How to Teach Children to Eat With Utensils

While eating with hands and fingers is suitable for the youngest crowd, there comes a time when a child needs to master the use of a spoon and fork. These may slow him down, however, and make eating more laborious at first. With encouragement, most little ones are eager to eat the way everyone else does by the time they reach 3 or 4 years of age, states the Bright Futures website.

Things You'll Need

  • Child-size eating utensils
  • Shallow, rounded bowl

Instructions

    • 1

      Purchase child-appropriate eating utensils for your little one. These utensils should be small and have chubby handles and safely rounded edges on the fork tines and spoon edges.

    • 2

      Serve food in shallow bowls with rounded sides to help your child use utensils for eating. The rounded sides will provide a sturdy edge against which the child may push the utensil to load it with food.

    • 3

      Place the food in the shallow bowl and set this and the utensils in front of your child at meal time. Show your child how to grasp the utensils in his hands ̵1; whichever hand he prefers. His grasp will likely be an unrefined one at first. As he grows a little older and gets more used to the utensils, he will change and adjust his grasp.

    • 4

      Allow your child to use his utensils or his fingers to eat ̵1; whichever he prefers. Some food items may be easier to manipulate with fingers, while other foods might motivate him to try out his spoon or his fork. Resist the urge to pressure your child to use utensils ̵1; making them available at every meal provides sufficient motivation and encouragement.

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