The best sippy cups and dinnerware for your toddler

I am a mother of two beautiful children who like any other growing child can make the Biggest messes! There is enough to clean up in a house lived in by a family of four, than to have to constantly sop up juice and milk all over the place. And what about staining those precious shirts you work so hard to wash, fold and put away! Yeah, so that is why I LOVE the Playtex no spill spout sippy cups. They can take a beating, tumble drop, go in the dishwasher and still NO LEAK. This I love and I can rely on when in or out of the house. They come in girl and boy colors and I have purchased and seen them sold many places such as Target, Walmart, CVS and online of course. When you want a reliable no spill cup to buy for your new "sipper", use Playtex and you will not be disappointed.

I like the Gerber cups for the "older" toddler, 18 mos + because you can find some bigger versions with "straw" spouts etc. They can hold more, so that the older toddler can get a larger much needed drink. They will also help aid in practicing drinking from a straw and holding a cup correctly. In addition, they can aid in self esteem, especially for a younger child trying to be like a big brother or sister, with a "big kid cup". And the added bonus of "no spill" is great too. The only annoyance with this cup for me is if they play with the straw and flip it open/close over and over it can flick juice. So watch out for the trick!!

Nuby Sippy cups came in great use when transitioning my son from the bottle to the cup. They have a spout that is in the shape of a toddler cup but the feel of a nipple. Therefore the texture is the same as the bottle feed but the shape is new so that not too many changes are made all at once. Try using this for the midday bottle and then slowly integrate into the morning, evening and last the middle of the night feed. This is what helped my son eventuallly sleep through the night EVERY night. He knew he was not getting the bottle and so this spout did not give that full bottle feeling and he was able to break himself from needing that. Hope this strategy works just as well for you as it did for us!

 When it comes to plates spoons and forks its not so much the best brand but the best characteristics to look for.  When picking a new feeding spoon for a new eater use a spoon that has the rubber coating on it to be more comfortable for a new eater.  When they graduate to self feeding.  You can use the plastic "sporks" with curved, gripped handles.  I found some at walmart in the baby section for about $2.00.  They also have cheap plates with different sections for portioning out different parts of the meal.  I also like the plates and bowls that have rubber bottoms and are less likely to move when the child is trying to scoop up food from the plate or bowl.  All of these things help them learn to eat more civilized but be patient you will still get food on the floor and they will still occasionally use their hands.  It is just part of letting them get use to the whole thing.  Good Luck!