After having one baby, I thought I had it down. I thought with my next baby I could repeat the same processes, use the same products, follow the same routine, and that things would be smooooooth sailing. Whoa boy. How naïve. My second has been so much different than my first! From the type of pacifiers he uses, to his sleep schedule, to how often he wants to eat! It’s all different, people! THEY MAKE YOU LEARN IT ALL OVER AGAIN!!! My kids especially differ in their eating habits. With my first, we had a strict bottle feeding schedule that she liked, and introduced solids by the book. First rice cereal, then purees, then finger foods, and then real food. Perfect, right? Enter baby number two. This kid drinks more formula than a set of triplets, eats on demand all day, and even though he is 8 months, he has almost NO interest in food! He won’t eat purees, hates rice cereal, and won’t eat up little food bits we place on his tray! Basically, the point I’m trying to make here: there are a bajillion different ways that kids eat. Each baby has a preferred eating style, and as long as you can find a way that gets the food into their belly, I’d say you’re doing a pretty good job, mom. But for those of you who need ideas, here are some tips!
Num Num Dips are perfect for every age!
For the kids that like purees, an amazing tool to get them to start feeding themselves are Num Num Dips. They’re spoons with grooves at the end, designed to hold food in place until they make it to baby’s mouth, where they can suck the puree out. For the younger babes, there’s a spoon but basically with a basket with grooves at the end, but as baby grows, there’s another one without the basket that just grips the food better. It’s pretty much a genius idea. They can hold it any way because it lies flat, and it picks and grips food so there’s no spilling, and minimal mess! Win win! Here's an awesome video so you can see how they work!
I personally love it when they can finally start to use their own spoons and forks, it makes mealtime so much more fun and less stressful! I especially love it when they grow out of baby food and can join in on what we eat. It was great when we rounded that corner with our first child. It’s so nice to really feel like you’re including them at mealtime. Once the kiddos start to really use their forks and spoons, it’s still sometimes a challenge for them to get that spoon into their mouth though, which is where another great tool comes in: the Boon Bender. This one is so neat, you guys. You can BEND the end of it so that it’s angled perfectly to your child’s movement! My husband saw how it was angled and was like, “But only righties can use it!” And then I told him “BUT IT BENDS!!!!!” and he basically thought it was the coolest thing ever. So amazing. All you need to do is use a sharper angle for when your child first starts out feeding themselves, then slowly move that angle until they can eat with a straight utensil! Tools like these are exactly what us mamas and papas need. Boon Benders Pink/Magenta and Blue/Green are available online!
Now, one last tool that makes things easier for EVERY parent who loves to go out to eat is Boon's brand new product: the Boon Snug Spout Sippy Cup. These things are fantastic. Why? Because they fit over almost ANY CUP and turn it into a sippy cup. Do you even realize how much room your sippy cup takes up in your diaper bag? Think about reducing that whole sippy to just this one little silicone topper that can be smashed down! Seriously, you are going to be winning at this mom thing.
Hopefully, some of these things can get things going in the right direction with your little ones. Don’t worry, we all learn to love food at some point! (I mean, aren’t we all obsessed with food by now?!) Your babies will definitely get there soon!! Stay strong, mama!! If you need some more encouragement come visit our Cubby Mom's at our Lindon, UT baby store - they are always there for you to talk to! Written by Caitlin Cummings