Training a Toddler to Eat

We continue to take the boys to breakfast almost every weekend.  Even though we are on a tight budget with the new house, we feel it's important family time.  But perhaps even more importantly, we feel the need to "train" the boys to eat in public from an early age.  I can't imagine taking them out when they are older if we haven't eased them into the experience by eating out regularly from an early age.  We usually go to Brianna's in Bridgewater, and we basically open the place.  We are there around 6:45/7:00AM!  But it's nice to beat the crowds and be out before the place is so crowded that we have to worry about annoying other people with two toddlers.  Dawn our regular waitress is so good to us, and she has a granddaughter that was born within weeks of the boys, so she understands!

We generally order pretty much as soon as we sit down!  We go back and forth between ordering the boys French toast and scrambled eggs with cheese and pumpernickel toast.  Mostly, we order eggs and toast because that's their favorite.  Sometimes they don't eat the eggs, but they ALWAYS eat their "black bread," as Carlos calls it. 

Adrian

Sebastian 

 At home, the boys are such pigs when they eat.  Just take a look at the utensil experimenting...

Sebastian eating yogurt with honey

Gross.  But at daycare, they do better.  I dropped them off last Friday after their pre-op hearing test.  It was snack time when my mom and I arrived at the daycare.  They went barging right into the room and parked themselves at the little table.  All the rest of the kids were already sitting eating apple sauce with a spoon.  And there they were, eating with a spoon and not with their hands.  Adrian especially was doing well with it.  I  guess it's because they follow the lead of the other kids at daycare, but it's like magic.  I certainly can't get them to eat with a spoon very well at home.  Mostly they pick up the applesauce and yogurt with their fingers, smoosh it everywhere, and then suck on the spoon.  I guess someday they will learn to use a fork and spoon?  Not sure when or how, but I guess it will happen sooner or later!  It just seems hard to envision right now after cleaning up their messes.