Half of young children don’t use cutlery

mORe than half of young children do not use knives and forks when eating at home, new research has revealed.

Parents allow them to pick up food with their fingers at lunch and dinner times instead of teaching them table manners.

experts warn that youngsters are not developing adequate social skills and will struggle to eat in primary school canteens. they are also hampering their development as the fine motor skills gained by practising with cutlery help children’s brains develop as they grow.

Britain’s stem cell bank, StemProtect, surveyed 3,000 parents with children aged between two and five, with 54 per cent admitting their children did not use a knife and fork to eat meals.

anna edwards, of StemProtect, said it was important children learned life skills ‘early on’, adding: ‘it might seem quicker and easier to help meal times along by assisting your child in eating – but this is a skill they need to learn for themselves. many children will abandon their cutlery... reverting back to using their fingers.’

Just over a third of parents across the country (36 per cent) admitted they didn’t eat with their children.