My daughter is 11 months old. I'm not sure if we should still be spooning food to her or let her try feeding herself with her own bowl, fork and spoon. She does eat finger foods. At what age do they start feeding themselves with their own fork and spoon?
Hi My son is 13 months and I just started giveing him the bowl and spoon when he is finished and he started trying to feed himself.It just depends on the child..
My son was doing fairly well with a fork at 12 months. He's now 2y/2m and still makes a mess with a spoon. He's getting better though. You just have to give them the opportunity to do it and try not to let the mess bother you too much. I really like these bibs that are made of plasticy kind of material and have the pocket at the bottom to catch stuff. They just wipe clean and are ready for next time.
Hi J.....Im going thru same thing..My daughter is almost 1 on March 22 and she touches food..gets it on your hand..she looks at it like ewww. LOL. but if you get any responces let me know..cause I need same advice. Try giving her finger food, cut up some things or whatever u have...let me know..Mary Kay my daugter only eats that toast they have out..everything else is food on spoon and whatever we feed her. Good luck!
Jes
My son is 15 months and I just started letting him give it a go by himself with a spoon. I'd say if your daughter is ok with you feeding her than let it be. When she is ready she will let you know. However if you really want to get her started I'd say start with that little dipper thing that gerber makes and let her dip into like yougurt and stuff like that. :)
Mine learned to eat with the funny shaped toddler spoons - not the ones with the characters and rounded metal tips. They were all plastic and the handle is kind of bent in the middle and chubby so it's really easy for them to hold and use. Usually they are spoons with mini holes all over the scoop....it doens't seem to make sense, but the holes help hold the food on the spoon for them. Mine loved trying with applesauce and other foods like that - they could dip and get something stuck on the spoon each try to reward them when they got it to their mouth. My son pretty much wouldn't let me feed him past 11 months. He learned quickly and he's 2 now and is really great even with adult utencils feeding himself everything. He's even pretty good with spaghetti! My daughter was around 1 as well, but she was less insistent than my son about not letting me help too initally. It's messy at first, but you just have to let them play with it and explore to figure it out. I took the spoon away when they threw it, but as long as they were just exploring it, I pretty much let them go and get messy. She will stick both ends of the spoon in the food and test out which works better and do all sorts of experimenting. I'd start with just the spoon. They can't really stab food with a fork till later and will be plenty busy with the spoon at first. She'll let you know when he notices you use a fork as well and wants to copy you. You'll also see that she's basically figured out how to use the spoon with at least some success. While it is a messy new adventure, it is a fun adventure too!
I started letting them have the spoon around this age. They wore more food than they eat but they eventually got the hang of it. I fed them as well-it was interesting.
My daughter is also 11 months and lately she has become less and less interested when I spoon feed her. I'd be ok with her independence if she wasn't such a picky eater. I feel like she's not getting the nutrition she needs this way! At this rate, I'll never be able to stop nursing her. LOL!
As soon as my daughter grabt the spoon I was feeding her with I gave her a spoon of her own. Soon after she was feeding herself and at the age of 15 month she fed herself with a spoon and a fork. Just had her a spoon when you are feeding her and she will soon try to do it herself.Good luck.
She is old enough to start exploring to do it herself.I started letting both of mine at the age of 9 mo.
HI J.,
I have a 10month old and he likes feeding himself. I cut the pieces up small and put them on the tray if his high chair. He rarely lets us feed him. It gets messy but he seems to enjoy it much better.
You're gonna love this . . .
My son is nearly 3. My husband and I both hate messes . . . so we hovered (still do! lol) when he was eating, trying to contain any potential messes, particularly self-feeding ones. Well, he took longer than his little friends to do it well by himself, but he's great now.
Yes, we know it's our fault, but hey, we live with our faults and all. lol
Do what you feel is right for her and it'll all work out in the end!!
D.
I think most parenting has to be your own style and what feels right for you. I have a 10 month old daughter who HATES to be spoonfed. I give her a spoon and let her do the work. It's alot of mess and she doesn't have the spoon concept yet but she'll get it. I try to feed her a half a jar of baby food when she's done to be sure she is full. The major downfall - nightly baths!!!! Good luck -
I did both with my 3. When they started grabing the spoon I got another one and let them try and feed them. Another thing you can try is giving your child finger foods, I don't think kids fully grasp feeding themselves with a spoon or fork until closer to age2.
in my opinion it is trail and error with em. just try it every once in while give her the spoon and let her expierment. every child starts things at their own rate.
My advice is to watch her interest. My daughter likes to be fed a few spoonfuls then hollers for her own spoon. Also, when time permits, I give her a spoon and a small amout of food that I am eating and let her copy me. Even when they are ready, it gets very messy! That is because they have to practice. Just let her watch you eat and follow her cues.
Hi! My son was 10 months old when he started grabbing after the spoon I was feeding him with. The folowing morning I just gave him his spoon, yogurt, and applesauce and let him have at it! I was quite suprised that there was no mess involved. A few splatters from where he didn't have the angle right and the stuff fell of the spoon, but other then that NO mess.... Then again I assume this is unusual, Hey we don't call him "little Monk" for no good reason!
My daughter on the other hand is now 16 months and depending on what she eats she's really good or really messy! She's much better with a fork then a spoon.
this is my own personal opinion but you should let your child at least try to feed him or herself. She may not get a lot of food per spoonful, but she would be so proud to try and what other way to learn?
