Micah is my first kid, and we don’t know a lot of other young families to share mom gossip with, so I recently started wondering, should Micah be using a fork and spoon yet?
The answer: Baby will probably get good at using a fork and spoon around 18 months. Phew! Micah is fine. He’s not behind at all.
When should baby use a fork?
A fork is easier to master than a spoon, mainly because it stabs the food so it won’t fall off between plate and mouth. So, using a fork might come sooner than a spoon, but every baby is different so relax! That said, it’s so fun to watch Micah learn to use a fork! We’ve been giving him a fork at meals for months, and he’s finally getting good at it. At first, it spent most of the meal unused. Now, at some meals, he’ll try to stab anything and everything, even yogurt and cheerios. Other times, it gets tossed aside. I just keep putting it out there and let Micah decide whether to use it or not.
When should baby use a spoon?
I don’t really know. From what I’ve seen online, 18 months is about right. Right now, Micah is pretty good at using a shovel to move sand, but a spoon on the way to his mouth always gets turned sideways and makes a mess. He can handle oatmeal since it sticks to the spoon, if I help him scoop rather than stab at it. So, we are really sticking with a fork for now. He’ll get there, someday he’ll realize that a spoon works much better for corn (which he loves) as long as he keeps it upright.
Babies are messy. Learning to use forks and spoons is messy too, don’t expect your little man or lady to stay neat and pretty!
You are doing what I did, and it does work….give them the opportunity to use it but don’t force the issue. Kids like to mimic what their parents do, so they will pick up on it just by watching and trying to do it themselves.