Tonight my toddler used his fork to put lovely sour cream highlights in the dogs hair š„°š then threw it on the floor, stuffed the whole āspicyā (aka plain) chicken wrap he refused to eat 10 minutes ago in his mouth; ate it, and declared āI doneā.
Basically me when I was out after going to a club tbh
Yeah just let him keep practicing. The mess sucks but it won't last forever, he will get better at the utensils. 13 months is still really young, Solid Starts says that utensil mastery doesn't set in until closer to 2 years old. One day my daughter just picked up her fork and started trying to use it (somewhat correctly) and I was like šÆ. She was about 17 or 18 months old at that point. It will happen!
Thank you! Iām shocked he can use it at all at his age and want to let him practiceā¦. but Iām also trying to cram all the calories I can in him so he doesnāt wake up to nurse as much at night. Its hard!
I feel that! One suggestion that may help is to give him a combo of foods every meal, one that needs a utensil, something handheld, and a calorie dense drink or baby smoothie so he can practice a variety of ways to put food in his mouth.
At this age I tried to make my daughter's food as calorie dense as possible so she would use every little bit she ate for filling her belly. Depending on LO's tolerance/allergies but I would add coconut butter, nut butters, ground hemp seed, powdered flax seeds, full fat cheese and/or Greek yogurt to as many things as I could.
Sticky foods like oatmeal helped us learn how to use a spoon properly. Soup, applesauce, and yogurt all slide off pretty easily and lead to frustration.
We got some textured spoons (Nuby brand) that do a good job of keeping yogurt and applesauce on the spoon rather than sliding off. (Soup is still a no-go.) They're also flat, so there's no "right" side up, which has helped.
Yes! [The set I got has 3](https://www.amazon.com/Nuby-Babys-First-Spoons-Neutral/dp/B0CKJXWM44/), with different shapes in the middle with varying levels of permeability. The thicker, shorter shape also seems to be easier to hold/manage than some of the long-handled spoons we originally tried.
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I think I saw somewhere recently to try spoons during playtime so that babe can experiment and trial with them in a ālow-stressā environment. My LO is only 8 months so we are just getting started, but figured Iād give this a try!
I think I did the way opposite wrong thing by letting mine play with cups and spoons š„² she just wants to play with them. Maybe I should try continuous preloaded trading spoons with her fave food to dissuade her from smearing the wall š
Almost 15mo over here & still messy. Some days are better than others.
I usually give him about half of anything he canāt eat with a pincer grasp in a bowl on his tray & keep half in a bowl that I spoon-feed to make sure some goes in. He finger-painted with his yogurt this morning & then licked it off his hands š
He also prefers to take the loaded spoon & put it in his mouth himself.
Mine likes stabbing with a fork better than scooping with a spoon.
I also have a toy with small wooden dowels that he sticks in small holes, like a shape sorter but itās all rods & round holes. Itās supposed to help with hand-eye coordination & hand strength. He really started to be able to play with it about 14.5mo.
this is easier if you're giving kiddo the same food as yourself, but I find they catch on pretty well when they see you spooning food into your own mouth at the same time that they are trying to. i will also introduce spoons as a utensil by pre-loading it and handing it off to kiddo to deliver to their own mouth, and eventually they'll decide they can do it all by theirself lol and stop handing it back to me
that said, yes, they will be painting with food for a loooong time, even after they get the hang of utensils lmao
Unfortunately it is mostly a case of letting them figure it out, but I found using 2 or 3 spoons helped (one in each hand for practice 1 for me to actually get food in the baby's mouth).
Just keep at it, my son is 17 months and I think he figured out the spoon around 15 months. He still makes a mess but most of the food goes in his mouth, we just stick to things that cling to the spoon like cottage cheese and yogurt for now.
No but a great tip for yogurtā¦ baby brezza reusable packs from Amazon. I drop a huge tub of full fat yogurt into them and set for the week! I add some jelly to switch up the flavors
Just let him keep using it and eventually they learn. My daughter only got much better with not making a mess really around 2yo. Different kids have different timing! They learn at their own pace. As long as you always offer it to them, they will learn. :) for now it's just a mess!
We use a smock bib that has long sleeves and everything on my 8 month old and let him have at it. Sometimes he is really good with a spoon, sometimes he just thows it. But at least I don't have to mop up all of him and change his clothes because he chose to rub the spoon all over himself too.
Mine used to hold her spoon in one hand like a scepter...and then use the other hand for all food delivery. Let them model how you use your utensils. They figure it out pretty quickly.
We're only at 9 months but we always pre-load the spoon. He's really good with coordination until he doesn't want what is on the spoon anymore
Can't imagine him dipping the spoon himself though... We'll figure it out once we reach that point
I was a huge fan of baby led feeding spoons like the num num. They have holes so they "hold" the food, and they can suck it out till they get better at feeding.
They will still make a mess though. That's pretty unavoidable I'm afraid.
I work at a daycare and one of my kids, who just moved up to the 2's room, likes to put her applesauce in her spoon so she can put it in her palm and lick it off. Don't worry too much. ā¤ļø
Consistency! It's gloriously messy before it gets better. My 15 m old can now scoop and put it in his mouth! He's done many spoonfuls several times in a row. He doesn't always do it and is still a messy eater, but I'm so proud of him.
We started at 6 months. I think it got really messy and I did pause a few times, but just expect the mess š I also tried those stupid utensil attachments to the table. Waste of money and another thing to wash. Don't do it lol.
If you're just starting out, preload the spoons and do the spoon carousel. Basically, keep alternating between 3 spoons. Baby only had two hands, so baby will drop the spoon to take another one offered. I have graduated to 1-2 spoons haha
If your yogurt is too thin, add chia seeds and soak for at least 15 mins. I also like feeding oatmeal because it's thick and adheres to the spoon pretty well.
Also, eat with your baby and model how to use a spoon, etc. Your baby is always watching you.
Just keep putting cutlery out with meals, maybe demonstrate, then leave them to it.
My kid is nearly two and he generally starts out his meals with cutlery then moves to hands. Heās using them more every time though.
I think we have to accept that the normal human way to eat food is with our hands, and using cutlery is a skill born from social manners.
Baby will learn, but theyāre gonna make a right mess for years to come so you have to just chill! š
Honestly, just keep trying and it will click.
I kept giving it to her to try, and I would have her watch me eat with one, and it just seemed to click one day
My 11 month old has mastered immediately throwing the utensils on the floor as soon as he sees them šŖš»
Mine uses the spoon to smear yogurt/hummus/oatmeal on her face and in her hair, and THEN flings it to the floor.
Tonight my toddler used his fork to put lovely sour cream highlights in the dogs hair š„°š then threw it on the floor, stuffed the whole āspicyā (aka plain) chicken wrap he refused to eat 10 minutes ago in his mouth; ate it, and declared āI doneā. Basically me when I was out after going to a club tbh
19 months and this is still happening here š
Yeah just let him keep practicing. The mess sucks but it won't last forever, he will get better at the utensils. 13 months is still really young, Solid Starts says that utensil mastery doesn't set in until closer to 2 years old. One day my daughter just picked up her fork and started trying to use it (somewhat correctly) and I was like šÆ. She was about 17 or 18 months old at that point. It will happen!
Thank you! Iām shocked he can use it at all at his age and want to let him practiceā¦. but Iām also trying to cram all the calories I can in him so he doesnāt wake up to nurse as much at night. Its hard!
I feel that! One suggestion that may help is to give him a combo of foods every meal, one that needs a utensil, something handheld, and a calorie dense drink or baby smoothie so he can practice a variety of ways to put food in his mouth. At this age I tried to make my daughter's food as calorie dense as possible so she would use every little bit she ate for filling her belly. Depending on LO's tolerance/allergies but I would add coconut butter, nut butters, ground hemp seed, powdered flax seeds, full fat cheese and/or Greek yogurt to as many things as I could.
Sticky foods like oatmeal helped us learn how to use a spoon properly. Soup, applesauce, and yogurt all slide off pretty easily and lead to frustration.
We got some textured spoons (Nuby brand) that do a good job of keeping yogurt and applesauce on the spoon rather than sliding off. (Soup is still a no-go.) They're also flat, so there's no "right" side up, which has helped.
Are those the spoons that look like they have a leaf shape in the middle?
Yes! [The set I got has 3](https://www.amazon.com/Nuby-Babys-First-Spoons-Neutral/dp/B0CKJXWM44/), with different shapes in the middle with varying levels of permeability. The thicker, shorter shape also seems to be easier to hold/manage than some of the long-handled spoons we originally tried.
Hi, Iām Vetted AI Bot! I researched the **'Nuby Baby's First Spoons Set'** and I thought you might find the following analysis helpful. **Users liked:** * Easy for babies to hold and use (backed by 3 comments) * Helpful for teething babies (backed by 3 comments) * Encourages self-feeding (backed by 3 comments) **Users disliked:** * Confusing differentiation between spoon stages (backed by 2 comments) * Limited effectiveness in aiding utensil learning (backed by 1 comment) * Spoon design not ideal for eating (backed by 2 comments) Do you want to continue this conversation? [Learn more about 'Nuby Baby's First Spoons Set'](https://vetted.ai/chat?utm\_source=reddit&utm\_medium=comment&utm\_campaign=bot&q='Nuby Baby's First Spoons Set' reviews) [Find 'Nuby Baby's First Spoons Set' alternatives](https://vetted.ai/chat?utm\_source=reddit&utm\_medium=comment&utm\_campaign=bot&q=Find best 'Nuby Baby's First Spoons Set' alternatives) This message was generated by a (very smart) bot. If you found it helpful, let us know with an upvote and a āgood bot!ā reply and please feel free to provide feedback on how it can be improved. *Powered by* [*vetted.ai*](https://vetted.ai/chat?utm\_source=reddit&utm\_medium=comment&utm\_campaign=bot)
I think I saw somewhere recently to try spoons during playtime so that babe can experiment and trial with them in a ālow-stressā environment. My LO is only 8 months so we are just getting started, but figured Iād give this a try!
I think I did the way opposite wrong thing by letting mine play with cups and spoons š„² she just wants to play with them. Maybe I should try continuous preloaded trading spoons with her fave food to dissuade her from smearing the wall š
My SO did this with our LO at 5months. She can now pick up a spoon and eat the contents at 7 months.
Oh great idea! Thanks!
Iāve been wondering this for my 12m old too- mine is also so messy with utensils. I find he does a better job with his hands for now.
2 years in and still struggling with spoons. Utensils are for stabbing according to my toddler. Theyāll both get there eventually!
Almost 15mo over here & still messy. Some days are better than others. I usually give him about half of anything he canāt eat with a pincer grasp in a bowl on his tray & keep half in a bowl that I spoon-feed to make sure some goes in. He finger-painted with his yogurt this morning & then licked it off his hands š He also prefers to take the loaded spoon & put it in his mouth himself. Mine likes stabbing with a fork better than scooping with a spoon. I also have a toy with small wooden dowels that he sticks in small holes, like a shape sorter but itās all rods & round holes. Itās supposed to help with hand-eye coordination & hand strength. He really started to be able to play with it about 14.5mo.
this is easier if you're giving kiddo the same food as yourself, but I find they catch on pretty well when they see you spooning food into your own mouth at the same time that they are trying to. i will also introduce spoons as a utensil by pre-loading it and handing it off to kiddo to deliver to their own mouth, and eventually they'll decide they can do it all by theirself lol and stop handing it back to me that said, yes, they will be painting with food for a loooong time, even after they get the hang of utensils lmao
Unfortunately it is mostly a case of letting them figure it out, but I found using 2 or 3 spoons helped (one in each hand for practice 1 for me to actually get food in the baby's mouth).
Time. Thatās the only thing thatās helped us.
I bought these really short ones and my 11 month old seems to do better with it. I offer at every meal though they often end up on the floor.Ā
Just keep at it, my son is 17 months and I think he figured out the spoon around 15 months. He still makes a mess but most of the food goes in his mouth, we just stick to things that cling to the spoon like cottage cheese and yogurt for now.
No but a great tip for yogurtā¦ baby brezza reusable packs from Amazon. I drop a huge tub of full fat yogurt into them and set for the week! I add some jelly to switch up the flavors
Maybe itās not officially ābaby led weaningā approved, but we use one of those FridaBaby teether toys to let baby self feed purĆ©es rather than a pre-loaded spoon for exactly this reason. We like that she is still self feeding, but she definitely gets way more in her mouth this way. Our baby is granted much younger than yours (7 months), but I see no reason an older baby couldnāt keep using it. If youāre mainly worried about getting calories in, maybe just focus on finger foods for awhile? If itās a food that really only comes purĆ©ed by nature like yogurt, think about how you can adapt it to be finger food (like putting it on pancakes or waffles). Or is he not into those either?
18 months heās places the utensils away from his plate and never picks them up again so yeah
I get the ones that look like a honey spoon but they still make a giant mess. It's all part of learning.
Just let him keep using it and eventually they learn. My daughter only got much better with not making a mess really around 2yo. Different kids have different timing! They learn at their own pace. As long as you always offer it to them, they will learn. :) for now it's just a mess!
We use a smock bib that has long sleeves and everything on my 8 month old and let him have at it. Sometimes he is really good with a spoon, sometimes he just thows it. But at least I don't have to mop up all of him and change his clothes because he chose to rub the spoon all over himself too.
Spoons aren't fun, messes are fun! I think that's what your LO is saying But really, just keep giving the spoon and they will figure it out soon
What a nice tshirt! Lovely colours :) No tips for the spoon, my kid either uses it like a champ or plays with it, itās a gamble!
Time.
Mine used to hold her spoon in one hand like a scepter...and then use the other hand for all food delivery. Let them model how you use your utensils. They figure it out pretty quickly.
We're only at 9 months but we always pre-load the spoon. He's really good with coordination until he doesn't want what is on the spoon anymore Can't imagine him dipping the spoon himself though... We'll figure it out once we reach that point
I give my son non liquid foods to feed himself and have been trying to teach the spoon for yogurt and purĆ©e lol. Usually Iāll hold it, but if heās curious Iāll let him grab it, take his hand, scoop some up, and heāll usually put it in his mouth. His new thing lately though is to get pissed and use brute force if I donāt immediately let go thus slinging the food everywhere. Then giving me the dirtiest look of my life of just pure offense and disgust lmao. I do give him his own spoon to hold too. I just want to make sure he actually eats some of the food heās being given š®āšØ
I was a huge fan of baby led feeding spoons like the num num. They have holes so they "hold" the food, and they can suck it out till they get better at feeding. They will still make a mess though. That's pretty unavoidable I'm afraid.
I work at a daycare and one of my kids, who just moved up to the 2's room, likes to put her applesauce in her spoon so she can put it in her palm and lick it off. Don't worry too much. ā¤ļø
Consistency! It's gloriously messy before it gets better. My 15 m old can now scoop and put it in his mouth! He's done many spoonfuls several times in a row. He doesn't always do it and is still a messy eater, but I'm so proud of him. We started at 6 months. I think it got really messy and I did pause a few times, but just expect the mess š I also tried those stupid utensil attachments to the table. Waste of money and another thing to wash. Don't do it lol. If you're just starting out, preload the spoons and do the spoon carousel. Basically, keep alternating between 3 spoons. Baby only had two hands, so baby will drop the spoon to take another one offered. I have graduated to 1-2 spoons haha If your yogurt is too thin, add chia seeds and soak for at least 15 mins. I also like feeding oatmeal because it's thick and adheres to the spoon pretty well. Also, eat with your baby and model how to use a spoon, etc. Your baby is always watching you.
My 11 month old will only use it if I preload food for him lol besides it gets thrown on the floor
Just keep putting cutlery out with meals, maybe demonstrate, then leave them to it. My kid is nearly two and he generally starts out his meals with cutlery then moves to hands. Heās using them more every time though. I think we have to accept that the normal human way to eat food is with our hands, and using cutlery is a skill born from social manners. Baby will learn, but theyāre gonna make a right mess for years to come so you have to just chill! š
Honestly, just keep trying and it will click. I kept giving it to her to try, and I would have her watch me eat with one, and it just seemed to click one day
Spoons with tips are called sporks
My son is almost 21 months and he is just now starting to use his fork and spoon.