Recently, our two became a three and suddenly, we are family. It’s a word that brings with it multitude of joy, challenge, delight and stuff. It also brings a new opportunity to celebrate mealtime and make it a family affair, right from the very beginning. Here are a few of our favorite things for making family meals happy meals.
(1) Bright, striped primary colored Bibs to Go by Sami and the pretty and pale version by Dwell Studio aren’t for every day {if you live by the mantra reduce, reuse and recycle} but they are brilliant for outings.
(2) You’ll love these bamboo baby spoons when it comes time for spoon-feeding, and in the meantime, they are safe for baby’s curious fingers to grab off the table when they’re sitting on your lap at mealtime.
(3) While we’re still a long way from solid food, mammas and papas have to eat too, so we love these melamine papa bear plates by Jane Jenni. Soon we’ll add the little piglet and sweet pea versions for our baby bean’s place at the table.
(4) And speaking of eating, it is still very possible to eat out with the babe, especially when they are teeny tiny and satisfied to sleep in your lap with a belly full of mother’s milk. Be sure to bring a few pretty distractions in case they wake. Our favorite ~ the ABCs by Charley Harper.
8 comments:
These are too cute for words! yummy food served with style! Keep it coming!
BTW, would love to have a glimpse at recipes for healthy and appealing toddler dishes from your vault!
Thank you! Recipes coming at one point! I'm still experimenting with a whole new level of cooking, one handed, with the babe in the other. :)
Love Love Love that book, the 1-2-3 book is great too!
Love to see that you are starting off with family mealtimes. I have found it HARD to do but appreciate your thoughts on making it easier.
I too would LOVE healthy and yummy toddler recipe ideas. You are always full of great inspiration!
Hi Sarah
I wanted to share this blog with you that I found super helpful when I was first starting to think about foods for my son. He's three and a half now and eats everything! Kale, chard, he is the healthiest eater I know. People always ask me how do I get him to eat "so well". Its because I've always put it into his hands to eat when he's hungry and not when he doesn't want to. I provide healthy choices and he takes what he needs. I never realized it but the Gerber cereals are part of a funnel into a lifetime of artificial and processed foods. Check this out http://babyledweaning.blogware.com/
Marija
Thanks for all your great comments everyone! And Marija, thanks for sharing your successes and the blog that helped you get there. I'd love for this to be a place to learn and share from each other's family food success and failures and hopefully help us all raise curious, thoughtful {and HAPPY} little eaters. Keep the comments coming!
~S
Family meals and feeding my toddler is something that I think about, struggle with and (try not to) stress over regularly. Working full time outside of the house adds stress to getting healthy meals on the table in time and with ease. I will admit some days go better than others but ultimately I keep trying. I am committed to having family meals. We all eat together and eat the same food and there is no tv, phones or 'screens' around.
I think feeding your children can be one of the biggest stressors of parenthood and as a fairly new parent I would classify myself as a work in progress in this area. After an emotional breakdown in my pediatrician's office when my son was 7 months and I was trying to get him to eat more a variety of pureed foods he shared the book Child of Mine and the mindset that when it comes to feeding-parents can decide the when, where, and what and the children decide if and how much. I remind myself this regularly especially when my son has decided not to eat anything that I have offered!! Oh the joys of parenting :)
Kelly, thanks for your comment, and for sharing your experience. I admit to already having one breakdown after just leaving our pediatrician's office when I learned that at four weeks, Greta hadn't gained enough weight {according to the charts}. That can be a real confidence blow to a new, nursing mamma, and I suspect that is just the first of many. She's a bit of a nibbler, certainly a more dainty eater than I am. We learned that is just her style and I have to keep offering! It's hard work, but the most important work, right? :)
I love the philosophy that parents decide when, where and what and the children decide if and how much! Thanks for bringing that to the table!
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