Disclosure: I am part of the PTPA Brand Ambassador Program with Philips Avent and I received compensation as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own.
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As we’ve moved Millie into a booster seat (where is my baby!?!), our table has suffered a bit. From slamming plates to caked on food (SO much easier bring a tray to the sink, rather than the whole table), dinner time is an experience each and every night… but there are a few things that get us through. Check out my tips to making it a bit easier to weather, and don’t forget to enter the giveaway to get your own My Penguin Sippy Cup from Avent, and make transitioning to a cup a breeze!
![4 Must Haves for Toddler Mealtime #LoveIsInTheDetails [ad]](https://i1.wp.com/aisforadelaide.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/toddler-mealtime-tips-and-tricks-giveaway-loveisinthedetails.jpg?resize=1024%2C681&ssl=1)
- The RIGHT plates and bowls: Plates and bowls that stick to the table are an invaluable tool for parents and caregivers. They seem novel at first, but once you try them, they’re a total no-brainer. Take note: the first bowl of food that hits you in the face, the top leaving food in your hairline, the bottom leaving a ring on your nose (that turns into a nice bruise), you will wish that bad boy was stuck to the table. Do yourself a BIG favor and snap up a few stay put suction bowls or ezpz Happy Mats and keep your kitchen and face clean!
- The RIGHT cup: When it comes to cups, I am rather particular. I want something that is easy to hold, but still offers a cup-like experience. The My Penguin Sippy Cup is all that and more. The angled silicone spout (with a built-in valve) gives a 100% leak free top, paired with a totally natural drinking position. The trainer handles have soft grips, easy for toddlers to learn to hold and maneuver independently, and the top separates from the handle, making the 3 pieces of the cup super easy to clean- the whole thing is dishwasher safe! To put my worries at rest, the My Penguin Sippy Cup is made from BPA free material.
![4 Must Haves for Toddler Mealtime #LoveIsInTheDetails [ad]](https://i1.wp.com/aisforadelaide.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/camillethea-my-penguin-sippy-cup-loveisinthedetails.jpg?resize=681%2C1024&ssl=1)
One of my favorite aspects is that this cup fits onto the Philips Avent Double Electric Breast Pump, making pumping for your toddler that much easier! The cup comes with a lid to go over the silicone top, so storage is also a breeze! Items that work together make mealtime that much easier on you!
![4 Must Haves for Toddler Mealtime #LoveIsInTheDetails [ad]](https://i0.wp.com/aisforadelaide.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/philips-avent-my-penguin-sippy-cup-loveisinthedetails.jpg?resize=844%2C1024&ssl=1)
Providing so much love in all the details. #loveisinthedetails #giveaway Click To Tweet - Drop cloth: Or something like that. I love these floor protection mats! They’re inexpensive and SAVE my dining room floor- the area rug from food stains and my wood floors from liquid damage. I jokingly call them drop cloths because they’re pretty much what you would want under you while you’re painting. They go directly under your child’s chair or high chair and catch anything that hits the floor. They’re also pretty cool because I’ve taught my dog that this is a no-go zone. His not stepping on it means he also doesn’t get to eat from it- hooray for no sick or overweight doggie! It’s a total win-win for us parent people and children people! The mats are far easier than carpet and offer protection from sliding chairs as well!
![4 Must Haves for Toddler Mealtime #LoveIsInTheDetails [ad]](https://i0.wp.com/aisforadelaide.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/protective-floor-mat-toddler-mealtime-loveisinthedetails-.jpg?resize=835%2C1024&ssl=1)
- Patience: No one tells you that mealtime is going to be one of the biggest stressors in your day. They don’t tell you that the simple task of teaching another human the basics of holding and using a fork, drinking from a cup, not throwing the vessel in which one eats from is going to take up hours of your week for what seems like forever. But they are just learning… and you were once learning, too. Someday your toddler will just be eating from their plate and not try to hurl it at you, and all the food will be neatly placed in their mouths and nestled in their bellies. Their spoons and forks will be used for their intended reasons. And this is one more thing they won’t need you for anymore.
Mealtime doesn't have to be a battle. #LoveIsInTheDetails #giveaway Click To Tweet
So, while the days are long, stay strong. You’ve got this thing called mealtime under control.
Hot meals and all the feels to you! Don’t forget to enter the giveaway to win your own My Penguin Sippy Cups!
Philips Avent Penguin Sippy Cup Giveaway
I told you mine, now you tell me your mealtime secrets in the comments!
Toddler mealtime is so fun… and can be messy! Thank you for sharing these products, I need to check them out for my toddler.
You’ll love them!
Phillips Aventi is a great brand. We use their bottles now and will use their sippy cups when the grandkid is old enough.
That’s awesome!
I will use it, we are getting a little one.
Congratulations!
If you don’t have a drop cloth, you’ll definitely need a dog! My dog is always the happiest when my kids are in their toddler years. Such messes!
We have a dog, but don’t want him to be a fatty! LOL!
i dont have any kiddies but mealtime with toddlers always looks so much fun when i am at my friends houses. especially when they make a game out of it. lol
Fun… some days!
I wish we had our dog when my kids were toddlers. It would have saved a lot of clean up.
LOL. Amen to that.
Such a cutie! THis is really informative!
Oh good!
I would keep this prize and use it for our little ones.
They’d love it!
Awesome post and looks like these products really make toddler meal times a breeze! Great share Chelley 🙂
Thanks!
for our first little one we’re expecting in Jan!
Congratulations!
Those sippy cups are a must have they are so convenient and also cute =)
They really are!
No little ones here, so I really didn’t know what toddlers need at mealtime. I’ll definitely reference this next time I’m babysitting our nephews.
I hope it helps!
I can remember toddler mealtime being very messy (still is with my 13 yr old) and needing a lot of patience and rags for the cleanup, LOL. Thanks for sharing.
Oh no! Dinner time doesn’t get easier?
When all is said and done, number four is the most important. And the drop cloths. Seriously. Or a dog 🙂
Truth!
If I win, I’d give the prize to my sister who has a baby that will be using a sippy cup soon!
That would be so awesome! What a sweet sis you are!
When my oldest was a toddler we used to take her to a local Chinese restaurant. The minute we walked through the door they were throwing a drop cloth down under our table!
That is hysterical!
These Avent Sippy Cups might be too “babyish” for my 3 year old so I would love to share with a friend!!
They are super cute- you have a lucky friend!
I remember we had bowls with suction cups on the bottom. They were great until they figured out what the little tab was for. Millie is such a cute pie, just like Addis always smiling for the camera.
HA! Kids are too smart for our ways!
My husband and I are looking to expand our family and want to start for our first child. These are really great tips and I would have never thought of a drop cloth!
It’s all about planning!
Those cups were a must when we had toddlers. We loved the little handles. That drop cloth is a great idea, wish I would have come up with it.
The handles are the best!
Great gift ideas!!!! Where was all this cool stuff when I had a toddler?
Always such cool stuff coming out!
I remember when my daughter was younger, Avent was one of the brands that I just loved. I however found another brand that I loved more but I buy Avent for baby shower gifts all the time.
Avent is my go-to for everything!
I agree about having the right cups and plates. I think the ones with animals on it are great for toddlers. They seem to love the ones with prints on them.
That they do!
The closed sippy cup is a must for sure! My little guy Still spills as a 4 year old. 🙂
My 4 year old, too! Kids are messy!
When I saw your post I thought “Drop Cloth” and sure enough there it was. Once I started using that I felt sane again.
AMEN!
I would use the sippy for my son!!!!
He will love it!
I’ve never seen one where a cup can fit onto the pump. That is sheer genius, I tell ya.
Seriously!!!
We loved these bottles when the kids were feeding! They stayed in great shape the entire time we had them!
They really are the best!
I love the cup. Mess free yet gives your toddler independance.
For sure!