Any adult who has suffered from stomach problems, dental work or simple curiosity and has eaten a jar of baby food can tell you its no mystery why kids fling that stuff all over the kitchen. Ground up carrots and peas, rough textured meat paste and tasteless applesauce are certainly not going to pass through many lips easily. As one mom at a conference said, "the secret really isn't what my baby eats; the secret is how to get it in him." Fortunately for moms determined to feed a fussy baby a healthy meal, advances in the basic tools of feeding have been made.



A Sip At A Time

The mainstay of every baby and toddler's drinking life is the sippy cup. A usually plastic cup with a spout at the top to regulate the flow of liquid and help teach good drinking habits, the sippy cup is a virtual necessity in every home. However, there can be problems. Some cheaper cups don't have any kind of ventilation which makes the child have to work much harder to get the juice or are clumsy to hold for less coordinated hands. The best sippy cup to alleviate these problems is the Magic Cup by Avent. The Magic Cup uses a patented valve that flexes to allow air flow in and makes the act of drinking much easier. This allows the cup to be used to introduce cup use to your child at an earlier age. The cup is also dishwasher and sterilizer safe. This way your child can start drinking with ease and create good habits along the way.

Fork It Over

For parents on the go as well as toddlers learning about utensil use, there haven't always been many utensil choices. Plastic forks and spoons which are cheap enough to take on trips or lose in the car were too thin and too breakable to be used. Into this need steps the First Years company with their "Take and Toss' line of forks and spoons for infants and toddlers. They are also nice for mom and dad to use too. The forks are made with rounded durable plastic (no spikey fork tines), and the spoons are also rounded with no harsh edges. The handle is thick and substantial so a small hand can hold on, and the price is low enough you can throw them away or lose them like a disposable or keep washing and reusing them. These utensils certainly make eating on the go and much easier proposition for both parent and child.

For Parents With Only Two Hands

One of the most challenging physical feats in parenting is trying to feed an active infant out of one or two baby food jars. Holding the jar/jars, keeping up with swinging arms and kicking feet and getting the train into the station can stress even the best reflexes. Finally a feeding bowl has been developed to help smooth out that lumpy process. The Perfect Feeder Bowl by Mommy's Helper comes with a top with 2 opens surrounded by rubber grips which actually hold standard sized baby food jars in place.

The bottom also is made of a gripping rubber material so it won't slide all over the table. The spoon is a great help with a temperature sensor that will tell you if the child's food is too hot. When traveling just put the lids on the jars, throw it in the bag and go. The bowl will hold the jars in place until you remove them. You can hold two jars in one hand or leave it on the table for a two handed approach to feeding.

There's nothing in the world that might make babies more compliant about eating or help baby food taste better, but at least these products will help the feeding part go down fast.