For the past month or so, we have really been trying to teach Sienna to use cutlery. A few people have been hesitant to how she would find it as we have been doing BLW and she has eaten with her hands since quite a young age. I am proud to say that she picked it up SO quickly and has nearly got the hang of it completely.
We were kindly sent these products from Boon, you may have seen them in action on one of my YouTube videos as Sienna has been using these a lot. All of Boon's range is funky, bright and modern which we love, don't they look amazing?
With Sienna being a girl, we were naturally drawn towards the purple and green products first. This included the Groovy + Modware Interlocking plate and bowl with utensils. The names sounds innovative and it did not disappoint. The plate are bowl are fixed together but still look fun, they have high sides so brilliant for keeping food in place and scooping the food onto the utensils. They also have a purple rubber rim on the bottom to give it more grip to the surface it is on.
The real unique feature of this is that it comes with 2 little dipping bowls. They are detachable and can be fixed anywhere on the edge of the plate, making food time fun for toddlers which is what we are all about! The utensils are also great, they are chunky to give good grip, a great size and haven't been stained yet with any foods like Bolognese! The only problem we have is that sometimes they aren't big enough for Sienna's already, monstrous appetite, although perfect for breakfasts and snacks!
The Swig Straw Sippy Cup is the kind of thing I have been looking at for Sienna for a while. She is completely off bottles now and only has water or milk from a sippy cup of some kind. When we are out, she will sometimes drink from a straw so I didn't think she would have a problem with this, however, she does still tip it up to try and drink it and I'm not sure it works as she whinges and then throws it down. I have tried to hold it still and get her to suck it like she does with a straw but she is too independent and doesn't understand why she can't hold her own cup. I don't blame her as this is what we have taught her but I am just trying to help her 'get it', haha! I'm sure she will eventually get the hang of it and then it will be in use a bit more although I have to open it when she wants a drink as she can't push it herself, again this will come with time and age I hope but for now, it is not the one we reach for the most at her age, even though it says 12+ months.
Next up we tried the Benders, Adaptable utensils. These have a brilliant concept, they can be positioned in anyway to help your child whatever stage they are at. The heads of the utensils bend in both ways to help them get the food in their mouths, the only thing with these is that sometimes Sienna is a bit too heavy handed at trying to stab her food and they then bend out the way and don't pick up the food. This frustrates her and she reverts to using her hands again.. not the plan!
Lastly, we tried out the Snack Ball. A snack container that holds snacks but it tough enough for them not to be crushed; something we definitely need when in our changing bag! Unlike some similar products, this one unscrews half way to make cleaning easy and is top-rack dishwasher safe like all the products, for even easier cleaning. As with the zippy cup though, Sienna can't undo this herself so isn't very practical if she is in the car and I can't reach. The other thing is that it is completely sphere, yes, this makes it double up as a ball for Sienna to play with but it isn't easy to put down on any surface, it rolls off everything and has me catching it in funny positions like I am in a game of netball.. not really a habit I want to make at every snack time!
Despite our little niggles about these products, we really love the modern, funky colours and unique, innovative concepts. Although they may not be perfect, Boon have very nearly got it right!
Do you have any Boon products? What are your thoughts?
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