Baby Cutlery

About

Learning to use a spoon takes months, and for a good while most of what's on it ends up somewhere other than a mouth. That's the process working, not failing. The right baby cutlery shortens the messy part and makes the whole thing less frustrating for both of you. First Spoons and Soft Tips The spoon you start with is one you hold, not your baby. Soft silicone tips are gentle on gums that may already be sore from teething, and a shallow bowl means a manageable amount actually makes it in. Long handles help you reach the bottom of a jar or a pouch without getting purée on your knuckles. Some first spoons flex, which is useful when your baby clamps down mid-mouthful, as they will. Two or three in rotation is about right, since a dropped spoon is out of action and you don't want to be washing one mid-meal. Handing the Spoon Over Somewhere around nine to twelve months, most babies want to do it themselves, and that's where self-feeding cutlery comes in. Short, chunky handles suit a fist grip, which is how toddlers hold everything before they develop a pencil grip. Curved or angled designs help the food arrive roughly where it's aimed. A guard or a wider section near the bowl stops the whole spoon disappearing into a mouth. Expect a stretch where your baby holds one spoon while you quietly use another, which is a completely normal way through and takes the pressure off everyone. Forks, Feeders and What Comes Next Forks arrive after spoons, usually past the first birthday, with blunt tines that still manage to spear a piece of pasta. Matched spoon and fork sets keep things simple and are what most families settle on. Fresh food feeders are a different tool altogether, holding a piece of fruit inside a silicone or mesh pouch so your baby can taste and chew without loose pieces coming free, which suits teething as much as feeding. Stainless steel with a soft-grip handle is where things end up eventually, once the throwing phase has passed and you want something that lasts.