Learning to eat independently: when should a child eat alone with a spoon?

Already at the beginning of expanding the diet, many parents wonder how to teach their child to eat with a spoon when the child shows no interest in it? When should a child eat alone with a spoon and what should a spoon for self-feeding look like? 

If you are looking for answers to questions related to expanding your child's diet and learning independence, you will find a lot of useful information in this article.

When should a child eat alone with a spoon: At what age will children master this skill?

Although eating with a spoon seems simple and extremely intuitive to us, adults, small children need it time and many, many trials, to master this complex skill. When should a child eat alone with a spoon, what are the stages of getting used to cutlery and learning to use it?

At the beginning of expanding the diet, i.e. between 6-7. By the first month of life, babies open their mouths to the sight of a spoon approaching them (held by a parent) and learn to actively and effectively take food from it.

In the vicinity 9-12. month of life the child usually makes the first attempts interceptions spoons of food from the parent and puts it into the mouth independently. Some children this age enjoy grabbing a spoon to eat on their own, tapping it on the table, stirring it in the bowl and occasionally putting it in their mouth. The baby spends the next few months training to scoop food on a spoon and put it into his mouth on his own.

When should a child eat alone with a spoon? 

It is definitely worth giving children time and encouraging them, but never do not force people to use cutlery. How to teach a child to eat with a spoon - useful tips are provided in the last paragraph.

Jackets spoon for self-feeding will be the best?

If we want to teach a child to eat independently with a spoon, it is worth equipping ourselves with the appropriate one equipment – not every spoon is suitable for eating alone. What should you pay attention to when choosing the right spoon for self-eating?

Composition

A spoon for self-feeding should be made of safe, child-friendly materials that have appropriate safety certificates in accordance with EU standards indicating that they may come into contact with food.

Head size

It is crucial when choosing the right spoon for self-eating. head size, i.e. the so-called The spoon's cup should be adjusted to the child's age.

For babies, we choose spoons with fairly wide and shallow heads, which will make it easier to collect food. If we want to teach an older child to eat with a spoon, for self-feeding, the spoon must be easy to grip, and its head should still be quite wide and flat.

Shaft length and shape

A spoon for self-eating does not have to have a delicately curved handle (stem), but it should not be too long. When it comes to the shape of the handle, it is worth testing several models of spoons for self-feeding and choosing the one that will fit best in the child's hand (the toddler clasps his entire hand on the handle - cylindrical grip).

4 proven ways to do this How to teach a child to eat with a spoon?

Now that we know when a child should eat on his own with a spoon and which spoon to choose to help the baby learn to eat on his own, let's take a look at what to do to help your child learn to eat with a spoon.

• Set a good example: If we want to teach a child to eat with a spoon, let's show that we also use it to eat! It is worth organizing meals so that the child can sit at the table with us (in his high chair, on the parent's lap) and observe how other family members cope with using cutlery.
• Encourage, don't force - the two-teaspoon method: If we want to teach a child to eat with a spoon, prepare 2 teaspoons for each meal: one for the parent, one for the child. We put a bowl of food in front of the baby and put a spoon next to it. We feed the child with a spoon, allowing the child to grab his spoon from the table and mix the food in the bowl, scatter the food a little, touch it with his hands, and put the spoon in his mouth.

The 2-teaspoon method can be introduced from the age of 7-8 months. We do not forbid the child to eat with their hands, but only encourage them to use a spoon.

• Take care of the right consistency of food: if we want to teach a child to eat with a spoon training e.g. oatmeal, thick goulash or Greek yogurt works great. Over time, your toddler will learn to eat more liquid meals with a spoon. It will also be useful to have a bowl that will not slide easily on the table when trying to scoop food with a spoon (heavier, wooden bowls or dishes with suction cups work great).
• Accept the mess and give your child time: If we want to teach a child to eat with a spoon, we must be patient. Learning to eat independently takes time and always involves a lot of mess.

It's normal for children who are just learning to eat themselves to get dirty a lot, so it's worth getting a few bibs, a good cleaning kit and a solid dose of understanding.