Help with almost 16 month self feeding herself

[cpaige]

My sister has noticed something with her daughter that has her a little disturbed. Her almost 16 month old flat out refuses to hold onto a spoon or fork and prefers to use her hands. She also gives her parents a hard time eating off of the fork. B/c my son was self feeding at a much younger age, she is a bit concerned about it.

While I was there yesterday, I tried to work w/ my niece in showing her how to do it by putting the fork in her hand, wrapping my hand around hers and feeding her that way. She didn't give me any problems with it and even showed that she wanted me to put the fork in her hand again and do it that way, but would not even attempt to do it herself.

Being that I only have my son, who has been advanced the entire time, I don't know what the basic time frame is for them and my sister is starting to get concerned.

Is this normal for my niece to be doing it this way? She'll eat like a starving lion with her hands, but not with a utensil.


Any help is appreciated!

[Doryjane]

My two yr old little girl hardly ever uses a fork or spoon. Sometimes she even sticks her face in her bowl/plate!! I asked her dr and he said it was normal. But my son never did this and he will be 4 in March. He started using utensils real early in life. So Im not sure. Im doubting her dr lol. I usually put a towel under her and let her go even tho the utensils end up being thrown lol. Good luck and keep us updated

[foggierbard9]

They will self feed at different ages. My son was using a spoon/fork at about 14 months, my daughter didn't really use them until 18 months. For my daughter it was just like one day she "got it" but until that point we just gave her utensils and let her either use them or not use them. She saw us using them and one day it clicked.

Every child will do stuff at different ages....my son didn't talk until he was 2 and my daughter started talking at 18mos with a huge word explosion just this last month; my son walked at 14 months while my daughter was walking at 10 months.

I wouldn't worry about it, she is learning lots of new things all at once and she will "get" each in her own time.

[amylynne01]

How early did they introduce utensils? If they just gave them to her recently, then she might not be used to them yet. If they've been there all along, I don't know that I'd be worried yet. It does take a lot of dexterity to hold onto a fork or spoon, and sometimes hands are just faster! I still have to remind my 4 yr old to use her fork because she thinks eating with her fingers is much more fun.

[Mama Stu]

I wouldn't be worried about it at this stage. She is still really young. If it were me, I would give her the utensils and let her use them or not. Hands were invented before forks or spoons, and one day she will use the utensils. Every child does things at different ages.

[cpaige]

How early did they introduce utensils? If they just gave them to her recently, then she might not be used to them yet. If they've been there all along, I don't know that I'd be worried yet. It does take a lot of dexterity to hold onto a fork or spoon, and sometimes hands are just faster! I still have to remind my 4 yr old to use her fork because she thinks eating with her fingers is much more fun.

I wouldn't be worried about it at this stage. She is still really young. If it were me, I would give her the utensils and let her use them or not. Hands were invented before forks or spoons, and one day she will use the utensils. Every child does things at different ages.

The utensils have been there for quite awhile now. She just pushes it away and dives in w/ her hands.


thanks everyone!! It's hard for her b/c like I said, my son did everything so early on, but I know full well that my niece will be potty trained long before he will!! LOL

[cheap-o]

My sister has noticed something with her daughter that has her a little disturbed. Her almost 16 month old flat out refuses to hold onto a spoon or fork and prefers to use her hands. She also gives her parents a hard time eating off of the fork. B/c my son was self feeding at a much younger age, she is a bit concerned about it.

While I was there yesterday, I tried to work w/ my niece in showing her how to do it by putting the fork in her hand, wrapping my hand around hers and feeding her that way. She didn't give me any problems with it and even showed that she wanted me to put the fork in her hand again and do it that way, but would not even attempt to do it herself.

Being that I only have my son, who has been advanced the entire time, I don't know what the basic time frame is for them and my sister is starting to get concerned.

Is this normal for my niece to be doing it this way? She'll eat like a starving lion with her hands, but not with a utensil.


Any help is appreciated!

I am a preschool teacher. Even at age 4 we still have some that refuse to use a fork or a spoon. I never had any problem with my kids or family teaching them how to use one. But I also would give my children bites of food of my plate if they crawled or walked over to me when I was eating.

When they are usualy under 2 eating with a fork or spoon can be very frustrating for them. They don't have the hand eye cordination that an older child would have. So if they are hungry they are just going to pass up the fork and go straight to the hands. Sometimes they are just not interested in forks and spoons. I wouldn't read too much into it. If by 4 or 5 they are not using one I would be a little worried. Especialy if it is stuff like applesauce or ice cream they are trying to eat with their hands.

[ELLE-TN]

My oldest is 18 and still prefers his fingers/hands LOL
I wouldn't worry about it.

[MrsPinecone]

My youngest is 3 and still loves eating with her hands and using her pants as a napkin. It has nothing to do with being unable to use utensils and napkins and everything to do with the fact that she's a stubborn little stinker who does what she wants to do.

At 16 months, I wouldn't worry for a second.