A spoon for a 12 month old?

[Leanna]

So in my reading today the book was talking about giving a spoon to a 12 month old? I was picturing my 11 month old with a spoon, he has held one before, but the idea of managing to put it in a bowl of food and get it to his mouth(with the food still on it) seems funny to me. Did your 12 month olds have use of a spoon to feed themself?? Goodness. I have been feeding him from a spoon, and otherwise, I give him food on his tray that he can feed to his mouth. I haven't even tried to teach him to use a spoon, does anyone else think it is too soon or should I try it?

 

[Linnis]

I babysit twin girls. (the mother was home but in her office working from home)

We used to give them snacks and let them feed themselves, but only snacks that young because most went on their faces in thieir hair, on the floor etc.

We got a shower curtain from the dollar store spread it out over the floor put the high chairs in the middle. They had those bowls with big suction cups on the bottm and plastic sppons with a loop handle and they went to town. They loved it! Of course this was right before bath and nap, but it sure did tire them out.

 

[dews]

My son is 19 months old and is starting to use a fork. He just jabs at everything on his tray until something gets stuck to it, then puts it in his mouth upside down. I haven't tried a spoon yet.

 

[Joykins]

Give him a spoon, get a GOOD bib (or take off his clothes), and let him go for it. Keep your camera at the handy.

I couldn't keep my kids from grabbing the spoon at that age so mostly I just resign myself to cleanup.

As for skill--what they generally do is glop a lot of stuff onto all sides of the spoon and sort of slurp it off , upside-down, sideways, whatever. Generally really juicy foods do not work out too well at the beginning for slef spoon feeding. You want something semi-sticky like mashed potatoes to start.

 

[andiesmama]

I say, if he wants to try it & is acting interested, go for it! Practice makes perfect...

 

[Leanna]

Yes but peeling potatoes is so evil I never make mashed potatoes... its practically against my religion , but I like eating them....

 

[Linnis]

I've learned to make instint potatos taste just as gfood as mashed. The secret is chick broth, a little mustard, butter and pepper and salt. Being that he's almost a year, will he know they arn't real potatos?

 

[isaiah5213]

basically, just put the spoon there... let him see it, if he wants to pick it up he will..

it will take him practice to work with it... and then he'll toss it over the side and use his fingers....

no biggee at 12 months... DON'T FORCE ANYTHING.

 

[lucypevensie]

I was a little odd in that regard. I would let them have (hold/play with/experiment with) a spoon but it was still me feeding them with a spoon of my own. I let them feed themselves when they got reasonably adept at it, and were able to get most of the food in the mouth rather than on floor, hair, face, bib, etc. I don't recall how old they were, but I do recall that it was later than the normal milestone. It worked fine.

 

[Princessperky]

Hand it over, the sooner you hand it over the sooner they learn. Do keep one of your own to assist with as needed, but I couldn't have fed my DS for anything at 12 months, he was my little independant eater, thrived just ifne. Relax, he wont let you starve him.

 

[Leanna]

When my son was a few months younger he wouldn't let me feed him and would complain about it, but slowly I regained the spoon at some of your suggestions (remember I was annoyed about the constant mess at each meal?) and now we do half mommy spoon half self feed. The floor and high chair used to be even worse than it is now.

 

[Joykins]

Yes but peeling potatoes is so evil I never make mashed potatoes... its practically against my religion , but I like eating them....

That's why I mash red new potatoes unpeeled or make the stuff from the box.

 

[Redguard]

12 month old + spoon = big mess.

At 2.5 years of age, my daughter has finally perfected the skill of using a spoon. But there's still the occasional mess.

But as others have said, practice makes perfect.

 

[Vilnius]

Yes but peeling potatoes is so evil I never make mashed potatoes... its practically against my religion , but I like eating them....

We make mashed potatoes all the time, but we leave the skins on. Very good, easyier and healthier

Our twelve-month old uses a spoon. We put the food on it and she does the rest.

 

[Yitzchak]

I have five children. They were all different. One tendency is to rush things with the fifth child......

It will likely be a little messy whenever you do start them with a spoon. There is no harm in starting now or waiting a little longer.

My mother-in-law had four children tall potty trained by 18 months....she was strict about all sorts of things. I never asked her about eating with a spoon but it wouldn't surprise me if she had all four of them eating with a spoon by six months......
Myself, I see no reason to rush things like that.....

 

[hopefull]

I gave my kids baby spoons, with a bowl of diluted baby rice cereal, or applesauce.......at 12 months. They loved it....made messed, played in it.......but it's very good for them to learn through play and making messes is part of discovery. I say give it a try

 

[RooMama]

I used 2 spoons, one for me and one for my son. That way he got to practice and also got food in his tummy. It was messy, but fortunately babies are washable.

 

[Princessperky]

We make mashed potatoes all the time, but we leave the skins on. Very good, easyier and healthier
.

DITTO!

 

[BeachBlonde]

So in my reading today the book was talking about giving a spoon to a 12 month old? I was picturing my 11 month old with a spoon, he has held one before, but the idea of managing to put it in a bowl of food and get it to his mouth(with the food still on it) seems funny to me. Did your 12 month olds have use of a spoon to feed themself?? Goodness. I have been feeding him from a spoon, and otherwise, I give him food on his tray that he can feed to his mouth. I haven't even tried to teach him to use a spoon, does anyone else think it is too soon or should I try it?

let the fun begin! do offer this! buy a rubber tipped one though.safety wise,in case he tries to shove it in his ear or elsewhere.get your camcord ready too.LOL this is fun stuff!