What age for cutlery? BLW related

We have done BLW with Luca (now 11 months). With runny food (mash potatoes, fromage frias etc) we load the spoon then put it on his tray for him. At nursery they have been great in following this and have even had him eating from a plate with a fork  with success (at home plates are frisbees!)

The last few days Luca has not been into his food and just throws it on the floor, he does this sometimes, it just lasts a few days then he goes back to normal. It frustrates me but I don't worry too much about it. Luca's key worker mentioned to me today that he was reluctant to use his fork and just used his hands. She said he needed to learn to use the fork as he would need to use it when he went down to the next room (which is not for another 8 months!) I asked if the other children his age were using cutlery and she said yes...then added that they were fed with the cutlery (not feeding themselves, except for some bits and pieces with their hands). She seemed to be comparing them with Luca, as in as the other children were happy to be fed with cutlery so Luca as a self feeder should be feeding himself with cutlery.

I've not bothered much with cutlery to be honest, I didn't think it was something we needed to do yet.  Am I holding luca back? Should I make sure at 11 months that he is eating from a plate woith a fork and sppon? I am really confused now. I had thought he was doing really well with what and how he ate...but now I am doubting myself.

We didn't do BLW, but a mix of purees and finger foods.

I started to offer J a spoon at about 10/11 months but he really didn't do a lot with it. He started to get the hang of it at about 14 months, I think, and now at 20 months is feeding himself with a fork and spoon at every meal.

Don't worry, 11 months is very young to be using cutlery independently, BLW or not. I'm sure you and Luca are doing just fine!

Clozzer

E is 14 months now, and we did a combination of starting on purees, then moved on to BLW a couple on months into it. E has always loved eating using her hands, I've wondered the same thing re cutlery, plates etc, but if it's any reassurance, it's still frisbee in our house, plus duck the flying cutlery!

I'm not worrying about it, I figure she's learning to eat now, she has the rest of her life to learn to use cutlery, crockery etc. If I were you I wouldn't worry about what his key worker says, he just does things differently, but he'll do it in his own time, but that's just my opinion, I'll be watching with interest to see roughly what age others introduced cutlery, as I have no idea!

Hope you're well.

CB x

Aoife only started using cutlery at around 15 months. I didn't do BLW and instead went for a mixture of finger foods and purees, Aoife would eat pasta etc. with her fingers most of the time. I only introduced cutlery at around 15 months and I used a cheap Tommee Tippee set from Tesco. She's picked it up really quickly and now tries to use a fork or a spoon for everything.

I wouldn't worry, there's no point forcing them to use cutlery too early. Aoife's fab at using her cutlery now (17 months) but when she can't get enough she'll still use her hands instead!

F has today, for the first time, taken a real interest in cutlery, he's 10 months and fed himself two spoons of porridge (before deciding it was much easier if Mummy did it after all, lol), and also had a shot at stabbing pasta with a fork before chucking it on the floor and shoving both hands in. My first was much later though, well over a year I think before he was properly interested in using cutlery and managing it. But even now at 2, he still uses his hands a lot, doesn't bother me, it's what they're eating that matters, not the method.

I don't see the need to rush it, maybe just give him the option so he can have a play.

J is 13 months and can use a spoon, though it's a bit hit and miss as to whether she gets it into her mouth before the food falls off.

Plates are not frisbees here, they are hats, LOL.

They're all so different. Sebastian was using a spoon confidently at 11months, attempted a fork at about 12, and has been using it competently for a month or so (he's now 14m)

Elijah, on the other hand, had very little interest in cutlery, would use a spoon for cereal and yogurt, but nothing else. He eventually started using cutlery more often than not by about 2; but evn at 3y 3m, still resorts to fingers occasionally.

I really wouldn't worry too much about it. I'd perhaps give him a set with his meals, so its an option, but I certainly wouldn't push it, surely that will just create an issue where there isn'tone at the moment?

We did BLW and did the same with the loading up of the spoons. At 11 months I don't think C would have been that good cutlery on his own, the first time we even gave him a fork was after his birthday.

At 18 months he can now feed himself confidently with a spoon and do a pretty good job with a fork when he wants to but he does tend to lose patience with it and start eating with his hands. I'm not bothered at all, he's definitely getting there so it'll just be a question of time.

J (a week off 18 months) has been using a fork or a spoon for a couple of months, but even now often prefers to use his hands a lot of the time.  He likes to have cutlery and will ask for a 'poon' if he isn't given one but often ditches it in favour of his hands or will ask someone to load it for him.

From what I've seen the BLW and traditionally weaned toddlers are all beginning to get the hang of cutlery over the same period. As with everything some are faster than others.

Cheers everyone, I'll stop worrying then!

C is 13.5 months and doesn't use cutlery.  I saw the HV last week who asked if she was feeding herself.  I was unsure whether they meant finger food or using cutlery, so I said she was fine with finger food, but didn't yet show an interest in using cutlery.  The HV said it was too early to expect her to be using it.

She'll eat from cutlery if I feed her, usually by taking the food off the end of the fork using her hands.

I think L's nursery are being a bit silly.  8 months is ages.