5 Meal Time Tips for a Happy Baby
November 4, 2016This post and giveaway were made possible by iConnect and Dreft. I was compensated for my participation in this campaign, but all opinions are 100% mine.
When it comes to feeding babies, meal time can get messy very quickly. Are you a mom that tries to minimize the mess, or are you someone who embraces the mess & encourages the little ones to play with their food? Interestingly, research has shown that playing with one’s food is both engaging and educational for little ones. Making a mess while eating comes with the territory of being a kid! However, when you have the right gear on hand & the right frame of mind, dealing with the mess that results from meal time is no big deal!
5 Meal Time Tips for a Happy Baby
Meal Time Tips for a Happy Baby
If your baby likes to make a mess during meal time, be sure to check out the new Dreft contest: America’s Messiest Baby Contest! Families are invited to submit photos of their little ones getting messy with food. There are many prizes to win, including being chosen to be on the cover of the May issue of Parents Magazine! Isn’t that exciting? Let’s all stop worrying about all those crumbs on the floor or the extra laundry that’s being produced. Let’s celebrate the beautiful – and messy – moments with children as they get familiar with food. Enter the fun #MessiestBabyContest online at this webpage or simply post your photo to Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #messiestbabycontest. Winners will also receive a supply of Dreft laundry detergent!
To help spread the word about this fun contest, Dreft partnered with actress Molly Sims. On October 25th, Molly Sims embraced messy meal time with young kids and helped kick off the nationwide search for America’s Messiest Baby at the Dreft Messy Play Date Party in New York City. As a mom of two with another on the way, Molly Sims can appreciate the value of play time.
Meal Time Tips for Baby
Are you ready for my top 5 five tips now? Let’s see how to have successful mealtime with baby:
1. Slip-Proof Bowls: Nothing is more frustrating than pouring pureed food into a bowl and then watching baby knock it down to the floor. Purchase a set of slip-proof bowls to keep accidental spills to a minimum. Notice how this set has suction cups on the bottom for a better grip!
Meal Time Tips for Baby
2. Handheld Vacuum Cleaner: Having to clean up after meal time is inevitable. Rather than lugging out the heavy vacuum cleaner at least 3 times per day, invest in a high-quality handheld vacuum to make quick work of all those crumbs and cereal spills.
Meal Time Tips for Baby
3. Baby Bibs: Keeping baby’s clothing clean is always easier when you have plenty of bibs on hand. Collect several of them so you always have one available for meal time or snack time.
Meal Time Tips for a Happy Baby
4. Dreft Laundry Detergent: Regardless of how many precautions you take, clothing will get dirty! It’s part of the process. My daughter enjoys snack time and really loves these pouches that let her feed herself.
Meal Time Tips for Baby
However, she sometimes squeezes the pouch before it gets to her mouth! Here is what her shirt looked like after this snack was over.
Meal Time Tips for Baby
Have you ever thrown away an article of clothing that got dirty because you didn’t think you could get it clean again? In fact, 80% of moms polled in a survey admitted to throwing away clothing because they felt the mess wasn’t worth washing out. With Dreft on hand, I don’t worry about all those stubborn food stains. I simply poured some of the detergent into the correct compartment of my washing machine. Did you know that Dreft is the #1 baby laundry detergent choice of pediatricians? It has been a well-respected brand for over 80 years and it easily removes 99% of baby food stains & other messes!
Meal Time Tips for Baby
I also added the Dreft Blissfuls scent-beads to the wash. These fragrant beads are safe on all fabrics & can release freshness for up to two weeks!
Meal Time Tips for Baby
Here is her shirt after coming out of the washing machine! Pretty impressive, right?
Meal Time Tips for Baby
I’m always impressed with how effective Dreft is at cleaning clothing. Not only is Dreft effective at cleaning clothing, but keep in mind that the Active and Newborn lines are specifically formulated to be gentle and hypoallergenic on baby’s sensitive skin.
5. The Right Attitude: Messes are inevitable when it comes to feeding children. Make sure you accept this fact and have fun with the whole process. My daughter sometimes likes to play games with me during snack time. In fact, research has proven that smashing, throwing and playing with food actually helps babies learn!* So making a mess at meal time is not just fun for kids – it’s also educational! Moreover, it can actually help soothe kids! Often we will practice counting as she hands me pieces of cereal one-by-one.
Meal Time Tips for Baby
Despite the mess that results, I try to encourage her to play with her food at home! Did you know that 87% of moms typically opt for activities that are less messy for their kids? Keep in mind that among these moms, 89% agree that children are happier when they make a mess! So it’s time to let our kids have fun with their food. After all, it’s good for them!
Meal Time Tips for Baby
Sometimes she likes to share her snack with me. Sometimes she refuses to share any of it with me. It’s all about having fun, after all.
Meal Time Tips for Baby
To keep up-to-date on the latest from Dreft, be sure to check them out on social media: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Want even more tips on keeping baby happy and well-rounded? Dr. Dyan Hes is the Medical Director of Gramercy Pediatrics in New York City, and is double boarded in both pediatrics and obesity medicine. Here are some of her tips on keeping baby engaged during meal time:
- Use baby’s food to learn counting. Count the individual snacks and use baby’s fingers to teach her all about numbers.
- Throw food to encourage baby to practice gross motor skills. Throwing food also teaches kids the basics of physics and gravity.
- Make bath time a time for fun. Bring toys and activities into the bath and let baby explore and play. Use warm water and stick to a mild cleanser to keep baby’s skin in top shape.
To get even more tips and to share your experience with other moms, don’t forget to check out the Dreft #MessiestBabyContest Twitter Party! It will take place on Monday, November 14th from 9PM-10Pm EST. There are some amazing prizes, including an iRobot Roomba! RSVP here!
Now, it’s time for an amazing giveaway! Enter below for a chance to win the following prize package from Dreft:
- *$50 AMEX Card
- *Dreft product
Good luck, friends!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Now, learn more about Dreft and tell me: What are your tips for encouraging play time during meal time? Do you try to keep messes to a minimum or do you promote messy play?
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Mealtime for babies and toddlers can be extremely messy. I remember my kids eating spaghetti when they were little and oh, my, it would be everywhere. I always used Dreft and this really takes me back to when they were little tots. Precious memories!
How awesome is that cleaner, I don’t have a child but I do have a messy boyfriend so will have to try some 😉
The good idea to have a handheld vacuum underneath the child. I had to for cover vacuums so to speak that would clean up but I would have to say it’s probably cleaner to vacuum it LOL.
I have used Drreft before. I love how well it cleans the clothes and that it smells good.
I have tried Dreft many times and what I like about it is that it is so gentle on my kids clothes and makes them smell so good! The detergent gets my sons clothes so clean!
I love the smell of it.
Having the right attitude is so true! I don’t have any kids of my own but I’m the oldest of four and one of my siblings is 10 now. I remember when she was a baby and me being a teenager it was all about the way I confronted her that made her understand what was okay and not okay. Love this post!
Silvia
http://www.lovelysilvia.com
Bobs are so important for a successful meal with the baby. My granddaughter can get food everywhere when she is eating!
I have used Dreft when my son was growing up. It was my favorite because his clothes were always so soft and clean! 🙂
I have tried Dreft. I love the smell
I have not, but I think it would be great and come in real handy. Thanks so much for the chance to win and for letting me know about this great product!
I have never tried Dreft. I like that it seems to clean clothes really well.
I love how affordable it is and how powerful Dreft products are at cleaning.
We love Dreft detergent!! I have to say nothing prepares you for meal time when you have your first, these are great tips to help!
Those are some helpful tips! I especially like the idea of getting a hand-held vac, and I think I could use one of those spill proof bowls, myself! :p
I have used Dreft, and I prefer it from other brands. I like that it is hypoallergenic. Thank you for the chance to win this!
I’ve used dreft and I love the smell.
We use Dreft for all of my granddaughter’s laundry. I love that it’s hypo-allergenic.
I love Dreft because it is so gentle and because it works so well!
I like that its gentle but cleans great, the scent and the price. I always add Dreft to baby shower presents.
I have never tried Dreft, but I’d really like to!
I’ve used Dreft before I really liked the smell and how it left the clothing feeling so fresh and clean.
Yes I have tried Dreft. Love the laundry smell to it and it’s very gentle for my child’s clothing.
Yes I’ve tried it.. I love how it makes all the laundry smell good.
I tried Dreft when I had my firstborn. I’ve used it since.
I love the scent! Dreft is awesome!
Great tips! I’m glad my four year old is becoming a little less messy when he eats, but I sure do remember when most meals, especially the messy ones ended up on the floor. What a mess!
I loved the scent and how well it cleans my baby’s clothes!
I have tried Dreft and I love it is good for sensitive skin.
Used Dreft with my kids and now I use it with my granddaughter
Yes, I use Dreft on all of my daughter’s laundry. I love the “baby” smell.
I tried it & loved the smell!
I have used Dreft. It is so good for baby clothes. Thank you for the giveaway.
Dreft helped me through those messy kid years! The kids were really messy, whether they were eating or when they were playing, but they were still the cutest little kids in the world!
Dreft is the best. I used it when my children were younger.
Always removed the stains. Great Giveaway
Dreft was my go-to laundry detergent when my girls were little. I love it so much.
These products sound amazing! Dreft is such a great brand. These are wonderful tips too!
I never used Dreft before because its price was a little bit out of our budget, but I know that others are great fans of it. There is nothing worse than a bad detergent that doesn’t get all of the food stains out of clothing!
Yes I have tried and used Dreft for many years. I like how well it works and so great for my sons sensitive skin.
I loved using Dreft and admit that sometimes I STILL use it! I love that smell
I have and still use dreft. I started using dreft when I was given a bottle of Newborn detergent at my baby shower. Now I always include a bottle at baby showers that I go to.
I have not used Dreft before. I like that it is hypoallergenic because my family has sensitive skin.
I so remember this age and stage with my kids. I tried to give them some controlled independence but it always ended up with a mess. Stain remover and Dreft were my go to items.
I have never tried dreft but I would like to.
I have tried Dreft. I love the smell!
I love to soft feel of my laundry and the great scent.
Yes, i have tried it and i love the way it smells and how soft the clothes come out.
These are all great tips for meal time with babies. The slip proof bowl is such a great idea. and I know when my kids were babies I only used Dreft laundry detergent. Thanks for sharing the tips.
The hand held vacuum cleaner is SUCH a good idea to have handy with toddlers! Love this post!
We have used Dreft, and love it! I really love the smell of it, but more important is how gentle it is on our little ones clothing and skin!
Your tips are so helpful and I’ll pass them along to my daughter who has been TTC for 8+ years. I used Dreft on her and she’s already said it will be the detergent of choice for her baby.
I have used dreft. I love that it is gentle, yet effective;)
We have used Dreft a lot. I love that it is gentle and doesn’t make my daughter’s eczema worse!
I love dreft! The smell is so wonderful! We use it for all of our laundry!
Yes I’ve tried Dreft.. I love how wonderful it smells.
I have not tried it yet but I would love to try it.
I have not tried it.
Yes! I’ve tried Dreft because my daughter’s pediatricians recommended it for their sensitive skin. I love the smell and the fact that I can use coupons to buy them. Thanks for the chance to win such an amazing giveaway.
LOVE THE RESULTS AND THE SMELL.
This brand is not available here in the Philippines unfortunately.
Your kid is so adorable even if messy.