He's 21 months old now, and I'm not sure what kind of cup he should drink from or how adept he should be at using kid-sized flatware but I'm learning not to care about the little things. I know he needs to move away from sippy cups that could impact his teeth so, for the most part, he's using the ones that don't have the silicone mouth pieces. Whenever I remember, I give him a few tablespoons of water in a regular plastic cup so he can practice (which he's quite good at, but usually resorts to dumping food into it or tipping it upside down so that transition is a ways off). I offer him flatware at most meals and am learning to just not pay attention to whether he's using them or not -- except I make a point to encourage him when he does use them.
The milestones:
- Recently I realized that he doesn't make nearly the mess he used to. I'm no longer the human Zamboni, wiping up gobs of food from the floor every day.
- He asks for milk by name. He sometimes asks for juice, but we almost never have any and therefore neither does he. He's better off as far as his teeth and temperament are concerned.
- Yesterday he ate peas with his spoon. This is huge! It's always been finger food. Hey, I'll take a win where I can.
The yet-to-be-improved:
- Throwing food, utensils, cups, plates, or whatever else is in reach continues to drive me batty. I give him a firm "no" and take everything away. If I can tell he still wants to eat, I hand it back with a warning, but the second time it happens the meal is over.
- Oatmeal still apparently makes a nice hair accessory.
I know, it's a process. And often I forget that he's not even 2 years old yet, so I take a deep breath and embrace him right where he is. Because he's beautiful just the way he is.
