How to Get Your Toddler to Eat with Utensils
Give your child her own ‘toddler spoon’., Help guide your child through the movement of eating with a spoon., Give your child a little food to practice with., Stay by your child’s side while she practices using the spoon.
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 1: Give your child her own ‘toddler spoon’.
While your child is learning how to use a spoon, do not have her use regular adult utensils.
These heavier metal utensils can hurt your child’s gums or teeth.
Your child may also find them too heavy to maneuver.
Instead, purchase your child’s own set of plastic, toddler-sized spoons.
Toddler spoons are often tipped with soft rubber to make it easier to grip the handle. -
Step 2: Help guide your child through the movement of eating with a spoon.
If your toddler is still learning how to handle her spoon, you can help her by putting your hand over hers.
Move her hand through the whole process of scooping up the food and then bringing the spoon to her mouth.
Do this movement much more slowly than you would to eat with a spoon yourself.
Your child is still adjusting to the feeling of eating with a utensil. , Place a small amount of food in a bowl so that your toddler can practice using her spoon.
Putting a small amount of food in the bowl will help if she accidentally swipes the bowl and spills its contents.
Have another bowl with more food ready on the sidelines.
When she has used the spoon to eat the small amount of food in her bowl, add some more food from the second bowl. , Your child will most likely adapt to using a spoon quickly.
However, you should still stay by her side while she practices so that you can help her with large bites, or with tilting the spoon the right way if the food is about to slide off of it.
Your child will most likely continue to be a messy eater until she reaches the ages of
2.5 or
3. -
Step 3: Give your child a little food to practice with.
-
Step 4: Stay by your child’s side while she practices using the spoon.
Detailed Guide
While your child is learning how to use a spoon, do not have her use regular adult utensils.
These heavier metal utensils can hurt your child’s gums or teeth.
Your child may also find them too heavy to maneuver.
Instead, purchase your child’s own set of plastic, toddler-sized spoons.
Toddler spoons are often tipped with soft rubber to make it easier to grip the handle.
If your toddler is still learning how to handle her spoon, you can help her by putting your hand over hers.
Move her hand through the whole process of scooping up the food and then bringing the spoon to her mouth.
Do this movement much more slowly than you would to eat with a spoon yourself.
Your child is still adjusting to the feeling of eating with a utensil. , Place a small amount of food in a bowl so that your toddler can practice using her spoon.
Putting a small amount of food in the bowl will help if she accidentally swipes the bowl and spills its contents.
Have another bowl with more food ready on the sidelines.
When she has used the spoon to eat the small amount of food in her bowl, add some more food from the second bowl. , Your child will most likely adapt to using a spoon quickly.
However, you should still stay by her side while she practices so that you can help her with large bites, or with tilting the spoon the right way if the food is about to slide off of it.
Your child will most likely continue to be a messy eater until she reaches the ages of
2.5 or
3.
About the Author
Frank Young
Creates helpful guides on lifestyle to inspire and educate readers.
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