The time has come when the tiny person in your life needs weaning.  

Get ready for mess, food on every surface, funny faces, oh, and the occasional refusal. 

Typically, babies begin weaning at around six months and are initially combined with breast milk or formula, known as complementary feeding. 

They will start off with a varied diet of purees, soft fruits and veggies. Be prepared for the blender to be your new best friend as it can help you save time and whizz up tasty recipes in minutes.

The best time to feed a baby is when they are not tired and are feeling relaxed and settled.

But how can babies safely begin to self-feed? Enter Bibado’s Dippit, a game-changing weaning utensil that also allows your baby to pick it up with two hands.

Learning to eat is a whole new skill for little ones, and some take to it like a duck to water and others need a little more encouragement.

A well-crafted spoon is essential for your baby’s development to help encourage sufficient self-feeding and enjoyable mealtimes. 

The bonus of Bibado is that it allows babies to take control of their meals, explore tastes and decide how much they want to eat. 

Suitable even for younger babies, on one side you have the handy dipper which is great for your baby to reach the landmark discovery of food flavours and touch.  

The Dippit is also soft and soothing on the gums for when teething strikes and can assist in strengthing the mouth muscles which is crucial for chewing food and lumpier textures as they grow.

Babies can use the Dippit to get a taste of their first yoghurts, purees, porridge and more as you navigate their menus.

Initially, babies will have less wrist control to hold a spoon but eating with the dipper means they are well on their way to becoming well-coordinated tiny foodies. 

Get the DIPPIT here.

Because of its shape and style, it can also be used for baby-led weaning, traditional weaning or a combination of the two which is a win-win for those at multi-stage weaning. 

When they feel ready, they can graduate onto the spoon side, a firm favourite for babies that want to start eating independently. 

According to the NHS, babies will take to eating solids differently and it may take some longer than others. There’s no set timeframe.

They recommend gradually increasing different types of foods to see what they like, which is important if you are introducing eggs, dairy or any foods which could be related to allergies.

Types of food that are recommended are fruits and vegetables, including sweet potato, carrots, cauliflowers, broccoli, spinach, banana, pears and apples to name a few.  

If you are cooking fruit or vegetables from scratch, always wait until they are fully cooled before mashing or pureeing.  

You can even save time by batch cooking and freezing, defrosting in the fridge for quick meals at your fingertips. 

Naturally, good food equals good life, and experts say that a baby has to try new foods approximately 10 times before they can decide if they like it.  

At just £9.95 for a pack of two, it’s a snip for those that are ready to begin their weaning adventure.

Fans describe it as ‘great quality’, while another new parent added they were pleased their baby could figure it out: ‘I could gently assist rather than taking over, so he actually got the food into him, and was learning the movements for himself too.’

While you can’t take away the mess, you can make their mealtimes easier and lots of fun.

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