Baby Feeding Funtimes

Thanks to Plum Organics for sponsoring my post about tips for baby feeding magic. What if you let baby choose what's for dinner? Check out their cute "Quest for Yum!" video and see what happens!

We are deep into the baby food these days.  Which, honestly, was something I was dreading this time around.  It's gross and messy and fraught with lots of decisions.  So I thought I'd share some tips for making the whole thing alot more relaxed and fun:

1.)  Trust your instinct / let them lead the way.  This is one of my fav. parenting tips in general but it is especially true for food.  They will let you know when it's time for the next step.  For example the recommendations on when certain kids can have certain foods?  Yeah I kindof ignore those.  My kid isn't even close to crawling and yet:

TEETHING BISCUIT CONTRABAND!!!!!

 2.)  PUFFS!!!!  I've talked before about how much I love the puffs.  They are the perfect starter food.  They dissolve so you don't have to worry about your kid choking (within reason.  I mean don't shove a whole fistfull of them in there or something) and they are great practice for the fine motor skills required to feed themselves. 

Even if they don't get it right the first time.

Or 100th time.

And can I just tell you how much I love the SuperPuffs?  They come in literally a rainbow of flavors.  For someone as color obsessed for me is So. Much. Fun. Plus it's a great way for me to explain eating a variety of fruits and veggies to my toddler.  Rainbows = YUM. 

My mom kindof has a thing for colors...

3.)  I don't feed my kids something that I wouldn't eat myself.  I remember a distinct moment when feeding my daughter when I opened package of somesortof processed meat stick thing for babies.  I took one look at it and threw it in the garbage opting instead to give her tiny bites of the turkey from my sandwich.  Since then I've been pretty strict about this one.  I don't eat piles of processed stuff so it just won't exist in our household.

4.)  Mix stuff you know they like with the new things they might not.  My son LOVES the pears.  Any of the veggies (especially carrots)?  Not so much.  But if I mix them together...

Everything is better mixed with pears is the baby equivalent of everything tastes better covered in cheese.

In this case he's eating and loving the Plum Organic Blueberry, Pear, & Purple Carrot mix.

5.) Keep their hands busy with something dishwasher safe.  I've found it to be much easier to feed him if he's not grabbing at the spoon.  When he gets a little bigger and less flail-y I'll just give him his own spoon to play with but for now he rocks the plastic keys.


And when he's done eating?  They go straight in the dishwasher.  Super simple.

6.)  It doesn't have to be made specifically for babies to be used to feed them.  Seriously, you guys.  It took me so long to figure this one out.  You can put baby food in regular people bowls.  CRAZY THAT!

7.)  Use the bumbo as a high chair.  It takes up so much less space than the GIANT PLASTIC high chair we had for our daughter.  I can clean the whole thing in the sink and make the whole thing disappear when not in use.  Simple.

8.)  I feed him when we eat.  Not only is it more convenient b/c we're in the kitchen anyways but it's getting us into the good habit of family dinners from day one.  Plus his sister keeps him happy:

9.)  Balanced over a week.  This one came straight from my pediatrician and has become my mantra.  As long as your kid eats a balanced diet over a week you don't have to worry about if they are eating one balanced meal (or eating it at all).  So much less stressful this way!

10.)  Keep it fun.  Heart shaped grilled cheese sandwich:

Enough said.

So yeah - the baby food phase has been ALOT more fun this time around.  And really is there anything cuter than a messy baby?

For more adorable check out this video by Plum Organics:

I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective. To learn more about Plum Organics, visit their Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/PlumOrganics.