Tidy Snack Dispenser
Anyone with small kids knows about snack catchers; new parents should check them out. These ingenious cups let little fingers in to grab cereal bits, crackers, or dried fruit, etc, but won’t let food out when the cup tips over. The flexible rubbery (BPA free) flaps serves as a one-way gate. Keeps the food clean, car seats and floors tidy, and hungry toddlers satisfied. There are now other competing brands using the same principle. They also come in larger sized containers. —KK
Less air bottle
Even if you intend to exclusively breastfeed your infant, you may find you’ll need to supplement with a bottle occasionally. Or if father is needed to handle feeding duties when mom’s not around, you’ll need a bottle. For those times — or if you are bottle feeding all the way — Dr. Brown’s Baby Bottles are the only bottles you’ll want to use. We found these Bottles to be absolute lifesavers, and have recommended them without hesitation to other new parents who have immediately confirmed our experiences with them: less gas, colic and other feeding-related unpleasantness.
The secret to Dr. Brown’s Baby Bottles, apparently, is the tube system inside — it prevents the infant from swallowing air, which makes for a happier baby (and by extension, happier parents). As baby eats and the bottle drains, the internal tube directs incoming air to above the bottle contents, so the young one’s not working against a vacuum. This is supposed to be easier on their eardrums, too. Make of it what you will, but we’ve managed to avoid the ear-infection boogeyman which seems to hit nearly every other young family we know. Also, unlike similar systems that use collapsing bags to keep out the vacuum, you don’t need to keep a supply of the little bags around.
The only downside I can see to Dr. Brown’s Baby Bottles is that there are more parts to clean – the nipple, ring, rubber disk/valve and rigid tube inside. (The FAQ says you need to use their nipples. We never tried any others when we were using them so I don’t know if you can use others.)
Our kids were about 90% breastfed (the last 2 of our 5 kids didn’t use bottles at all), but we used these bottles extensively when we were sharing feeding duties or had to supplement with formula. A co-worker who tried them on our recommendation came back the very next morning — nearly in tears — thanking me. The bottles are available in 2, 4 and 8 oz. sizes. — James Quinby
A teaching cup
We discovered this cup when our second child was having problems gulping from a spouted cup or bottle causing her to choke and vomit. A Doidy cup was suggested and it immediately solved the problem, as she could suddenly see what she was doing.
With our third child we have used them since starting him on solids, and they are also much easier for the parent or caregiver who is feeding the child to see what they are doing. I even hear good reports of this being used to top a newborn up with milk whilst breastfeeding is still establishing. A fantastic, if simple, idea. And they come in lovely jolly colours too; my son is particularly fond of his pink one! — Nathalie Marshall
Rollable, portable kid’s placemat
I am a grandmother who enjoys taking her grandchildren out to eat. Many times I’ve wanted to push the booster seat or high chair (without the tray) up to the table, cut the food up, and serve it to my grandchildren on the table with me. This tiny diner placemat covers the table and provides a clean eating surface that also catches spilled food, and has been my favorite take along tool.
It rolls up and fits in my purse, washes off easily, and helps me control the cleanliness of my grandchildren’s eating surfaces. I have seen disposable models, however they do not have the trough for spilled food, and are not re-useable and therefore more expensive. I have used this mat for 2 years, and take it with me anywhere I take my grandkids.
[This mat is made out of a material called Thermoplastic Elastomer (TPE) and is a non-latex, non-PVC, non-phthalate, non-BPA material.] — Constance Smith
Better bibs
I’ve been using these bibs for over a year, and they are the best of the dozens I’ve had and the only ones I use now. They are cheap; a pack of two costs $5. They go on easily with a sturdy velcro closure on the back. I’ve washed them countless times and they’re still like new. The long sleeves and total coverage keep clothes 100% clean.
They are water repellant and even have a flap on the bottom to catch stray food and liquids. They can be wiped clean of small messes with a wet sponge and be ready for reuse right away. For big messes they can be taken off inside out to contain the spill. I always keep some in my bag and find them to be one of the things I can’t go without.— Maria Piccolo
Infant food catcher
The humble bib, a highly functional item that (usually) keeps a baby’s clothes from getting splattered with food, has been around a long time without too many major improvements. Until now. Bibs made of non-porous, moldable, resilient silicone are a real step forward. The key features of the one we have from BabyBjörn are its shape and washability. The bib projects outward and terminates in an upward scoop, which not only covers more of the lap, but also catches and collects most dropped food that would miss an ordinary bib. So food that falls in it needn’t be wasted; it’s easy to spoon food out of it and back into the baby’s mouth. We used to have several cloth bibs in regular use, which we rinsed out after each use and hung to dry. We had one oilcloth bib that was better than the others in that it rinses off fairly easily and dries quickly. But the silicone bib has replaced them all, because it rinses off with supreme ease, has no seams to catch crud, and is dry almost immediately. Although a quick rinse is sufficient, clean freaks can also put it in the dishwasher. It attaches around the baby’s neck easily and securely, with a fastener integral to the bib, of the same material. There’s an ocean of cuteness in the world of baby gear, but dealing with an infant or a toddler is made more manageable by functionality, not gear decorated with adorable pink butterflies. This bib really makes life easier. — Michael Wilmeth
