Skip to main content

Trying out travel placemats

Eating out with Henry can be a messy business, so I'm always on the lookout for ways to make it a little less so. Recently, we tried out two different types of placements designed for kids. Since Henry is still practicing how to eat from a bowl or plate, a placemat helps to make clean-up easier. Also, sometimes Henry wants to chew on the edge of the table, so a placemat helps protect the table from his sharp teeth.

 The first product we tried was the TinyDiner Placemat. This item receives rave reviews from other baby-led weaning families so I thought we should give it a try. This placemat has suction cups along the sides to help it stay on the table and a catch tray along the front edge to collect dropped items. When baby is done eating, it rolls up and can be tucked in the pocket of diaper bag. It is reusable and dishwasher safe.
Henry eats Japanese food from his TinyDiner Placemat.
The first couple of times we used the TinyDiner, Henry was distracted by the catch-tray. As you can see in the photo below, he spent a good portion of our meal chewing on the tray instead of eating his food. 
Henry attempts to eat the TinyDiner Placemat.
After a few uses, Henry figured out how to rip the suction cups off of the table. In addition, since the placemat spent most of the time rolled up in the side pocket of Henry's diaper bag, the plastic wanted to return to that shape when we laid it out on the table. This mat would benefit from stronger and more effectively placed suction cups.

Since the TinyDiner Placemat was not working well for us, I went in search of another option. I purchased one set of the Neat Solutions Neat-Ware Table Topper. These placemats come in packs of 20 but they fold up very small so I can tuck a few in a diaper bag pocket. While I am not a huge fan of disposable products, these are biodegradable. 

The placemat sticks securely along all four edges to the table. I adhere the front of the placemat just under the table edge and so far Henry has not been able to peel them off of the table. I have heard that some of the Table Toppers only have adhesive on two sides so be aware that they are not all the same.
Henry waits for his meal.
The Table Toppers come in several fun patterns which we look at together while waiting for our food to arrive. So far the designs have not proven distracting during mealtime, but I could see how this may cause problems for some kids.
Henry enjoys eating a quesadilla off of his Table Topper.
When Henry is done eating, I just peel the placemat up by each corner, folding them in to the center to create a pouch for any remaining bits of food and water. Several waitresses have remarked that these placemats are a great accessory for eating out with little ones.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Baby-Led Weaning Cookbook

UPDATE (10/2/12): Unfortunately, I did not hear back from our original winner. Congratulations to our alternate winner for "The Baby-Led Weaning Cookbook" -- Robin Pfefer. UPDATE (9/29/12): I am happy to announce that Kashia Clopper is the winner of "The Baby-Led Weaning Cookbook". When I was first thinking about using the Baby-Led Weaning (BLW) model for Henry, I was unsure about whether it would really work. I was excited about BLW’s claims of less stressful meals that the whole family could share together. Plus, I was all for encouraging Henry to gain new skills by learning about the shapes, textures, colors, smells and flavors of food. This sounded ideal in theory, but would it work in practice? After some fun but ineffective attempts at letting Henry feed himself, I went in search of resources to learn more about BLW. I needed to learn how to prepare meals for our family in which Henry could participate. That’s when I found “ The Baby-Led ...
16 comments
Read more

Five-Spice Salmon with Zucchini Spears (Serves 2 + baby)

As I mentioned yesterday, fish can be an outstanding choice for babies. It is a very healthy option. Plus, it melts into small pieces that are easy for Henry to chew and swallow. This recipe is Henry-approved. I've heard some people are intimidated by cooking fish, but there's no reason to be anxious. Grilling fish gives it a smoky flavor. Just be sure to oil the barbecue so the fish doesn't stick to the grate. The fish is ready when it easily flakes apart with a fork. This is likely to be our last grilling recipe for a while, since the weather is cooling down for autumn. Five-spice salmon and zucchini on the grill Ingredients 1 Tablespoon sesame oil 1 Tablespoon soy sauce 1 Tablespoon Chinese five-spice 1/3 cup orange or pineapple juice 1 clove garlic, crushed or minced 1 10-ounce salmon fillet 1 medium zucchini Henry enjoying a salmon dinner. Directions Whisk together the first five ingredients in a small bowl to create the ma...
4 comments
Read more

Tuesday Tip for Picky Eaters: Set a good example

This week’s Tuesday Tip for Picky Eaters: Set a good example. As parents, we are the first role models for Henry. He will learn from our example, so Daddy and I need to eat our fruits and vegetables too. I am not a big fan of mango, but I let Henry watch me eat it with a smile on my face. Then he wants to try some mango too. Henry is more likely to eat fruits and vegetables when he sees Mommy and Daddy eat them too. A recent study confirmed that when parents lead by example their children have a more nutritious diet. The best way to inspire healthy eating habits is to demonstrate them first-hand to your children. Another study found that when parents ate an extra serving of fruit or vegetables each day, their child ate an additional half serving. Yes, it is important to talk with kids about food. But don’t just tell your child to eat their vegetables, let them see you eating a balanced meal that includes plenty of fruits and veggies. It may not always seem like it,...
3 comments
Read more