How to Teach a Baby to Use a Fork

Teaching a baby to use a fork requires a bit more time and patience than teaching a little one to use a spoon, but with some practice and guidance, your baby will begin self-feeding with this new utensil in no time.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Baby-sized fork
• Garbage bag or shower curtain liner

1. Purchase a baby fork with a handle that's easy for small hands to grip and that have blunt, flexible tines.
2. Consider lining the floor beneath your baby's highchair with a garbage bag or plastic shower curtain liner to catch food your little one will inevitably drop or throw. You can then simply shake the liner outside after your baby is finished eating.
3. Provide your baby an extra fork to play with while you teach and feed him with a second fork. Your baby will become used to how it feels for him to hold the fork, and he can explore the tines with his other hand as well.
4. Demonstrate how to spear food with a fork, and then give your baby foods that he can practice eating with a fork, such as chunks of cheese and small pieces of chicken.
5. Guide your baby's fork to his mouth, once he has successfully speared a piece of food.
6. Teach your baby to use a fork by eating your own food with a fork in front of him. He will learn through imitating you, so you can even eat food on his tray with your fork to show him how it's done.
7. Shower your baby with praise when he successfully feeds himself with a fork. Babies thrive on positive reinforcement and your encouragement will go a long way toward ensuring his self-feeding success.

Tips & Warnings

• Be patient. It may take months for you to teach your baby to feed himself with a fork, and if he sees that you're frustrated, he may become upset also.
• Don't get discouraged if your baby can't quite master how to spear food with a fork right away. Many babies aren't able to feed themselves with a fork until well into their second year of life.