Somewhere in 8-9 months, the baby's interest in such a convenient cutlery as a spoon awakens. When he is fed, he tries to grab a spoon, examine, lick, and then, after a while, copies the movements of his mother - he tries to scoop up soup or porridge with a spoon and bring it to his mouth.
Of course, the first experience is accompanied by pouring and spraying the contents of the spoon around you. Some people really like this funny game, and instead of learning to eat with a spoon, kids are much more willing to indulge in it. Moreover, as a rule, it becomes very difficult to take the spoon back - the kid does not want to part with the "toy" he likes.
So when should a toddler be taught to use cutlery? At what age can you eat by boat yourself? Let's try to figure it out.
It is already quite acceptable to use a spoon, starting from the age of 10-11 months of the child. At first, just hold it in your hand while feeding. You will feed with one spoon, the baby will hold the other in the handle. It is clear that this will add extra trouble to you, washing, both the child himself and everything around. After all, it will be interesting for the baby to repeat after you, the same as the mother does. The child will try to get into the plate with a spoon. Naturally, you will collect half of the porridge from the table, from clothes, or on the floor. But, you should not forbid the child to do this, so he is faster, every time everything will go cleaner and cleaner. The main thing is patience! By the way, independent actions improve appetite.
When the child himself learns to eat porridge, mashed potatoes, you can give the soup to eat with a dessert spoon. Do not forget, each child has its own time, some earlier, some later. At first, let the child hold the spoon in his hand as it is convenient for him. It is permissible that the child squeezes a spoon in a fist. If you constantly tug at the baby and adjust the spoon for him, then from your extra persistence, he will completely lose interest in eating on his own. Better to sit down to eat more often with the whole family, at the same table. The child, observing, will try to repeat and adopt everything for you, how you hold a spoon, how you put food in your mouth, how you bite bread, that is, copy your behavior. Therefore, do not be surprised at the same behavior if you constantly turn around, talk at the table, wipe your hands on yourself, and so on.
If a child under two years old has not learned correctly, then sometimes you can unobtrusively correct him, they say, you have already grown, become big, you need to hold a spoon like adults, for example, mom or dad. And help him, explain and show how to do it correctly. Show, explaining, the spoon should be held just below the wide part of the handle with three fingers - thumb, forefinger and middle. When your child masters this technique and will correctly hold the spoon while eating, teach to scoop food correctly, bring it to the mouth, not with the tapering part, but with the side.
The child can be advised not to put the spoon in a wide open mouth and not to stick the tip of the spoon. I tried to eat slowly, without sounds. A fork is usually allowed to be given from about three years old. After all, from this age, the child already consciously begins to understand that she can be injected. When choosing a plug, try to buy a baby, especially for a baby. The fork should be small and not sharp, comfortable for a child's hand.
Advice: when the baby is just learning to eat on his own, it is best to purchase a special children's kit. This is a plate on a suction cup, so that the child cannot overturn it on himself. The spoon and fork must be metal, with a twist. With such devices, the child will quickly master self-service at the table.
A fork is given to a child from about 3 years old, when he already understands the danger of being pricked with a sharp object. The baby's fork should be small and not too sharp. At first, a small child is taught to eat with a fork, holding it only in the right hand. It is explained to him and shown that the fork is held differently, depending on what is being eaten.
If, for example, fried potatoes, pieces of meat or fish are on the plate, then the fork is held so that it is convenient to prick the pieces of food with it, that is, with the teeth downwards. In cases where mashed potatoes, porridge or other crumbly foods are eaten, you need to turn the fork upward to make it easier to scoop up the food.
And of course, one should start accustoming not with adult cutlery (which can be, firstly, heavy, and secondly, dangerous in its sharpness), but with children's sets of dishes - light and safe.
Here baby already knows how to sit on his own, but his mother feeds him. Here a neighbor or a grandmother can suggest an inexperienced mother not to "pamper" a child and give him a spoon so that he can start eating on his own. You cannot listen to the advice of other people, each child has its own developmental characteristics, and the fact that someone's child began to eat early is not a reason for all children to be able to hold a spoon from an early age.
Take your time accustom a child to self-feeding as soon as he begins to sit on the chair. As a result of this zeal of parents, the child has a fear of cutlery and eating. More often than not, nothing comes out of such early learning, the baby is unable to pick up food in a spoon or bring it to the mouth. As a result, instead of praising him for his efforts, he sees how upset his mother is. Further, it is very difficult to force him to take a spoon in his hand in order to repeat such an unpleasant procedure again.
From age seven months, many children begin to take an interest in the spoon. If the child has already mastered his own and is not afraid to sit there, then first give him just a spoon. Let him learn to put it in his mouth without food for now, put a piece of solid food, such as cookies, in front of him. Let the kid try to take it with his hand and send it into his mouth. Do not interfere with your baby placing his or her palm on your hand while feeding, initiating "self" feeding. It is very good that he already wants to bring the spoon to his mouth himself, support his endeavors. But to start eating on your own, you need to teach the baby only from the age of 8-9 months.
At first in an unobtrusive form offer your child a special baby spoon. Place it on his table next to the plate on the side with which hand the baby usually likes to hold objects. If your baby is not taking the initiative and is unwilling to pick up a spoon, try to spark an interest in self-feeding. To do this, put a plate with delicious food in front of the baby, and next to it, his spoon. Do something else yourself at this time, seeing that you are in no hurry to feed him, the child will be forced to try to bring food to his mouth on his own.
All children learn eat on your own using the example of adults, so pour food into your plate and demonstrate to your child how you eat yourself. Most of the children reach out with their hands to their mother, trying to grab her spoon. In this case, it is better to give him his spoon and a plate of food, let him try to imitate you. At first, wanting to eat on his own, the baby gets very dirty, he can even overturn food with a plate. Therefore, be sure to tie a bib around his neck before feeding.
Don't hope that child to learn to eat himself the first time, it takes at least a week of time for him to learn to grab a piece of food from the plate and another week so that he begins to bring the spoon to his mouth. All this time, the baby will not behave very roughly. For example, he will run his hand into a plate, squeeze the contents of a spoon with his palms, or turn the process of eating into a game. For a child, the learning process itself is quite difficult and it is quite understandable that very soon he gets tired of eating himself. At first, parents need to be patient and feed the baby with a second spoon.
Can't scold baby for his inability to eat, for his unkempt appearance or ridiculing the way he looks. If the baby has stopped eating on his own and does not want to take a spoon in his hand anymore, calmly feed him yourself. Then clear his desk and change his clothes, not focusing on how he got it all dirty. If you laugh and say to him: "How dirty you are with me," the baby will quickly understand that his mother likes him more, and next time he will try to make you laugh even more.
During training independent feeding, watch how the baby holds the spoon. In the first days, place his fingers on the spoon yourself correctly, help him to put the porridge into the spoon yourself. If he holds the spoon well, pat him on the head and smile. Do not scold if the baby stubbornly takes a spoon in his fist, let him eat the way he does it for the first time. There is a time for everything, over time he will learn to hold a spoon with his fingers. And to hold a spoon like adult children do not start earlier than 1.5-2 years, respectively, and it is necessary to begin to teach them from this age to properly hold a spoon. Do not give your child a fork or other sharp utensils earlier than 3 years old to avoid the danger of being pricked by a sharp object.
And from the age of 3, give him small baby plug and show how to use it. If there is food on the plate that needs to be pricked onto a fork, then it is convenient to eat from the fork with the teeth down. To eat crumbly food with a fork, for example, buckwheat porridge, you need to hold the fork with a bend upward. It is much more convenient to scoop up porridge and other food this way. Starting from 2-3 years of age, start putting the child at a common table. Give him a certain place at the common table and do not change it.
Don't teach your child eat by agreement: "A spoon for mom, a spoon for dad." The more you persuade your child to eat the food prepared for him, the more he will refuse. As a result, the baby will stop eating altogether until his parents distract his attention with toys or jokes. Also, do not evaluate the child: "What a fine fellow you are, today you ate everything that was in the plate." So the baby will try to eat everything every time, and this can contribute to his obesity. You cannot reward for the food eaten, the eating process should be natural. Parents should not give gifts or scold because they want to teach their child to eat food. Praise the child for good behavior, and scold for bad behavior, but not for how much porridge he ate.
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One of the daunting tasks for all parents is potty training. I was very worried that my daughter would lag behind her peers. Therefore, I tried to develop it as quickly as possible. However, I forgot that everything depends on the individuality of each baby. Now my daughter is 3 years old, and I drew conclusions at what age it is better to potty train a child.
Suitable age
My grandmother also told me that it is best to teach my daughter to the toilet at 6 months. When you start to sit, you need to hold it over the bowl until it does its job. After that, you need to praise the baby.
I really wanted to quickly teach my daughter and did not think about what time to potty train the child. First of all, I'm tired of buying diapers. Firstly, it is very expensive, and secondly, my daughter got sick, so it was necessary to buy good creams as well.
One day I decided not to buy diapers, but to switch to diapers at least at home. Yes, the little girl stopped screaming, but there was a lot of washing. Therefore, I quickly got tired of this option too.
When my daughter was six months old, I decided to potty train like my grandmother taught me. However, I held it over the bowl for at least 30 minutes, and there was no result. On my next trip to the hospital, I asked the doctor: “ at how many months should the child be potty trained?". To which he answered me: “no one will give the correct answer. After all, it all depends on the personality of the baby. " Still, he advised me not to torment my daughter at 6 months. The doctor explained that children do not begin to feel the urge until they are one year old. Many babies only from 18 months begin to consciously ask for a potty.
Choosing a suitable pot
After talking with the doctor, I concluded that there is no need to rush. When we talked with mummies on the playground, it turned out that none of them could answer the question: "at what age should a child be potty trained?" I decided that I would wait and not rush things. First you need to choose a suitable pot.
In the evening, when my baby was asleep, I sat on the Internet and looked. First I wanted a music pot. I read the reviews of moms about him. It turned out that he is not as good as it initially seemed. First, the music distracts and even scares the little ones; secondly, it is uncomfortable to sit on it; thirdly, while the pot is a little wet, the music will play until it dries completely. Many parents pop out the batteries or wipe it dry. So I dropped this idea.
Two weeks was in search and found a pot in the manner of a chair. The back is comfortable, there are handles on the sides. The bottom itself protrudes separately. When the baby did his job, mom took out the pot and took it out. I read the reviews of moms. Such a pot is praised by many, because it is convenient not only for the baby, but also for the parents. It is convenient to wash it from all sides. By the way, its cost is cheaper than music, but better quality. It is suitable for both boys and girls.
Top 5 highchair pots see here
It's time to accustom
Although I didn’t know what time to potty train the child, I realized that I needed to wait until 12 months and was in no hurry. Therefore, my husband and I were patient. When my daughter was one year old, they decided to try again. Moreover, by this time we already had the pot. I heard that if a child is not very accustomed to diapers, he will quickly learn to go to the potty. As it turned out, this is not entirely true. From the age of 6 months, I only wore diapers for my daughter outside, I even stopped wearing diapers at night.
When my husband and I began to plant my daughter in the pot, she cried bitterly. A week passed in hysterics. My friend advised me to put the pot aside for a couple of months again, which I did. Still, we were able to do it. I hope my advice will help many moms who do not know when to potty train their child:
- Avoid diapers altogether. It doesn't matter if you go outside or go to bed.
- Plant your baby at the same time. To begin with, every half hour.
- The pot should be in the same place. Do not move it or remove it.
- Always supervise your baby. As a rule, the behavior is visible when he wants to pot. Usually children at such moments tense up, quiet down or tread on one place.
- Wear clothing that can be removed quickly and easily.
- If the child refuses to sit on the potty, cries, breaks free, do not force. Remember, everything has its time.
- After eating or sleeping, you need to put the baby on the pot.
- If the crumb has fulfilled its need, be sure to praise. This behavior of the parents stimulates the baby.
- Do not potty during a painful condition. After all, he will be capricious and nothing will work out.
- When you go outside, always take extra things with you, but do not forget to plant it under a tree. However, carry out this procedure only in the warm season.
Child gender: what time to potty train the boy (girl)?
There is an opinion that daughters begin to sit at about 7-8 months. Therefore, if moms ask the question: "What time to potty train a girl?", Many parents think that they are closer to one year old. You can try to plant a boy from 6 months.
Personally, I have a son and a daughter, so I can compare. My kids started sitting at 5 months old. By the way, my daughter sat down a week earlier than her son. I made sure that the peculiarity of the baby does not depend on the gender of the child. Each person is different, and children are no exception.
I read the articles of the famous doctor and watched his video: "What time to potty train a child?" Komarovsky advises not to rush. He claims that all children sooner or later learn to relieve themselves on their own. One child begins to ask at 2 years old, the other at four. However, all children go to school prepared. They dress themselves, undress, go to the toilet, etc.
Komarovsky believes that mom needs to have as much patience as possible. Your baby will definitely begin to relieve himself on the potty, will not resist if you find an approach to it.
A small child grows up very quickly and constantly learns a variety of things, gradually comprehending the wisdom of the adult world. One of the difficult and even iconic moments of growing up toddler is mastering the potty.
Optimal age for potty training
Now, when the overwhelming majority of parents from birth put on disposable crumbs, the question of potty training fades into the background. But someday it will still have to be done. How many completely polar opinions can be heard about at what age and in what way a child should be introduced to this subject! Moreover, these debates are relevant both among parents and among specialists - pediatricians, psychologists, teachers.
Three points of view are most common. Supporters of the so-called natural parenting, which call for "planting" the baby over any container literally from the first weeks and even days of his life.
The second is usually promoted by representatives of the older generation: the child should be started to be potted after he learns sit well(that is, at about 7-8 months). In this case, in their opinion, by the age of one and a half, the crumbs will already have formed a persistent skill of using the pot for its intended purpose.
The third point of view is expressed by the majority of modern pediatricians, and it boils down to the fact that the process should begin at that age when the baby has a full-fledged conscious control over the excretory function (at 1.5-2 years). Almost all experts agree that it is not worth trying to potty train a child for up to a year. Most likely, parents will waste their strength and nerves, and if you overdo it, then the baby may develop an hostile attitude towards the pot, and later it will be even more difficult for him to wean him from getting his pants dirty.
Do not forget that the child must grow up to be able to control his physiological urges. Some of them manage to do this by one and a half years, while others - only by three. In the matter of potty training (as in other issues of baby development), it is necessary to focus not on numbers, but on child behavior... When a favorable moment comes, mom and dad can slowly begin to teach the child to use the potty. However, this process can be accelerated, only not violently, but gently and naturally. The main rule, which must be adhered to: in no case should you scold the crumb for the fact that something is not working out for him so far, and do not try to force events.
Which pot to choose
So, with age, everything is more or less clear - this is an interval from about a year to 3 years. And where to start this difficult business for both parents and baby? First you need, in fact, buy a pot... The choice of an object so necessary for every child is a rather responsible matter: after all, the lion's share of success depends on it.
First of all, the baby pot should be convenient... If the baby feels uncomfortable and uncomfortable, he will not have a desire to master all the wisdom of the toilet. In addition, the pot must be functional... Now in stores you can find a wide variety of models that differ in shape, color, design. There are even music pots. And it seems that among this variety it is very difficult to choose the one that will suit a particular child.
In fact, for the first acquaintance, it is best to purchase regular plastic pot... For a girl, it can be round. For a boy, the one that has a special partition in front, a raised protrusion is preferable: this will avoid trouble and get rid of wet spots on the floor.
The pot should be within sight and reach, that is, on the floor in the children's room. Let the child get to know him, sit if he wants. It is necessary to offer the baby a pot with words explaining what it is for.
We start to act
If the baby did not previously know what a disposable diaper is, then it will be much easier for him to learn how to go to the potty. With children whose parents used diapers, the situation is somewhat more complicated. For some time, you will have to constantly wipe the floor, since incidents in the learning process are inevitable. Here are a few advice:
- act systemically, and not from time to time; give up diapers; do not interfere with the child's knowledge of the act of urination: the baby must know his genitals and see how the "process" is going on;
- place the pot in a prominent place;
- watch the child: before peeing or pooping, he may become quiet, hide, strain, blush, push, retire in a place of his own choice;
- put on a minimum of clothes on the baby so that it can be easily removed;
- potty training during the warm season;
- do not force to sit on the pot; if the child does not want, bends over, screams, the learning process loses its meaning: the upset baby will not learn anything;
- be sure to plant on the pot after sleep and after eating, as well as before and after a walk;
- praise tenderly if everything worked out as it should, but do not overdo it: you should not meet every successful attempt with thunderous applause - it is better to emphasize how good it is to walk in dry and clean pants;
- do not start the learning process if the child is sick or naughty;
- on a walk, periodically invite your baby to go "into the bushes" (if you are far from home), take extra clothes with you.
Reasons for failure in potty training
Failures can occur in several cases. If a child has discomfort, then it is very difficult to focus on his other feelings. Also, do not forget about one year crisis, when the little man violently protests against almost any actions of adults. Also, the baby may be too passionate about the game and not notice that his bladder is full. Therefore, an "accident" occurs. You cannot scold for this, since the baby is not yet able to fully control his body.
Each child is different, and the development of skills for everyone happens in their own way and in their own time. Therefore, some get used to the pot earlier, others later. This does not mean at all that children who have mastered this subject at an older age are less smart, assiduous, or worse than others. Moreover, it often happens that children who have become accustomed to the potty faster than others suddenly begin to protest and flatly refuse to sit on it.
Obviously, the very process of potty training depends on several factors. Girls are inherently more accommodating than boys and are generally easier to persuade and potty. Have boys the learning process takes a little longer. Plays a significant role and character... A calm child will quickly learn to potty, he can be lured with a conversation, a toy and thus held in place. A nimble kid can refuse to sit on the potty for a long time for one reason - he has no time! He needs to be in time everywhere, to play everywhere, and he absolutely does not want to waste time on boring sitting in one place. Such children often "flirt", do not reach the toilet and walk in wet pants, even having learned how to use the potty.
When to see a doctor
It is extremely difficult to determine the fine line when multiple pee-pees turn into a disease. However, if the parents notice too frequent urination of the child during the day, or nighttime involuntary urination persists after 3 years, this may indicate pathology... Many are hiding under the guise of enuresis urological problems: congenital malformations of the urinary tract, inflammatory diseases of the urinary tract, functional disorders of urination. Therefore, if a child, despite all attempts to potty train him, persists uncontrolled urination (in the daytime after 3 years of age, at night - after 5 years), it is advisable to consult a doctor.
Problem urinary disorders is at the intersection of urology and neurology, and many parents do not know which specialist needs to show their baby. The survey must begin with urologist, who will conduct a direct examination of the external genital organs in boys, which makes it possible to exclude diseases such as balanoposthitis, dropsy of the testicular membranes, undescended testicles (cryptorchidism). In girls, an initial external examination can also be performed by a urologist. If he suspects a pathology in the development of the urinary system, the baby will be sent for an appointment with pediatric gynecologist.
Also, the urologist will prescribe standard examinations: general, ultrasound of the kidneys and bladder with the determination of the amount of residual urine. If, as a result, urological pathology is not found, it will be necessary to show the child pediatric neurologist.
Using the toilet is the same skill as crawling, holding an object, walking or talking. And sooner or later, all children learn this. The main thing for parents is to behave competently and confidently. It depends on this how smoothly and painlessly this process will go for everyone.
Teaching a child to use a spoon is not always possible without various misfires. Mom needs to be patient, as meals will become longer, and the process of instilling the skill will take more than one week.
It is necessary to mentally prepare for the fact that the baby will start to dirty everything around, including himself. Mom will have to clean up a lot, wash the baby's face. However, such problems are overcome, but each spoon brings the child closer to independence.
It is important to understand that the exact dates when the child will start eating from a spoon on their own is rather difficult to name, since there are simply no specific age limits and parameters.
Of course, there is averaged data that at 1 year old a child should hold a spoon firmly, and at 18 months of age he can confidently wield this tableware. But since the baby develops at its own pace, the timing of the appearance of this skill is individual.
Some children already at 8 - 10 months use cutlery quite deftly, sending cereals, mashed potatoes and other first feeding dishes into their mouths, while others wait at 2 years for their parents to feed them from a spoon.
And yet there is a certain pattern - by the end of infancy (12 months), the child himself tries to serve himself at the table. The increased interest in eating and copying adult behavior leads to the fact that the baby takes the spoon from the mother.
In such a situation, you cannot refuse a child. Of course, his initial attempts to try a spoonful of mashed potatoes will end in failure or a smeared face. Therefore, the task of adults is to consistently and without haste to show and explain how to properly take and use the cutlery.
The popular TV doctor Komarovsky is convinced that there is no need to force children to use a spoon if they are not yet ready for this or they are not interested in this tableware. Excessive persistence often leads to the child's refusal to feed.
To teach a child to eat on their own, you must first take care of choosing the first cutlery. The right spoon will speed up the skill acquisition process and reduce misfires.
When purchasing this cutlery you should pay attention to several important nuances:
- the most important condition is that the spoon must be safe. It is necessary to purchase tableware in specialized children's stores, which have all the necessary certificates confirming the safety of materials;
- Do not confuse the first feeding attachment with a self-feeding spoon. The item of kitchen utensils required in our case should have a wide scoop so that the child cannot drop the captured food;
- Since babies at 1 year old initially grip and squeeze the spoon with their fist, it is important to take care of choosing the correct holder. The handle of the cutlery should be short and wide. In this case, the child will hold her tighter;
- spoons with curved handles are commercially available. It is believed that such devices are easier for young children to cope with. Another option is products with swivel holders. No matter how the child turns the handle, a special rod inside spins behind it, so the collected food does not fall out. Additionally, there is a lock for locking the rod when the child grows up.
For babies from 10 months to two years old, it is better to purchase plastic spoons. They are light, bright, fit well in a child's hand, differ in a variety of shapes and sizes.
Plates and cups are also best bought from heat-resistant food grade plastic. Such dishes are lightweight, shock and fall resistant, as well as environmentally friendly. To develop nutritional skills, it is worth purchasing a plate with a suction cup. It won't roll over.
Also, do not forget about bibs made of fabric or extra soft and flexible plastic material. Fabric aprons will have to be washed after each meal, plastic aprons do not need to be washed, just rinse off the drops and dry them.
It is necessary to teach a child to eat with cutlery only after he has developed an interest in the process of eating. And generating interest with the help of games, threats or cartoons is largely useless - it will not make you want to learn something.
And in order to speed up and simplify training, it is worth listening to the following recommendations of specialists and experienced parents who have already gone this way:
- It is necessary to voice the decision that the baby now eats on her own, to all household members. Otherwise, it will turn out that the mother teaches the child to hold a spoon, and when he starts to visit his grandmother, she will feed him herself. In such a situation, the training process will be delayed.
- To become skillful, a child needs to learn to use a spoon every day. But if he does not feel well due to illness or, there is no need to force him to eat on his own. On such a day, it is better to deviate from the rule and feed the crumbs from a spoon.
- Mom needs to be close to the baby while eating. Situations are different - the child gets tired, naughty, can choke on even a small piece. Therefore, it is better to sit down next to and watch the baby.
- Teaching a child to hold a spoon is not only possible during feeding. The sandbox is perfect for training, where the kid is wielding a paddle. You should also play with the dolls more often, explaining that they also "want to eat."
- How to quickly teach a child to spoon? It is important to choose the optimal consistency of the dish - puree, but not liquid. Porridge, vegetable purees, cottage cheese or thick cream soup are ideal. Portions should be small in order to maintain the required temperature.
- If the child is not reaching for a spoon, but for a fork, let him choose this "toothy" object to start learning. It is only important to purchase a special fork with rounded edges and blunt prongs. But then the food should not be liquid, but in pieces (boiled vegetables).
For more information about when to add to the children's diet and how to properly prepare these dishes, read the article of the children's doctor.
The child will be interested in the feeding process if you decorate the dishes beautifully (make flowers, animals, emoticons) and serve them in plates with drawings on the bottoms. It is necessary to explain to the kid that at the end of the lunch he will have a small surprise.
Baby Etiquette
For preschoolers, schoolchildren, and adolescents, see another article in more detail. Be sure to read it too to get a general idea of your child's good manners.
As already noted, it is foolish to expect from a little fool that he will begin to eat neatly the first time. At first, the product eaten, or rather, brought to the mouth, will be everywhere - on clothes, a table and even on the floor.
However, this pattern does not mean at all that a small child does not need to be shown how to behave correctly at the table. Healthy food habits are formed already in early childhood:
- Before each meal, the baby must wash handles... This is the foundation of hygiene and should not be neglected. Mom shows the baby how to do it correctly and why it is so important (the simplest explanation is that the tummy does not hurt).
- You should not surround the eating child with numerous toys., turn on cartoons for him, trying to catch the moment when he opens his mouth. The kitchen is the perfect place to eat, but play in the nursery.
- Playing with a spoon is permissible only at the stage of acquaintance with the subject.... Then you should not allow games with cutlery. If the crumb is spoiled, the dinner is stopped.
You can not scold the kid for careless actions. Just offer him a napkin. A trained kid from the age of two will be able to wipe his hands and face, of course, as much as possible.
The solution to the question of how to teach a child to eat independently with a spoon does not tolerate fuss. If the baby soon needs to go to the nursery, do not rush too much and literally force him to take the cutlery in the handle. Usually, in a team, kids adapt faster, if, of course, they consolidate their successes at home.
And finally. There are universal principles that will be useful for a mother who wants to accustom her baby to self-service. First, do not impose unbearable demands on your child. Secondly, do not do for him those actions with which he himself copes.
