I wish someone warned me. I mean, actually warned me; not just a gentle passing comment. I needed someone to sit me down, stare me right in the eye and tell me just how messy babies are. I remember the days when the ceiling was white, the walls were cream and the carpet, well, you could actually see the colour of the carpet.

I must admit, the first few months of breast feeding lulled me into a false sense of security. Little did I know that when weaning began and the journey from milk to actual food took place, my dining room would be ruined. Slowly. Orange stain by orange stain. I guess you could say I was naive, but it’s not that I didn’t think it would be messy, I just had no idea quite how messy! The best meal times for me are when the boy is naked and outside, with a hose near by.

However, I have come to learn a few things that you can do in order to protect your dining room decor from being attacked by bright orange baby food.

#1 Child Friendly Flooring

You can’t beat laminate flooring for the dining room when weaning is concerned. Having hard flooring like laminate, would have been a god send for us. Instead, we’ve got a nice creamy coloured carpet. It’s fantastic at absorbing stage 1 weaning food and brilliant and holding on to stains. I think that if another baby heads in my direction, it’s going to have  to be job number 1 to remove the carpet and lay laminate. The thought of simply wiping clean the floor is a dream! It would repel almost anything thrown at it.

#2 Child Friendly Flooring protector

We purchased a large (ish) floor protector in an attempt (in vein) at protecting the floor. Little did we know that no matter where we position the mat, the boy did his damnedest to miss it. It’s managed to save a fair few stains though and even if you have a wood laminate flooring, a cover to protect it is still a good idea. Spoons/bowls/cups often fly off the high chair and you wouldn’t want to chip the flooring.

#3 Sucky Bowls

The verdict is still out on this product to be honest. The concept is that you can stick the bowl to the high chair in front of the baby and they can’t remove it to throw around. For many this may work wonders, but for the boy, it just presented him with a fun challenge. Get the bowl off. I didn’t know he had a persistent and determined side until we got this bowl for him! No suction bowl is too strong for my son.

#4 Position of the high chair

Position it in the middle of the room. As far away from the walls as possible. Spoons make great flicking utensils and you’d be amazed at how far food can travel. It’s on all four walls and the ceiling.

#5 Dinner Place Mat

This rubber place mat has gone with us to every cafe, restaurant and holiday we’ve been on. The little lip that over hangs the edge of the table catches an incredible amount of food that would otherwise be trodden into the carpet or smeared across the laminate flooring. Don’t underestimate such a simple product! Get one now!

You can’t avoid the mess. You won’t avoid the mess. So you have to just do what you can. Good luck.

*This is a sponsored post