Friday, 6 November 2015

WEANING: Baby Bjorn Tableware


Now that we've been weaning for a good few weeks and Isabella has gotten used to me feeding her I have begun to let her discover the art of feeding herself (i.e. create a lot of mess!) Mealtimes are so much fun now - I've settled into a routine with feeding and Isabella is quickly learning the skill of eating solid foods. Now that we are starting to give Isabella finger food I have been giving her her own plate and spoon to have a go at using. It's so strange looking at her in her high chair, with a plate, spoon and cup trying to feed herself. She's becoming such an independent little lady!
We've been using the Baby Bjorn Plate*, Spoon* and Cup* to support Isabella in learning to eat independently. I'm fully aware that this is a very long process! After working in a nursery while at university I remember the mess, time and patience required for teaching children how to use a knife and fork correctly. But there are various cleverly designed products on the market that can make this process easier and hopefully less messy. Baby Bjorn have some of these products that are specifically designed for children to feed themselves.
I've been giving Isabella the Baby Bjorn Spoon while I've been feeding her and it's been ideal for practising the skill of grasping a spoon and coordinating it to her mouth. The grip friendly handle of the Baby Bjorn spoon has made it easy for Isabella to hold and because the handle isn't too long it means she can get the round end of the spoon into her mouth relatively easily. We're a long way off her being able to feed herself but practise makes perfect as the saying goes! 
The Baby Bjorn Plate is shaped like a three-leafed clover, so that it's easier for children to scoop up the food with their spoon or fork instead of constantly chasing the food around the plate. I have been steaming batons of carrot, potato, sweet potato etc and giving them to Isabella on this plate. She has used the edges of the plate to help her pick the pieces up too. 
Since we started weaning we have been offering Isabella water with every 'meal', so that she gets used to drinking water when she's eating. I didn't want to give her water in a bottle, so we've been using a range of more grown up beakers and cups. Again it's a whole new skill to learn and I've been so impressed at how well Isabella has taken to drinking water from the Baby Bjorn Baby Cup. The large base has helped it not to be knocked over more than a couple of times! I also like that it is small enough for Isabella to pick up with two hands, though she still needs a lot more practise with putting the baby cup down again. But there's plenty of time for that.
Although Isabella is doing so well with feeding herself there is a lot of mess created when weaning a baby - how does it manage to get on the back of their head? On the floor? Down the side of the highchair? Underneath their feet? It's intense but one place that has manage to stay relatively clean has been underneath our Baby Bjorn Soft Bib*. I love the colour, that it's easy to clean and that the spill pocket is nice and deep - minimising mess. The adjustable neck also means that it will grow with Isabella - perfect because I can see that the mess isn't going anywhere for a long time! 

Do you have any tips for supporting babies to feed themselves?

Feel free to leave me a comment :)

Helen x
Binky Linky
A Cornish Mum
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7 comments

  1. We have been on our Baby Led Weaning journey for 4 months now and we are still putting food straight on Lexie's high chair tray. I have been thinking about getting her some tableware so it's good to hear these come with a good review. I think i'll be checking them out #BinkyLinky

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  2. Matilda's been using preloaded spoons for a while but she's not quite got her head around sippy cups (or real grown up cups!). The only useful thing I've discovered so far is that the best way to stop her protesting about having her hands cleaned afterwards is to put a bowl of water in front of her and let her "wash" her hands herself.

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    Replies
    1. Oo I really like that idea - definitely be trying that one out, thank you! :)

      Helen x

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  3. Aw she looks so cute in these photos :) she's doing really well for her age! My children (9 and 11 years) are still messy eaters....though not as bad as they were ha
    Thanks for linking up to #PicknMix
    Stevie x

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  4. I've not seen this weaning range before, it looks really good though! Sadly too late for my peeps now but a very good friend is expecting in the new year so I will keep it in mind!

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  5. Looks like a nice little bowl for blw. Love the colour and shape. Feels like ages ago that I was weaning my two! Thanks for linking up to the #BinkyLinky

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  6. Lovely post a really nice bowl thanks for linking to the Binkylinky

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