Very Large Babies (AKA Toddlers)

Soon after infancy is a stage of life in which your little angel becomes a Toddler. I have never been quite sure if toddlerhood officially begins at one year of age, when your baby starts walking or when his clothing size become some numerical figure plus T. Regardless, there are some sure fire ways to tell when your baby is a toddler.

There will be a time, when your little bundle of joy wont fit into any of the cute baby things you lovingly purchased for him. Suddenly, the world of onesies is replaced with micro versions of big boy shirts and munchkin size T-Shirts. Most of which will have random numbers in bright bold colors indicating that your little boy will one day wave like mad and shout "Hi Ma" from the playing field. You will also get quite a kick out of the matching shorts and pants that, although same size as the shirt, will most likely fall around your babies ankles whenever he tries to walk. If you have a girl, the stylish dresses, peddle pushers and tanks will turn your baby into a 2 1/2 foot tall Diva, making you suddenly remember each and every time you snuck out of the house to meet a boy and screamed with absolute certainty that your parents hated you and were out to destroy your life. It will be quite clear (and frightening) that your fair share of Calgon moments are just around the corner.

If the new wardrobe requirements aren't enough to rock your world, then meal time certainly will. You see, most young babies are OK for a time being neatly fed from a spoon. Each stray morsel can easily be scooped off their chin and recycled. The occasional mouthful of food lovingly shot across the room and onto your rug will seem like a cinch to clean in light of the mess a toddler can make during mealtime. Toddlers, in my opinion are simply large, mobile babies. You will see what I mean, especially if your toddler is still nursing, likes to be rocked to sleep, and still gets chauffeured around in a stroller or sling. Just because their feet hang practically to the floor when you cradle them in your arms is no reason to completely strip them of their baby status.

Anyways, back to meal time. Your large baby (AKA Toddler) will one day decide that he can feed himself much better then you can. I'm not talking about those adorable little infant attempts and successes at popping a Cheerio in his mouth. OH NO, I am referring to the time when your child will not allow you to put a spoon anywhere near his face unless his chubby little hand is the one holding it. He will scream to be included in what you are eating, insist on feeding himself, and when done... well, you'll know it.

Lets talk about the many different ways to serve food to your large Baby (AKA Toddler).

Bowl, Plate or High Chair Tray...

When serving a meal to your Toddler, the dilema of bowl, plate or highchair tray is a biggie. Even with my third child, I still find myself spending a few moments pondering the best way to serve food to my child.

Bowls seems logical due to the ease in which a small hand can scoop things from the center of the bowl, to the side of the bowl and eventually to the mouth. There are all kinds of baby bowls available. Some have lips on the side to assist successful spoon removal of the contents, some of have suction cups on the bottom to prevent the bowl from sliding around, and some are just smaller version of adult bowls, sporting the latest cartoon character or super hero. Regardless of design, they are all, or should be, constructed from some unbreakable and shatterproof material.

*Note* All non -breakable materials BOUNCE when hitting the floor at turbo speed.

Plates...

Again, there are many different styles of Toddler plates to choose from. I personally like plates because I believe presentation is everything. I feel that your Toddler can easily see the yummy food much easier on a plate. Scooping is a problem, so finger foods are preferred for this serving style. Some plates have lips just like the bowls, some of have compartements to keep the differents foods seperated. (This is the funniest thing I have ever seen. Most babies dont care if their foods are touching and will happily eat most foods all glumped together. However, I do believe this compartment style design may be responsible for your child one day screaming "I don't like it when my macaroni touches my apples!")

There are plates with suction cups and plates with pictures. They all work, and serve the same function as the bowles - getting your baby's food from the kitchen to the highchair . They are (or should be) constructed of unbreakable and shatterproof material.

*Note* All non-breakable materials BOUNCE when hitting the floor at turbo speed.

High Chair...

Now, after purchasing many colors, sizes and designs of Toddler bowls and plates, the high chair will most likely be the serving method your baby prefers. You see, babies are opportunist. If you are going to put food in something or on something, give it to them, smile and declare "this is for baby!", then your baby will do what babies do best. He will dump it out or off, and proceed to move his hand through the contents with a side to side swishing motion. This will resemble your windshield wipers on high and you will know it when you see it. Once he has taken full advantage of your generosity, he will then begin to move the food from the tray to his mouth. You won't be sure how much he really ate, if he ate enough or even if he ate at all. But you can be sure he had a terrific time.

P.S. Sometime during the meal, you will discover why I reminded you more then once that...

All non-breakable items bounce when hitting the floor at turbo speed!

You may also find it useful to click this link, because baby food on your walls, ceiling and floors is very difficult to remove. "Another Meal Bites The Dust"

Forks and Spoons...

In addition to the plates and bowls, you will also find yourself mesmorized by the cute little forks and spoons available in a rainbow of colors. These are useful and I do suggest you purchase them. Your baby will want to use them, becaue he will see you using eating utensils. However, you should never give your child an adult fork to play with. This is very dangerous. Spoons aren't to bad, but make lots of noise when repeatedly bashed on the surface of your baby's trey. Baby plastic forks and spoons are safer, smaller and quiter. Of course it will take some time for your baby to master the skill of eating with a utensil, but I believe that early introduction is important and fun for your baby.

Cups and sippy cup...

Whether you are still breastfeeding or bottle feeding, meal time is a terrific opportunity to introduce the sippy cup if you have not done so already. My little guy has been using a sippy cup for months now. He is still breastfeeding but uses a sippy cup for juice, water and small amounts of milk especially during mealtimes. If you have not yet given your baby a cup or your baby has not seemed interested, mealtime is the perfect catalyst for introducing the cup. Babies like to be big boys and girls and they love to imitate what you are doing. However, an adult cup will be messy, frustrating for your baby to use alone and will deliver quite a shock when the cold liquids ends up all over your baby front side. Sippy cups are terrific and easy for most babies to get the hang of using. There are many styles to choose. My best suggestion is to purchase a few different types and let your baby tell you which he prefers. Put the ones he doesn't like away for later. Older Toddlers are much less picky about the type of cup offered and the others styles will come in handy one day. My little guy uses many differenst styles of cups althoug at first, the AVENT sippy cup was his favorite.

Remember to make mealtime fun. Your baby will be very sad if he is not allowed to play with and discover his food in his delightful Toddler ways. Messes can be cleaned up in minutes, broken baby hearts are much harder to repair.

Happy Mealtime!

To be Continued...