Metal cutlery

[skatie]

Just wondered at what age you would give children metal knives and forks and proper dinner plates from? If at all? I had run out of clean plastic spoons for pudding so gave my ds (5) a metal teaspoon. Mindee (6). Asked for the same spoon that my ds had. What do you all do?

[munch149]

My daughter is 2 and already has metal ones just child ones. If you mean a big knife and fork maybe school age (prob not reception) but it depends on the child really

[tess1981]

Metal spoon anytime really
I have no plastic forks so when they feeding themselves it's metal forks but plastic plates for all mindees even older ones still drop them and plastic cups as they are always get to getting knocked over

[tulip0803]

The 2 year olds I have all eat with child size metal forks and spoons. I move them on to them from about 18 months I think, been a while since I have had any littlies. I offer the 3 and 4 year olds metal knives but they don't use them! I don't have plastic knives, forks and spoons except for the baby first wean spoons.

I tend to use plastic plates but any bowls are deep china breakfast type bowls.

[QualityCare]

From around 2yrs they use a teaspoon for cereals and yogurts don't provide hot meals so knives and forks aren't used but if l did child sized cutlery would be introduced at the same age.

[Logan]

A slight digression but we were asked to make sure that children were used to using "normal" size metal cutlery by the time they started in Reception as school does not have small size knives & forks - something that hadn't occurred to me but was helpful to know.

[loocyloo]

A slight digression but we were asked to make sure that children were used to using "normal" size metal cutlery by the time they started in Reception as school does not have small size knives & forks - something that hadn't occurred to me but was helpful to know.

That's interesting. Thank you.
However our infants and primary have smaller size cutlery rather than adult sized.
Mine use the small size dragon cutlery from ikea from about 5 yrs ish .. But depends on size of their hands! I have metal cutlery for the LOs ...The sort that have a plastic handle with some picture or character on ( my children seemed to be given loads of them! )

[cathtee]

I give my little ones metal spoons and forks at around 18m and I have my 4 year olds on adult cutlery and they cope with them very well, plastic dishes and plates until around 4 too then the children have their own dinner set which is different to the family one.

[clareelizabeth1]

I work on the theory if they have teeth the cutlery won't hurt their gums so it's ok to if needed

[Tealady]

Child size metal until they are big enough for the adult size ones. Plastic plates and bowls for snacks, proper crockery for main meals, regardless of age of the child. However I do give young ones cereal in plastic as they are smaller and the size of a LO's portion in a proper bowl just gets lost.

[sarah707]

We have new child sized forks and spoons which they are all using from 1 1/2 up... we give knives when they are pre-school - we got them from Ikea :D

[hectors house]

Mine have various sized plastic spoons according to age and size of mouth until they are 2, then I use the character cutlery sets from Wilkinsons, I try them with knives from about 3 after they have practised with cutting playdough and bananas - but they still don't always get the concept on not putting in mouth. I do have 2 children moving onto school in September, may I need to try them with the dessert sized (smaller) adult cutlery as don't know what they will be using at school.

[samb]

I give metal cutlery from approximate age 4 - they are smaller size from ikea- I think they're meant to be pudding or starter cutlery if you know what I mean? Therefore still sharp etc unlike the plastic handled character type with metal tips. I have loads of metal teaspoons as you can buy packs of 10 in pound land! I'd definitely be giving this age a teaspoon for yogurt.