some. They're not doing too bad though.

If yours show an interest, I say go for it.

 

My boys won't eat with a spoon. Whenever they eat anything that needs one, they insist that I feed them :unknw: Right now the only thing that they will eat that needs a spoon is baby food fruit and since I'm feeding Mason anyways, I just give it to C&C at the same time.