How to help willful 2 1/2 year old with using utensils?

Question

My 2 1/2 year old is a messy eater and begins her meals with a spoon/fork, but ditches them after 5min. to eat with her hands...even yogurt! She's very independent and willful and has resisted my coaching. Any creative ideas?

Answer 1

My daughter is 2 1/2 also and she uses her spoon or fork all the way through meal time 9 times out of 10. Unless we have fingerfoods which we do most days for lunch, occassionally dry cereal she can pick up and eat for breakfast and about once a week dinner is something she can pick up. I've always had us take turns feeding each other too and she thinks that's so cool. (I gave her my fork and plate by the way so that we still could discuss germs) It's calmed down now that she's bigger and pretty much an expert with her utensils, but when she was learning it was great training and made it fun. I did the same thing with fingerfoods too. She could stick some cheerios in my mouth and I would stick some in hers. Then we would do it to ourselves. We still do choo choo trains and airplanes once in a blue moon when she's just too bored, tired, or whatever also.

Answer 2

Let her practice spooning other things (not at mealtimes). Give her a child-sized bowl and spoon and have her practice picking things up with the spoon like (dried beans) and transfer them to another small bowl. The same can be done for the fork. Have her pick up cut pieces of styrofoam with it. Don't coach her. Just let her figure it out. At meals just make sure she has child-sized utensils and allow her to be messy and get frustrated. Just don't give up. You can model for her, but if she gets tired and wants to use her fingers, let her. Eventually she will learn on her own.

Answer 3

I wonder if she is too hunger once she sits down to eat that she doesn't have patience for the utensils. Although I am sure that you have tried the "if you want to be a big girl, you need to eat like big girls do" approach, so maybe only give her enough that she will eat in a few minutes. Then after a few minutes, you can give her some more, so she doesn't get bored with using her utensils. It is going to be a time comsuming process but it may work.

Answer 4

Well, I'd love to hear if anyone out there has a solution either! I run a daycare and nearly every child under about age 4 ditches the spoons and uses their hands.

Answer 5

My daughter is 3 and still does the exact same thing. I just am patient with her and bought her a special set of utensils just for her and they are child size. We still have to remind her to use her spoon/fork, but it all takes time and your child will get into the swing of things before you know it.

Answer 6

Work on developing her fine motor skills with a Mr. Potato Head or stacking blocks. She probably gets frustrated with the food falling off the utensil and needs to develop her coordination. You might even consider taking her to an Occupational Therapist. I know for my son, when he was in his 2nd year, he would take forever to eat just because he was fine tuning those skills with utensils.

Answer 7

I gave my grandson one of the vital Fisher fee work stations and tool kits for christmas when he used to be 3 half and he cherished it. It was once all plastic, colossal instruments and giant screws. His largest pleasure was once whacking walls with the hammer so remember that his mother wasn't too impressed. The novelty wore off by the point he turned 5 and now he's into Wii and different video video games.

Answer 8

sit right next to her and eat at the same time and eat the same thing, when she sees the way u use ur spoon and fork she'll want to copy u, start with things like pudding, it sticks to the utencil so she'll feel like she's being sucessfull then with more practice she'll get better. i've been there too and believe me this works just keep at it.

Answer 9

She may need to develop her fine motor skills. Have her play with play dough to help with that. Take her food away and do not allow her to eat with her hands. She will not starve, it's not mean and she will learn.

Answer 10

They sell the cartoon dinnerware like at walmart if they have her favorite cartoon characters. Tell her she can use them to eat but won't be able to use them if she continues to eat with her hands.