4 Must know about self feeding

Self feeding is an important development for children. Teaching children to self feeding may not be an easy thing. But feeding your child continuously until he grows up is not good either. This will only hinder its development.

Self feeding in children comes in phases, making it a long drawn out, but extremely rewarding, journey for you and your child. Although your child needs to reach toddlerhood to have the physical ability to self feed, it helps to start early. Here are the 4 must know things before you start letting your baby self feeding.

Content:

| Self feeding advantages

| How to encourage self feeding

| Best self feeding age

| My favorite self feeding spoon

Self feeding advantages

Some parents choose to continue feeding their children because they don't want their children to be messy or dirty while eating alone. In fact, this is a learning process that children must go through. Baby led weaning (BLW) is a method that allows babies to self feeding. Mama only needs to prepare food that has been processed according to the baby's ability to eat, then the baby can use his hands to take and feed the food. Letting children eat alone also teaches him many things. Self feeding have many advantages.

Read more: Why letting your baby self-feeding is worth the mess

To prevent obesity

One of them is keeping children connected to their basic instincts (hunger) and listening to their own body cues (satiety). When a child is fed by another person, the child has the potential to eat more than they need, causing them to lose touch with their basic bodily instincts. In addition, it can also trigger stomach upset and can lead to eating problems later in life, such as obesity.

Helping children recognize the taste and texture of food

In applying the BLW method, food is served in a solid and larger form. This will allow your little one to recognize the texture because it is easy to grip. In addition, this method also introduces your little one to the various tastes, colors and aromas of the food he consumes.

Read more: Start feeding your kids solid food with this

Support children's motor development

Implementing the BLW method can support your little one's motor development, you know, Bun. This method can be a means for your little one to train eye and hand coordination, as well as chewing and grasping skills.

Read more: How to help my baby develop their pincer grasp?

Make children enjoy the food they eat

Teaching your little one this method allows him to enjoy the food he is eating without the need to be forced to open his mouth. In addition, your little one can also be introduced to many types of food.

How to encourage self feeding

Don't help put food in their mouth

You could say BLW is a method for making your little one independent when eating. You should really try to step back and believe that your baby can put food well in his mouth. Don't help put food in his mouth and you don't have to worry if you think he doesn't eat much. At this stage, food is a way for your little one to experiment and learn. As extra nutrition, your child will get what he needs from his milk, whether formula milk or breast milk.

Try offering a variety of foods

After your baby learns to use a spoon (holding objects between fingers and thumbs a.k.a. pincer grasp), you can introduce berries and raisins, or peas. Don't overwhelm your baby with too much food, having in front of him two or three items at a time is sufficient.

Read more: Baby's first solid food

Be patient

It is better if you don't rush when you want to let your children self feeding, because your child will choke on food if his age is not suitable, another reason is because he is not good at chewing food that is too solid. Wait until your baby is six months old and make sure he can sit up straight before starting self feeding. Be patient is the key.

Nothing comes easy with the baby. Every habit and every successful milestone is a result of someone’s effort. It could be you, your nanny, your spouse, the siblings or even strangers.

Read more: 3 Rules you must follow when giving first food to your children

Best self feeding age

Learning to self feeding can generally begin at the age of 9 months, when children are able to grasp their own food. At this age, parents is allowed to give them finger foods or foods that are easy to grasp. Children will become interested in holding their own spoon, fork, or water bottle in both hands when they are 13–15 months old.

In my daughter case, I let her start hold when she was 7 months. The food does not always fill the spoon and she not always succeeds in putting it in her mouth. Not a little food will also fall on the floor or table.

Around 18-24 months of age, they will begin to be adept at putting their own food into his mouth less messy. However, your little one must always be supervised when learning to eat on their own. Because they are still learning, sometimes children may choke, cough, or vomit. Later when your little one enters the age of 24–36 months, they will be more adept at eating and enjoying their own food without the need for help from adults.

My favorite self feeding spoon

You might be wondering if you can just get away with using a regular old steel spoon to feed your baby. After all, if it’s good enough for you to eat with, shouldn’t it be fine for a baby?

Some old-school parents will shrug and say that you can feed a toddler just fine without buying yet another special tool. But most feeding authorities recommend using a shallow, plastic children’s spoon for feeding, since it’s easier for them to eat from and won’t hurt their delicate mouths.

Read more: Baby essentials that is important for your children's development

Combined spoon and teether

Some spoons are made a little larger with a more chewy texture, for those teething kids who to bite down on as they eat. The teething element may encourage some kids to use the spoon.

Grabease stage 1 silicone spoon

The soft spoon is perfect for tiny mouths during the early stages of self-feeding, and the textured handle soothes little one's gums during teething. Kickstart BLW with Grabease stage 1 self-feeding silicone spoon.

Shaped ergonomic spoons

Little hands can be clumsy and a spoon is hard to hold. This style of spoon is usually chunkier and shaped to help toddlers get to grips with their fine motor skills.

Grabease stage 2 spoon and fork

Grabease patented fork and spoon sets were the first utensils designed with babies’ independence in mind, and they come highly recommended by Occupational Therapists. The ergonomic handle fits comfortably in babies' natural hand grasp, making the hand-to-mouth motion easier. This set will also help strengthen their fingers while encouraging proper pencil grasp development (this will come in handy later!).

BONUS! Yummy and healthy ice cream for your baby with Grabease

Grabease all-over bib review

Every baby is different when it comes to feeding time and drooling. One bib that works great for one baby might not be so great for another. After more than 2 months use, I finally can write about Grabease all-over bib review, a review from observing my daughter’s experience.

2 months ago, my daughter started her BLW journey. BLW are amazing and I truly believe this style of introducing solid food to your baby has so many positives. However, the biggest con of baby led feeding is that it can be really messy and frustrating to clean up your baby after a messy meal. 

A great bibs (and floor mats) will help you to feel so much happier while doing baby led feeding! You won’t have to constantly stress about the mess and instead can enjoy eating with your baby.

Read more: Despite all the mess that BLW might caused, it is so worth it!

Content:

| Grabease all-over bib introduction

| Grabease all-over bib review

| The final thoughts about Grabease all-over bib

Grabease all-over bib introduction:

Grabease all-over bib contains all of your little one’s mess at meal time! Grabease oversized bib with stretchy elastic hem pairs easily with any high chair. It made from lightweight, stain resistant, and washable fabric. Grabease constructed their all-over bib with a single layer to keep debris and yucky gunk from getting trapped. Stretchy neck and arm holes. Sized to fit from 6 to 24 months. Wipeable and machine washable for the easy clean up you have been dreaming of!

Grabease all-over bib review

The good:

• Large size covers my baby’s and it perfectly pairs with my high chair

• Lightweight - roll up the bib for easy storage or to bring it on-the-go!

• Washable, both machine and hand wash, remember to hang dry completely before storing

• Safe! It BPA-free, PVC-free, vinyl-free, phthalate-free and lead-free

• 100% polyester with TPU coating for waterproofing - it really keeps my baby dry from drool and spills

• I love its colors, especially the blush one!

• Grabease all-over bib has a short sleeves, but this what makes me even love it more, I live in Asia the weather is quite hot here, my daughter couldn’t stand the heat if she wears a long sleeves bib

• You can even use it as cover while making your own baby’s hairstyle

The not so good:

• You need to have either booster chair or high chair to use it, some restaurant don’t have neither of them, so need to use regular bib

• I am not a big fan of their stretchy neck and arm holes, my baby doesn’t really enjoy it

• They are a bit pricey comparing with other bibs’ brand

Read also: Baby bibs for BLW: Grabease all-over bib, Bumkins sleeved bib, or Tidy-tot bib?

My final thoughts about Grabease all-over bib

If you’re looking for bibs with sleeves to keep your toddler clean during meals or art, then this is a great purchase and better quality than its competitors. Highly recommend Grabease all-over bibs for a gift. Their always have amazing packaging! The colors are very eye catching.

Thanks to Mom of 1, Amelia for sending us this review.

History of Grabease - What make Grabease so special?

It's exhausting for every brands to battle the knock offs, however, this is our obligation to our customers, to inform you because it involves the safety of your babies. Knock offs usually are made from factories that only want to make a quick buck. They have no respect for creativity, integrity and safety. 

BabyLux carried brands spent lots of money in safety testings and insurance, and these are all for your child's safety. Yes, you can probably get them cheaper elsewhere, but would you risk your child's life for it? As a parent, the most fulfilling thing is watching your child master a new skill on his or her own. There is no greater joy than watching each milestone take place. Teaching our children new skills is our pleasure but constantly having to practice them can get frustrating.

The history of Grabease

And please respect every brand’s effort and creativity.

From lawyer to product developer, Maya Shalev - founder of Grabease - loved problem-solving but didn't love the aggressiveness of litigation. She did mediation training at the Los Angeles Attorney's office before getting pregnant with her daughter, Alma.

As a stay at home mom for a few years, Maya was able to apply her problem-solving skills when she developed, with her dad, products that were missing in the market.  

In 2014, Maya found herself at a crossroads when her father passed away while she was three months pregnant. Finding herself in this new situation, Maya decided to take a break to cope with the loss of her father and focus her energy on the new life she was bringing into the world.

In 2015, Maya found herself with a new challenge when her six-month-old son, Amit, was learning how to self-feed. This obstacle reignited her passion for developing a product that would not only solve the need for her son but other moms going through similar scenarios.

Off the bat, she noticed that baby utensils aren't designed with babies in mind. The handles were too long and her son couldn't hold the utensil naturally. She decided to meltdown cheap forks to create a shorter, thicker handle. The first mold was created out of Playdough, a common medium in a house with kids.

The next phase was to create a set of utensils, the most expensive pair of fork and spoon she's ever invested in, a whopping $400 for a 3D printed set! Using her son as a guinea pig to test out the new utensils Maya noticed that the handle was on the thin side so she went back to the drawing board and designed a teardrop-shaped handle.

She took this prototype to a Pediatric Occupational Therapist for some feedback to make sure she was developing the right product. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive. The Occupational Therapist told Maya that the Grabease utensils "makes a great developmental product for children ages 4 months and up. Grabease supports fine motor skill development and independent feeding skills."

The inspiration to go back in business to not only create but give back was through the social initiative she saw the Toms brand spearhead. When Grabease was being packed and shipped Maya partnered with The Harvest Home, a non-profit organization that helps homeless pregnant women get back on their feet.

The Grabease design was immediately patented in 2016 and sent to production. A soft launch was introduced via Amazon to see if there was a need for the product. Maya designed the product with the intention that nine-month-old children and older would be using the product but to her surprise moms were excited to share photos and videos of their six-month-old babies self-feeding with the Grabease.

Grabease was tagged by tons of moms on social media, gushing with excitement that their kids were independently eating with the utensils.

The pivotal change for the brand was at the JPMA trade show. The last day of the show is open to consumers, the excitement and the crowd around the Grabease booth was proof that the brand was going to be high in demand. Shortly after, all products were sold out on Amazon as well. Before long, the Grabease website launched!

Read more: Grabease, best baby self feeding spoon and fork set

Not only was Grabease helping babies learn how to independently feed themselves, it was helpful for differently-abled children as well. Parents were sharing how Grabease utensils were helping their children with cerebral palsy or down syndrome. This was heartwarming and impactful for Maya.

Different organizations that helped children with different abilities were now reaching out to the brand for support. Without hesitation, Grabease donated products to help and promote the development of independent eaters. With the word spreading, Maya found herself getting emails and calls from Occupational Therapists that were interested in trying out the product in their clinics and then endorsing the product. Another win for Grabease!

In quarter 1 of 2017 Maya graduated from the kitchen to the garage. Soon after, Nordstroms and other independent retailed picked up the brand and Grabease moved into an office space in 2018.  

Grabease is now available in 300 stores and internationally, accessible in over 15 countries and expanding rapidly!

Maya didn't stop there. The Grabease toothbrush was the next product created. Thought of and designed by Maya's then 8-year-old daughter, Alma. The idea came to her when she saw the struggles her parents were having when trying to brush her little brothers' teeth, Amit. 

Alma sketched the design and 2 years later the design came to life. The toothbrush was a hit. So much so that most kids don’t want to put it down!

Read more: 2019 Grabease new product double sided toothbrush

Maya and the team of moms take pride in developing products that provide solutions for families around the world while helping children in need. Grabease is excited to continue launching innovative and helpful products for other parents because being a parent is a lot of work and we want to alleviate unnecessary stress so you can enjoy the best moments with your growing tot!

Article quoted from Grabease blog post.

Self-feeding utensils, Grabease or Bumkins silicone chewtensils?

Entering the age of 6 months, is the right time for your little one to be introduced to some solid foods. That's when baby spoon and fork are began to be used. Unlike the usual utensils that we use, the baby's spoon and fork must be adjusted to the little one's mouth, safe and comfortable when used.

Baby spoon and fork has its own uniqueness according to the development of your child and is made of various materials that will provide a different eating experience. In this article, we will compare Grabease baby first self-feeding utensils and Bumkins silicone chewtensils.

Both Grabease and Bumkins are perfect to help guide little ones to self-feeding. But, yes, they have some differences that might let parents feel confuse. Let us tell you pros and cons between each product.

Content:

| Bumkins silicone chewtensils pros and cons

| Grabease pros and cons

| Summary

Bumkins silicone chewtensils pros and cons

Bumkins silicone chewtensils pros:

• Bumkins Chewtensils help you to introduce babies to self-feeding by giving them utensils that can be chewed on before transitioning to silverware.

• Bumkins chewtensils made from BPA-free, BPS-free, PVC-free, phthalate-free, cadmium-free and lead-free silicone.

• Back of the spoon head has sensory bumps to stimulate gums

• It can be sterilized by putting it into a boil water.

• Price lower than Grabease

Read more: The best baby spoon fork in 2019

Bumkins silicone chewtensils cons:

• The silicon fork doesn’t work. Not even on the softest foods. Made from silicone bring both pros and cons to it. Since baby can chew it, feel free to imagine how soft is Bumkins silicone chewtensils are.

• The sizes are a little bit too small, smaller than usual baby spoon and fork, it makes baby harder to use.

• Friend of mine have an issue with Bumkins fork, since it is called chewtensils, means baby can chew it, but my friend’s daughter bit it off and almost swallow the bitten part.

Read more: 3 Rules you must follow when giving first food to your children

Bumkis Silicone Chewtensils packaging

Grabease first self-feeding utensils packaging

Grabease pros and cons

Grabease pros:

• Grabease is made from plastic, free from harmful materials like BPA, lead, and phthalates.

• Protect your tot with the baby and toddler fork and spoon set that poses no choking hazards! The cloud acts as a choke protection barrier, preventing the utensils from gagging or harming your little one.

• Grabease short utensil handle makes they are super easy to hold and maneuver, let baby can easily guiding this utensils into their mouth without dropping the food. Grabease short round handles are perfect for baby’s little hand.

• Grabease is not too long, not too deep, not too pointy. Just perfect.

• Dishwasher machine safe.

• A lot of color selection.

• Grabease are the first ergonomic safe self feeding utensils recommended by Occupational Therapists.

Grabease cons:

• Do NOT sterilized it using boiling water!

• Quite pricey comparing with other baby utensils.

Read more: Grabease all-over bib review

Grabease First self-feeding utensils: Green

Bumkins Silicone Chewtensils: Jade

Summary

I like Grabease more than I like Bumkins, why? Because i can see how frustrate my kid when she is using Bumkins fork, she was trying so hard to pitch the toast. Also, the Bumkins more like a teether than a spoon, it is good for transition. When they use Bumkins spoon, my daughter will suck it (the spoon together with the food) while eating. I think Bumkins should sell the spoon separately, I barely use Bumkins’ fork.

After all, it is still depends on your kid’s preference. If your kids just like mine, she or he may prefer Grabease.

“Mealtime should be fun not frustrating.”

It's meal time! The best baby bowls and plates in 2019

There are many development stages in each baby's age. For example, when your baby 6 months old, it is time to start eating extra meal as a companion for breast milk. Parents must be careful in choosing companion meal. The baby's digestive tract is still not as perfect as an adult, so the food must be considered properly.

After introducing solid food to baby, the next step should be learning to eat by themselves. What is the benefit of self-feeding for baby? Beside practicing their motor skills, self-feeding also makes them independent from an early age. You would like to have the proper bowls and plates for success, here’s a list of our favorite baby feeding essentials to help reduce the mess and stress.

Best baby bowls

Avanchy Bamboo Suction Baby Bowl + Spoon

This beautifully designed bamboo set is so cool, you’ll want to eat from it. The organic material is resistant to mold and mildew, and it’s environmentally friendly. The bowl also suctions to surfaces, providing a stable base for little ones learning to feed themselves. And the airtight lock mechanism lets you know for sure that it’s stuck in place.

Keep in mind, these are hand-wash only and can’t be used in the microwave.

Olababy Steam Bowl

Made from BPA- and phthalate-free, food-grade silicone, this bowl can be placed in a saucepan or steamer to safely warm up baby puree or steam veggies without killing off the nutrients. Plus the bowl doesn’t get hot as it steams, so it won’t be too warm for baby. It’s dishwasher safe and can be used in the microwave, as well.

Read more: 3 Rules you must follow when giving first food to your children

Thinkbaby BPA Free Baby Bowl

If you’re avoiding plastic, the Thinkbaby bowl is a durable alternative. Dishwasher safe, it’s made from stainless steel. Since it comes with a lid, you can use it to pack snacks for outings.

Keep in mind, just like plastic, you won’t be able to put this bowl in the microwave.

Best baby plates

ezpz Mini Mat, Happy Mat

Outsmart baby’s tendency to toss his plate on the floor with ezpz’s Mini Mat, a one-piece silicone plate and placemat combo that suctions to the table (or any flat surface). The multiple compartments encourage parents to serve a variety of foods, and its lightweight enough to bring along on trips or dinners out. Made from 100 percent food-grade silicone, it’s BPA, BPS, PVC, lead and phthalate FREE and dishwasher safe. These baby plates even come in a variety of colors.

I love that the design makes it possible for parents to stack and serve two or more mats at a time. That means you can easily use these when you have more than one little child at the table.

Read more: The best baby spoon fork in 2019

ezpz Happy Mat

ezpz Mini Mat

WeeSprout Silicone Divided Toddler Plates

They are practical and made with silicone, which happens to be unbreakable aka toddler-proof. These plates are microwave and dishwasher safe, so clean up is super easy! Surprisingly, WeeSprout plates are also oven and freezer safe, and they don’t transfer heat! The plates come in a set of three, and they are made of 100% FDA certified silicone. Unlike other silicone products, these don’t have a weird taste or smell. They are also BPA-free for safety. It’s one of the best silicone baby dishes which I really recommend.

IKEA SMASKA Plates

Available in colorful, three-piece sets, these no-fuss plates and bowls are microwave safe and dishwasher safe. Don’t let the low cost make you think they’re not safe - these products are also BPA free. It is a budget friendly plate!

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Bobo & Boo Bamboo Kids Plates

If you are looking for eco-friendly toddler plates, Bobo & Boo are some of the best choices! Sold in a set of four. These plates are made with sustainably sourced bamboo, which means they’re non-toxic, BPA and PVC free. Bobo&Boo uses FDA-approved, food-grade bamboo, which means they are baby and environmentally friendly! I also love that, instead of paint, Bobo&Boo mixed natural pigments into the bamboo by-products, so you never have to worry about them chipping or flaking in your child’s food.

Read more: The 5 best straw cups for your baby in 2019

Choosing What’s Right for You

Now that your child has a whole new, edible world to explore, meals become one big adventure. What you use to feed your wee one should make life easier for you and more fun for them. Introducing taste buds to savory and sweet treats is one of the greatest joys of parenthood. Bon appetit!