The Only Things You Need to Stop Breastfeeding

“Why is this so hard?!” I yelled as I slammed my computer closed.

I was trying to look up how to wean my then 10-month-old daughter and everybody and their brother were selling a bunch of unitaskers for an amazing amount of money.  They weren’t looking to make my life easier, to stick within a budget, or keep the number of things in my house down.  

They just wanted my money.  A lot of it. 

But weaning is something we have been doing naturally for millions of years.  It doesn’t take a whole bunch of fancy stuff to wean a child.  It actually takes very little.  

So here it is.  The list.  This is the bare minimum you need to wean your kiddo.  Everything else is just a toy.

If you get everything I’m recommending (not including a place to sit) you are going to spend less than $100.  Thrift some of it, like the spoons and smocks, and you could spend much less than $100.  But if you buy everything the mom blogs suggest, you could spend upwards of $300 weaning your child.

Everying on this list is designed to be used not only for weaning, but for years to come.  Most of it will still be in use when your kids are 5.  The metal bowls could be used for snacks and ice cream much longer than that. 

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Bowls

Learning to eat is a messy, dangerous business.  Ceramic bowls will be broken.  So you need to get some bowls that your little one can’t break.

There are lots of fancy bowls out there made of bamboo, or that have gaskets to keep the baby from picking it up.  Those are all gimmicks.  The gasket is like a challenge.  The baby will make a bigger mess trying to lift the bowl than they would have if the bowl had been free.  And bamboo is hard to wash and more likely to break.  We have a bamboo bowl I just had to throw out because it shattered after less than a year of medium use.

So what should you get?  A cheap set of stainless steel bowls.  They go in the dishwasher, and they won’t break when accidentally dropped.  A pack of 10 costs less than $30 and will last through all your kiddos.

Lids

You need a way to save food for later, and the easiest way is to throw a lid on the unfinished bowl of food and then use it again the next day.  

These silicone lids work really well with the bowls I suggested in the last section, and they travel well too.  The sponge they come with is great for sensory play and they prevent you from needing to use a bunch of cling film.  

Wins all around.

Spoons

We stopped using baby spoons when our daughter was around 18 months old.  She kept stealing our utensils and wanted to use forks like everyone else.

At 2 she eats with a fork and spoons almost as well as we do, and she has preferences for different foods.  

Baby spoons are less about eating and more about entertaining the idea of spoons.  Our daughter would use the wooden spoons as a teething toy and would mimic using them to eat when we gave them to her.  We used them in the very beginning because her mouth was too small for our regular spoons.  But as soon as her mouth was big enough, she was ready to ditch the baby spoons.

So when you look for spoons, look for ones that would work well as teethers.  Go with something plastic or bamboo, and get a 5 pack so you can keep them clean.  You don’t need anything super special here, just something for the baby to explore so they get used to the concept.

Cups

When we are at home, our daughter drinks out of shot glasses and coffee mugs.  But when we go out we need a way for her to drink without spilling all over everything.

The Munchkin 360 cups are fantastic.  She can drink just like she would with a normal cup and we don’t have to worry about her spilling anything.  We got a 2 pack with handles and a 2 of the stainless steel ones.  Honestly, that is more than enough for her to have water access.  And they are so easy to clean, we just take it apart and throw it in the dishwasher.

I recommend going with the actual Munchkin 360 brand because they have replacement parts, which means you can use the cups for years and for multiple children while replacing the gaskets when they wear out.  Much cheaper than buying all new cups every year or so.

Bib/ Smock

Kids are messy.  Learning to eat is messy.  And in the beginning, a bib is going to be indispensable.  

But as they get older… smocks are where it’s at!  

You probably already have a nice assortment of bibs that have been given to you.  So the only thing you need to pick up is a few smocks.  I recommend getting 3 or 4.  You won’t use them every day, but you will want one available when you need one.  

A Place to Sit

Children love being right in the thick of things.  They want to sit at the table with you, eat what you eat, and use the utensils you use. 

Let them.

Mealtime is so much easier if they can join you at the table.  So pick up a high char that bellies up to the table or grab a booster seat.  Do whatever makes sense for your setup so they can eat with you at the table.

If you can’t afford any of that, then get used to the kiddo sitting on your lap while you both eat.  It is going to happen anyway, so just give into it now.

Anything Else?

Not really.

If you choose to make purees, I guess you need a blender if you don’t have one already.  But I really think baby-led weaning is the way to go, so we only used our blender for smoothies.

When the baby was really little, we let her eat straight off the table, placemat, or high chair tray for things that would have used a plate.  By the time we were ready to give her plates, she was ready to use our normal, everyday dishes. 

Snack cups are unnecessary, just use the bowls with the lids previously listed, or use a cloth sandwich/ snack bag (or a regular plastic bag assuming you are going to be holding the bag).  Honestly, we don’t do food that could get spilled like that in the car, she eats whole rice cakes instead.

Those berry masher teether toys are a waste too.  Just give the kid some cut up berries.  If they are teething and want something cold, give them frozen peas or corn.  

We do have a set of popsicle molds that we freeze smoothies in, but I wouldn’t call it a necessary piece of equipment.  Though the popsicles do make wonderful summer snacks and are great when the baby is teething.  

You really don’t need much for the baby to learn to eat.  

Have you already weaned your baby?  What tools did you find indispensable?  Let me know in the comments below.  

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