Advice for 24mnth old suddenly refusing to use spoon?

[Lewa2]

DD is usually a good eater (even though 3.5 yr old DS is a terribly picky eater), but recently she has decided she won't feed herself with a spoon. She will happily eat if I or DH feeds her and will eat finger food but seems to have given up on spoons!! She is very good (for a 2 yr old!) at using spoons, not really interested in forks though. I let her choose which spoon to use and she has a special one just for her, but isn't working! I try to take it in turns, asking her to use the spoon then me etc but it takes soooooo long and being 6 months pregnant, I don't have much patience these days! Any advice??

Thanks, Lewa

[cath~]

L went through a patch like this and I just ignored it. Didn't want to make it a battle. she uses her spoon again now. I refused to feed her myself though. I just said 'I'm eating my breakfast/lunch.. If you're not hungry just leave it' like it was no big deal.

[clazzat]

We are going through the same thing with my ds, and I seem to remember it from both of the girls - it's not that big a deal and it is just a phase that will pass if you don't make a fuss about it. I know it is very frustrating when it feels like they are going backwards, but one day she will pick up a spoon again and carry on feeding herself as if she never stopped.  Just make sure that she has a spoon, and fork if you want, next to her bowl when she is feeding herself so that *she* can make the decision to pick it up when she is ready.

[Lewa2]

Thanks - that's what I thought too. DS didn't go through this but has had other eating issues. I guess I'm paranoid about eating as we've had so many issues with DS, so I'm trying my hardest to get DD not to follow his example.  DD wants to be carried everywhere too, I think it has a lot to do with the fact that I'm 6 months pregnant and can no longer pick her up all the time. There is always resistance to change!

[Lemonthyme]

I just ignore it.  My nearly 3 year old sometimes decides to finger feed himself and is a bit anti forks at the mo but I don't see it as a big deal.  He's eating.