What age did your child start feeding themselves?

[AlirasMummy]

I'm just curious as to when your children started feeding themselves and how did you encourage them?
DD is 16 months now and will try but gets no food on the spoon because she's holding it wrong, but won't let me show her how to hold the spoon properly.

[Shakey]

I started letting DS feed himself at just after 12mth of age, it took him a long time to figure out how to get it onto the spoon and into the mouth, at first he would try with the spoon and use his fingers as well, made quite a mess, but thats the fun in learning

[~Mands~]

DS is 22 months and still struggles to get food to stay on the spoon while putting it to his mouth. He finds it easier if it is something thicker.

At about 15 months I would put food on a fork and DS would take it from me.

At 18 months he could stab food himself with a fork.

[Hollywood]

I was wondering the same thing! I have a (nearly) 16 month old too and he mostly has finger food, but I've just lately started to throw caution to the wind and give him the spoon too when he has bowls of food. Not much makes it to his mouth but I figure he'll eat more when his appetite gets bigger.

[monkeytoes]

DS is 22 months and still struggles to get food to stay on the spoon while putting it to his mouth. He finds it easier if it is something thicker.

At about 15 months I would put food on a fork and DS would take it from me.

At 18 months he could stab food himself with a fork.

Same here. DD1 is 22 months and can do it but not very well. She's better with a fork than a spoon, but prefers the fingers still.

[Sanzinoz]

I let my kids attempt it themselves before they were 12 months old. They actually all did really well and have fed themselves from that point on. Infact my 19 months barely spills a drop, he does a better job than his 3 yr old sister!

I guess they started this early because with 3 kids under 3 I barely had time to feed one of them, let alone two, or myself! I preferred they tried themselves so I could sit down and eat my own food with them. That and the fact that they were so independant they wouldnt really let me do it for them anyway! Still, its the only way to learn, you just have to be prepared for a lot of mess, at the beginning anyway.

[Jamaica]

DD was also not very intrested she was probably round 18months. I encouraged her by giving her her favorite foods when I knew she was huhgry and I was in no rush and so she could take her time and I found that she learnt that way. Even if they play with there food it gets them used to holding the spoon etc so it all helps, also if your having trouble with the way she holds her spoon maybe give her a spoon and empty cup to play with or something of similar size and shape so she can get used to it.
Dont stress tho they all get there in there own time.