We'd had a few prior "cutlery-moments":
This one, at 6.5months, was a pre-loaded spoon that somehow (perhaps by accident) managed to make its way accurately into Bean's mouth. And then this one, at nearly 9months old, was some early success with dipping.
But it was a skill quickly forgotten as she got more interested in learning to crawl, walk and talk.
To be honest, it's not something I've pushed much - didn't even regularly give Bean cutlery til she was over a year old - but then she hadn't seemed fussed about it until the last two or three weeks. Since then it has been THE thing to do :-)
And just like when she was first learning to use her hands, Bean chose peas and sweetcorn as her food to practice on...... I mean, seriously!? Could she possibly have chosen anything more tricky to try and pick up with either a fork or a spoon?!? Even I, a fully grown adult (allegedly), frequently squish the peas when trying to spear them, or have to hold them with my other hand, or have them roll away at the slightest touch. Watching my little determined Bean try desperately to aim her prongs as this TEENY TINY pea has been heartbreaking (and a little amusing). And this week she finally let her frustrations show when, after attempting and failing to spear one several times, she finally went "arghhhhh", grabbed her fork with both hands and pushed it hard onto the pea, sending it skidding across her tray.
Made me giggle to be honest! So it became a game which she still does now, even when she's successfully spearing! :-)
So anyway, one meal Bean unsuccessfully aimed at a few peas and then decided to try a piece of cubed potato instead. Got it in one!
Cue lots of cheering, clapping, and a very happy Bean. In fact, every time we stopped clapping she'd cheer again and make us clap all over again. :-)
But it's a game that worked, because in just a few short days we've gone from little or no cutlery to almost entire meals eaten with a fork and/or spoon. Breakfast - fruit eaten by hand, cereal eaten by spoon and yoghurt eaten by spoon. Lunch - scrambled egg eaten by fork. Dinner - pasta with peas and sweetcorn, all eaten by fork or spoon.
Oh, and a pear for dessert. Also eaten by fork :-D
