Mate toddler plate grips table
The "Mate" plate and mat for toddlers keeps a three-sectioned plate stuck to a table top, with snap-on fork and spoon to match. It won't stop your larvae from slathering themselves in muddled pork gravy, but at least they'll have to work harder to up-end the whole mess onto the floor.
The Mate is $20. The plate snaps out of the mat for easy clean up and is dishwasher and microwave safe. We should get one of these for Brownlee, but then he'd suspect we're trying to move him on to solid foods.
Mate stay-put mat + plate product page [SkipHop.com via Crunchgear]
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that looks like a pita to keep clean. if the kid is determined everything is going over the side anyway so get $1 stuff from ikea/target and spend the rest on cloths to wipe up...
Joel, my girlfriend is a Nanny and she just FLIPPED out at this concept. She cares for a very well-behaved toddler, but mealtimes are still "Happyfuntossonfloormakeamess" times. She's screamed "WHY DIDN'T I THINK OF THAT!"
You just made a friend for life sir.
There is no hiding from the truth that your spawn are disgusting.
I bought something similar for one of my boys who liked to make a mess at mealtime. He considered it a challenege. It took him a bit longer to get the stuff onto the floor, but he got good enough at it that even if I sat there watching him, he could usually manage it.
Funny thign is, once we took the sticky device off the bowl, he stopped trying. I guess it just wasn't fun anymore.
Joel, it's things like your Brownlee dig that make me disappointed I never knew you when you were in KC.
@1: Hal, how is it a PITA? The plate snaps right out, and it's washer-safe.
I'm guessing the frustration of parents isn't over the cost of broken dinnerware -- who gives infants glassware? -- but constant clean-up. Ever tried picking rice (fresh or dried) out of a carpet?
I really, really want to take this on an airplane with me.
@#6 because little bits of food are going to get smushed over every surface of the popout plate and the placemat and the shapes will make them harder to wipe clean than regular stuff. Sure you can chuck it all in the dishwasher but I don't run my dishwasher three times a day...
I haven't tried picking rice out of carpet. If I did have a carpet where the kids ate I would probably use a floor protector of some kind...
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/00130407
I agree with #8, these specialty kid plates are always a pain to clean compared to regular old plastic or unbreakable dishes.
On top of it being a completely useless product. Why do so many parents think raising kids requires buying all kinds of specialty products? The only special dishware I had as a tot once I was off the bottle were the old glass jelly jars that turned into drinking glasses once you washed them out. They had cartoon characters on them, I can't remember which ones.
I've tried similar besuctioncupped tableware, and trust me: it's no match for a determined infant or toddler.
simple
1a) attach metal surface to table
or
1b) get a table w/ a metal surface
2a) get metal dish with magnet in the back (usually used in a garage to keep track of nuts , nails and bolts) can get at harbor freights - cheap.
2b) glue a strong magnet to the bottom of plate.
3) attach plate to table , enjoy.
Fancy pants rich kids and their gold plated specialty toddler ware. BAH! In my neighborhood all the kids ate out of dog dishes and liked it.
It looks to me like the fork and spoon are clipped to the mat.
Kid has to work out how to remove them before it gets to eat?
Or throw food all over room if it fails.
Sounds like a fun game for all the family, every meal time.
(for 'it' please read 'he' or 'she' if more appropriate)
why not just use a highchair? I raised two very messy boys and never used plates... just use their highchair tray... it is easily removable for a reason...
Kid needs a Pelican Bib as well.