https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Fri, 17 Apr 2026 14:20:55 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/blw-is-a-giant-mess-tips#post-2693323 Tue, 07 Feb 2017 19:55:48 +0000 meadow 2693323@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: I should clarify - they don't throw the food to be annoying/messy...it is more of a lack of control I think. Like they are trying to turn the piece of food around in their hand to get a better angle and it falls out. Or they are inspecting it like the Statue of Liberty and then drop it like they would a toy - but it goes to the floor.</p> <p>@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: @Littlebit7: @MrsRoo: Oh we absolutely eat in diapers only as a way of keeping the kiddos clothing clean (their bibs are an absolute disaster so I learned that lesson quick!)</p> <p>@Littlebit7: That is a good idea about seating them on the floor ontop of a mat. This could certainly take out the mess factor for atleast the wooden chairs! I'll give that a shot in our routine!</p> <p>@Lady Baltimore: I think it was the third day of solids that I thought for half a second that I wished we had a dog! </p> <p>@Gingerbebe: Well that's a neat idea for protecting the chairs!</p> <p>@Foodnerd81: Bowls? What are those? haha - we aren't anywhere close to bowls or utencils yet!</p> <p>@Babytsmom: That also is a good idea since they can't rip it off! My DD just figured out how to remove her own bib.</p> <p>@T.H.O.U.: I agree - I only put 1 or two pieces of food on their tray at a time.</p> <p>Thank you all for your responses - tips - ideas! I feel better knowing I'm not alone and you all survived (hopefully without ant invasions or ruined floors!) I look forward to trying some of these strategies out! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/blw-is-a-giant-mess-tips#post-2692921 Tue, 07 Feb 2017 10:56:33 +0000 T.H.O.U. 2692921@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I agree with limiting the amount of food on the tray really helps. One or two pieces and then they get more when that is eaten. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/blw-is-a-giant-mess-tips#post-2692913 Tue, 07 Feb 2017 10:51:09 +0000 brownepiano 2692913@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I use the same Fisher Price boosters. They can go in the dishwasher! We have ours strapped onto a chair I don't care about. We only have the back strap on so it's easy to lift up and clean. </p> <p>Full arm bibs are great. We also just change onsies after every meal. He drools so much anyway it is easier. </p> <p>I do a mix of spoon feeding and BLW, but it's all table food. If it's really messy I just give him a little to try to pick up and spoon feed him the rest. Or give him the non messy stuff and spoon feed the rest. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/blw-is-a-giant-mess-tips#post-2692784 Tue, 07 Feb 2017 08:47:14 +0000 Littlebit7 2692784@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Oh and also. If you want to feed them BLW-style outside the house, get some of the smock bibs. They cover their entire little bodies and you can throw the in the wash. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/blw-is-a-giant-mess-tips#post-2692780 Tue, 07 Feb 2017 08:41:48 +0000 MrsBrewer 2692780@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@lady baltimore: this was my suggestion! We have 2 labs, and I never have to clean food off the floor! 😂😉 </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/blw-is-a-giant-mess-tips#post-2692776 Tue, 07 Feb 2017 08:28:48 +0000 lamariniere 2692776@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@ElbieKay: oh yeah! Those Bjorn bibs for the win! </p> <p>I hadn't heard about BLW when my oldest kid was in that stage, but I tried it with my younger one. I put everything on a plate and only put 2-3 items at a time, and very small portions. It was more about not wasting than mess (even though I hate mess). Something that was also important to me was to teach my kids to eat properly by keeping food on the plate. Sure, things would end up on the table or floor, but a surprising amount also stayed where it was supposed to. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/blw-is-a-giant-mess-tips#post-2692771 Tue, 07 Feb 2017 07:52:33 +0000 KayKay 2692771@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yep, it's messy. I can't imagine doing it for every meal with 2 babies and without a dog!</p> <p>I'd give yourself a little grace. Do what you can to help with the mess (ideas suggested above: no clothes on, the baby bjorn bib, put them right on the floor, some sort of splat mat underneath). And on the days when you don't feel like cleaning up as much mess, do some purees or give them smaller amounts of drier/less messy foods without guilt! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/blw-is-a-giant-mess-tips#post-2692770 Tue, 07 Feb 2017 07:33:42 +0000 ElbieKay 2692770@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>This is why I did not bother with BLW. We spoonfed messy food. We let him play with less messy food. My inner crunchy mama liked the concept of BLW but mama already had her hands full with the rest of her mama job (and her office job).</p> <p>Eta yes the baby bjorn trough bib was key. Still is, in fact, at almost 3yo. We don't use it all the time, but it's critical to contain things like breakfast cereal. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/blw-is-a-giant-mess-tips#post-2692769 Tue, 07 Feb 2017 07:24:25 +0000 Mrs. Lemon-Lime 2692769@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsRoo: @peaches1038: yes, the bibs with the "trough" help a lot! We use <a href="https://www.amazon.com/BabyBj%C3%B6rn-046270us-BABYBJORN-Soft-Bib/dp/B00N9YKXG0" rel="nofollow">https://www.amazon.com/BabyBj%C3%B6rn-046270us-BABYBJORN-Soft-Bib/dp/B00N9YKXG0</a></p> <p>One other tip: I find when I eat with LO he is much more focused on putting food in his mouth and keeping his arms and hands in front of him. Walking around doing "kitchen stuff" inevitably are messier nights. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/blw-is-a-giant-mess-tips#post-2692748 Tue, 07 Feb 2017 00:49:26 +0000 katsupgirl 2692748@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@lady baltimore: that was my solution with my first cause I don't remember that much of a mess. Dogs love BLW!</p> <p>I'm considering a splat mat but will probably just swifter every night. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/blw-is-a-giant-mess-tips#post-2692747 Tue, 07 Feb 2017 00:43:00 +0000 youboots 2692747@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Get a dog. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/blw-is-a-giant-mess-tips#post-2692743 Tue, 07 Feb 2017 00:00:24 +0000 BabyTsMom 2692743@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Get a splat mat or two. They are easily wiped down after meals and keep the mess off of your floors. After a few months of trying different silicone bibs, we resorted to putting slightly oversized t-shirts over our LO's shirt during meals. (This is second-best to a naked baby!) We went to Old Navy and bought a few t-shirts on clearance that were 3 sizes too big, but were perfect to put on over our kid's normal shirt. Not perfect (like if he was wearing long-sleeves, etc), but really really helpful in keeping most of the food off of his shirt! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/blw-is-a-giant-mess-tips#post-2692734 Mon, 06 Feb 2017 22:23:11 +0000 MrsRoo 2692734@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Definitely diapers only for meals and something on the floor to catch spills. I'll also second the bibs that @peaches1038: linked to. They are the best pouch style bibs I've tried. And DD has learned that if her tray is empty she can take food out of the pouch and eat it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/blw-is-a-giant-mess-tips#post-2692731 Mon, 06 Feb 2017 22:01:02 +0000 MenagerieMama 2692731@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm going to have to second the get a dog suggestion. How do you dog-less people do it?? Now LO is older she'll call the dogs over if she spills. I seriously dreaded having her eat somewhere without dogs when she was still so messy! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/blw-is-a-giant-mess-tips#post-2692714 Mon, 06 Feb 2017 21:13:01 +0000 Foodnerd81 2692714@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Oh yeah and I only put a few pieces on her tray at a time. When I put the full serving I run the risk of the whole serving on the floor. We don't use bowls or plates because she's too interested in turning them over. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/blw-is-a-giant-mess-tips#post-2692711 Mon, 06 Feb 2017 21:10:26 +0000 Foodnerd81 2692711@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Definitely a towel on the chair seat if it's upholstery. Otherwise- I never found a good solution and I did blw with both kids. I tried a vinyl tablecloth and I had to clean that instead of the wood floor and it didn't really seem easier. Now my 13 month old only starts dropping food when she is full, but it took a good few months for that. Before it was just curiosity but sill hungry. I can only imagine the mess with twins! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/blw-is-a-giant-mess-tips#post-2692709 Mon, 06 Feb 2017 21:07:08 +0000 Mama Bird 2692709@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Oh, my... maybe try putting a plastic sheet under the chairs and tape it down, but I'm sure they can toss things pretty far. I never know where the food will land. </p> <p>Maaaybe if one of them is less into throwing food, make a big deal of praising them for eating neatly and hope the other one decides to copy that :silly: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/blw-is-a-giant-mess-tips#post-2692707 Mon, 06 Feb 2017 21:06:43 +0000 peaches1038 2692707@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yep, it's a mess. My 15 month old can be super neat or a complete disaster. It just depends on his mood and what we are eating. Also, now that he's learning to use a spoon, it's a whole new mess. </p> <p>We found these bibs to be the best. They lay flat and the pouch really catches a lot.<br /> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B013P1M6AM/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&#038;qid=1486432692&#038;sr=8-1&#038;keywords=oxo+bib" rel="nofollow">https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B013P1M6AM/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&#038;qid=1486432692&#038;sr=8-1&#038;keywords=oxo+bib</a></p> <p>He does throw his food occasionally, but I give one warning and if he does it again, mealtime is over. But in the beginning, I would just give a few pieces at a time to cut down on it. </p> <p>We have wood floors and we just wipe it up every night. If he ventures back to it before we get there, meh.</p> <p>I just try to remember that he's exploring and learning so much while he's eating. He eats SO WELL and rarely finds something he doesn't like. It's so worth it and I'm really glad we stuck with it </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/blw-is-a-giant-mess-tips#post-2692706 Mon, 06 Feb 2017 21:04:52 +0000 gingerbebe 2692706@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Costco sells these paper tablecloths with a plastic film backing - they're meant to be disposable for food service. It's back where the paper plates are. You can cut them in half and masking tape them to your chairs and then put the boosters on top of them. You can just swap them out every week assuming you pick off big chunks of food and they don't get sopping wet or something. I use the same thing under my son's learning tower and replace it once a week.</p> <p>You can also tape the tablecloths to the floor under the chairs but I think a polyester tablecloth is probably going to be better since you can shake off the crumbs in the backyard and then run it through the wash. I use a splat mat with my kid but if I had two you'd need a larger cloth. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/blw-is-a-giant-mess-tips#post-2692703 Mon, 06 Feb 2017 20:55:09 +0000 lady baltimore 2692703@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Get a dog. :wink: :silly: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/blw-is-a-giant-mess-tips#post-2692702 Mon, 06 Feb 2017 20:50:20 +0000 Anya 2692702@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I put newspaper or an old sheet on the floor under LO's seat. And no clothes. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/blw-is-a-giant-mess-tips#post-2692699 Mon, 06 Feb 2017 20:36:39 +0000 justjules 2692699@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>oh yes! BLW can be messy. My LO went through a food throwing phase. Only giving him one piece at a time helped. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/blw-is-a-giant-mess-tips#post-2692698 Mon, 06 Feb 2017 20:33:38 +0000 LindsayLou 2692698@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It gets better.</p> <p>My girl is 17 months, and a pretty neat eater most of the time. The 16 month old I nanny for is not a neat eater. I put a towel down underneath her high chair, and bundle it up as soon as she's down, before either girl can go back and pick through the thrown and dropped food. </p> <p>I think the booster seats might also be able to be run through the dishwasher. We also put a towel between the wood chair and the booster when we use ours. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/blw-is-a-giant-mess-tips#post-2692696 Mon, 06 Feb 2017 20:27:05 +0000 erinbaderin 2692696@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsSRS: That was going to be my suggestion too - cheap wipeable high chairs, remove your good chairs from the equation. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/blw-is-a-giant-mess-tips#post-2692693 Mon, 06 Feb 2017 20:24:36 +0000 MrsSRS 2692693@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Ikea high chairs, no clothes, and only 2 or 3 pieces of food on the tray at a time? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/blw-is-a-giant-mess-tips#post-2692688 Mon, 06 Feb 2017 20:19:40 +0000 Littlebit7 2692688@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I only have one kid and it was a mess. Maybe put the boosters directly on the floors with the trays on? At least their food will hit the floor faster, less range for them to throw, and no chairs to cleanup. Perhaps a vinyl tablecloth on the floor and then the fisher price chairs on top?<br /> I mean, I'm still finding spaghetti sauce months later. And i found a REALLY old half a banana behind a door frame. And I'm not a slob, I swear.</p> <p>Oh and meals only in a diaper. It will save their clothes and your laundry budget </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/blw-is-a-giant-mess-tips#post-2692685 Mon, 06 Feb 2017 20:18:10 +0000 Mrs. Lemon-Lime 2692685@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm sure throwing food has something to do with baby's temperament. My LO is not really into throwing his food, but when he starts smearing his face dinner time is up. We will take a little face touch, but typically rubbing the eyes means he's had enough. All that to ask, when does the throwing start?</p> <p>We use suctioned bowls that work pretty well and prevent LO from turning over his food without a little struggle that we notice. I will dump his bowl contents on his high chair and he will happily resume eating.</p> <p>For messy stuff like spaghetti I feed him in just a diaper. Some messier foods just mean immediate bath time after dinner. Babies feeding themselves is just messy! Like you, I try to do a little clean up while LO is contained in the high chair. He loves the hand held vacuum we use to get all his chair and floor droppings. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/blw-is-a-giant-mess-tips#post-2692681 Mon, 06 Feb 2017 20:05:10 +0000 meadow 2692681@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My twins are 8 months and we are 2 months into the swing of BLW. In addition to eating solids at school I try to "dinner" with them each night. I knew going into it that BLW would be a messy endeavor....but I am having trouble keeping up with the mess and am hoping for some tips of the trade from the HB community!!</p> <p>Any tips on how to manage the mess? I feel like I need to mop nightly - which also seems absurd and unrealistic. The kids are setup on fisher price boosters on top of our dining room (wooden) chairs and we have wood floors. I've noticed that the chairs are taking a beating from either food not getting perfectly cleaned off or the use of wet wipes/too wet paper towels? I try to do a quick wipe on the floor before I take the kids out (DD likes to crawl back over to that zone and investigate if any food was leftover - haha!)</p> <p>I know that the throwing food on the ground will eventually calm down -- but the end is nowhere in sight as of yet. </p> <p>Advice? Tips of the trade? I feel silly writing this - but have this gut feeling there is something I am missing and HB is going to open my eyes :)</p> <p>TIA! </p>