As a parent, you cannot let your toddler have their meals or drinks in the normal utensils that we usually use at our home. They can be dangerous for infants. Moreover, most kids refuse to eat food from simple utensils. This is the reason why you need to have the best utensils for your newborns.
From spoon and fork sets to special eating bowls and plates, there are several options that you can get for your kid. That’s why we have listed down some of the major factors based on which you can choose the best toddler utensils within your budget.
What Are The Different Types Of Utensils You Can Buy For Your Kid?
Before you buy the products, you need to decide what types of utensils you will need for your kid. Here we have described the four major types of utensils suitable for newborns.
Flat Utensils
The flat utensils like plates, flat dishes, trays, and others are useful. They have a larger surface area, and hence, you can put a lot of food items on the dishware.
Bowls And Curved Toddler Utensils
These utensils consist of soup bowls, cereal bowls, small miniature bowls, and so on. They are mainly used to feed mashed or semi-liquid foods to your kids.
Glasses And Mugs
The glasses are mainly for drinking water and juices, while the mugs can be used for having milk. While buying the glasses and mugs, make sure they have handles on both sides.
Cutleries
Cutleries will include sets of spoons, forks, and knives, using which your kid will eat food by themselves. Make sure the forks and knives don't have sharp edges that might hurt your child.
What Are The Factors You Need To Consider To Choose The Best Toddler Utensils?
Material
The first thing that you need to know about toddler utensils is the material with which they are made. Usually, polymer materials are used in designing these utensils so that they don't break accidentally and hurt your kid. However, polymers are synthetic chemicals and can release toxins. So, make sure that the utensils you have chosen are made from food-grade plastic. This is a special kind of polymer where the chemical components don't react with the food.
Age Compatibility
A five-year-old toddler can use a spoon where the handle is made from plastic material, but the rest of the part is manufactured with stainless steel. However, the same utensil won't be a good choice for a two-year-old toddler. So, before you buy the utensils, check the appropriate age for which the product is manufactured. This way, you won't have to go through the cumbersome process of returning the products and ordering a new utensil set again.
Design And Style
Next, you have to focus on the design and style of the toddler utensils. Many couples usually buy utensils based on gender. For example, if they have a baby girl, they prefer to have pink shaded utensils with cute structures or cartoons printed on them. On the contrary, parents having a baby boy prefer utensils of blue color or any other dark shade.
Durability
It would be best if you consider the durability of the toddler utensils before investing your money in them. Make sure they are coated properly with a safe material so that the paints used for doing the pattern and artwork don't come off. Similarly, you need to purchase those utensils which are unbreakable even if they fall off from the table or slip from your hands.
Cost
Lastly, you need to set a budget for buying the toddler utensils. Even though they aren't costly, like silverware or glassware items, having a budget will help you buy utensils for your kids without hassle. The usual price range of these products varies between $10 to a few hundred dollars based on the product type, material, and design.
What Are The Benefits Of Using Special Toddler Utensils?
1. With the toddler utensils, you can easily teach them how to eat on their own.
2. As these utensils are made from silicone or other polymer materials, your baby will be safe from any injury.
3. You can encourage your kids to have their meals with different utensils having colored prints, cartoon-face shapes, and other such designs.
4. The toddler utensils are very easy to clean and store.
How To Train The Toddlers To Eat Their Food?
1. First of all, get the utensils that you think your toddler is going to love the most. Most parents prefer feeding appliances having cartoon characters printed on them or an animal structure for their kids.
2. You must ensure that your kid can identify the different utensils like plates, different bowls, and others.
3. Once the proper utensil set is chosen, teach them how to use their fingers to grab the spoon first. Ater they learn about holding the spoons, you can move to the fork.
4. Next, show them how to take the morsels slowly using the fork or spoon without making a mess on their face.
5. While training your toddler, you must always use a high chair with proper guards so that they can easily reach the utensil kept over the countertop.
6. While giving them milk or anything liquid, use a wide but long mug with a handle. Please buy mugs where the inner side of the handles has finger grips.
Toddler Utensil FAQ
Q. Can I buy the toddler utensils in sets?
A. Yes, you can buy the toddler utensils in sets, having different dishware items. For example, you can purchase a set of toddler plates with two different-sized bowls. You can even get a set consisting of spoons and a fork. Buying utensil sets is a better option since it will cost you less. Besides, you can make your kid happy and satisfied by giving them matching utensils.
Q. How should I clean the toddler utensils?
A. As most of the toddler utensils are made from silicone or hard plastic, you can easily clean them using the dishwasher liquid and a soft sponge. However, it will be better if you don't use the hard sponges because they tend to damage the surface of the utensils.
Q. Can I get utensil sets specifically for my baby girl?
A. Yes, you can get utensil sets specific for your baby girl. For example, a set of pink spoons and fork or soup bowls having a cute teddy print on the outside will be perfect for your kid.