MESS FREE BABY SPOON – Babies can learn to feed themselves!

So I have an idea for an invention. I normally don’t put myself out there quite to this extent, but I think it’s a great idea and nothing on the market exists like this right now. I even made a prototype – but before you look at it and make a determination about it, know that this is a prototype using readily available materials and you have to read the description to understand what my vision for it is. The prototype is just an example, not how it will actually look or be designed!

Okay, ready? Ready?????

Yea, I know, terrible look! Addison absolutely love this! This picture was taken after her first taste of pears – they must have been sour! :) Read on, for more info, and more pictures!

THE INSPIRATION

After feeding my seven month old and her grabbing the spoon and flinging the food all over the dining room – again – I had an lightning bulb moment. There are times when she refuses to let me feed her with a spoon. She is gaining her independence so quickly and wants to feed herself. But when she grabs the spoon, the food flys all over the place, over me, her, the room, etc. None of the food actually makes it in her mouth. Frustrating! She cries and gets so upset at this – she wants to be able to physically assist in the feeding process and she can’t yet! What to do?

THE IDEA

What if there was something out there that would allow her to feed herself and actually get food into her mouth and NOT make a mess? Really? Not something to take the parent out of the picture, just to put the baby physically active in the feeding process? She would be able to learn how to use a spoon, it wouldn’t be nearly as messy, frustration-free for her, she would learn hand-eye coordination, and more independence. Now this isn’t meant for a use for all time. This is meant as a learning tool while she is developing her hand-eye coordination. The parent will always use a regular spoon, and as baby develops, eventually he/she will “graduate” to a regular spoon. But for those in between months, when baby is learning and struggling, this tool would be a huge life saver!

THE PROBLEM

When a baby starts solid foods, which are really pureed foods, they are usually around 4 to 6 months old. After a short period, usually around the time they start crawling, babies start to develop more independence and want to do things for themselves and get very frustrated when someone will not let them do it. In general, babies are fed by an adult with a spoon. It’s a messy process. If you give the baby the spoon as some babies demand or grab from you, it is even messier and the food can be sent all over the room (and all over the baby and you!)

THE SOLUTION

This invention helps a baby while they are gaining there independence by equipping them with the ability to feed themselves. It is not meant to be the sole way a baby is fed. It is meant to assist the adult feeding the baby in the traditional spoon-to-mouth way, by giving the baby their own device to feed themselves. This will assist the baby in learning hand-eye coordination and granting independence to the baby while also giving the baby a sense of accomplishment in being able to feed themselves. It will also alleviate so much frustration felt by the baby! Babies want to learn to feed themselves and doing so in this way provides a calming, mess-free, and frustration-free way to do so!

KEY FEATURES

It would be the ONLY product on the market giving the baby control and allowing a MESS FREE way for them to learn to feed themselves and use a spoon! It is meant for the baby to be able to hold onto and use easily.
There is a handle or ring that the baby would hold onto that may also have notches similar to those on a teething ring for babies to be able to chew on also for relief. It would be easy for the baby to grip and use to hold onto.
There is an enclosed spoon with several tiny holes in it, similar in texture and shape to a bottle nipple or pacifier nipple. There would be a hole at one end of it to insert the food in. There is no way for the baby to get the food out unless they compress or suck on it which releases the food in there mouth. Pound away baby, pound away!! No-mess!
There is a mouth guard similar to what is found on a pacifier. The enclosed spoon will be inserted thru the mouth guard. The mouth guard will be behind the enclosed spoon, but in front of the latch and handle. This allows the baby to use the mess free spoon device safely and prevents choking. Safety first!
The latch secures the device together and makes sure the food does not leak out the entry hole. The enclosed spoon is inserted thru the mouth guard and latched close which also secures it to the handle. The latch will be easy enough for an adult to open and close, but secure enough for a baby not to be able to open themselves. The latch seals the entry hole of the enclosed spoon to prevent leaks or mess!

So this is just the prototype. The nipple end has several tiny holes in it that I made. I detached the end of the pacifier and thru that hole I inserted some pears. Then I found this spoon that was just the right size to plug the hole and sturdy enough to not come out (even after she banged it on the table)! The spoon represents the handle. This is just a representation of the idea! Not at all how it will look or an accurate reflection of the size it will be!

PRODUCT COMPARISON

There is NO product out there that is meant for the baby to use themselves to help learn to feed themselves pureed food besides a regular spoon. My product will provide a MESS FREE tool for the baby to safely and easily assist in meal times, and a frustration free meal time for all involved. The only product out there is for adults to have a mess free way to feed baby, not for baby to feedthemselves.

So I looked into patents and such. What I would love is to submit my idea to One Step Ahead. I absolutely love them – the company, the products they carry, etc. But I don’t physically have a finished product to submit. So I created a prototype – which is not how the final design will look, it is just to show basic functionality. A friend told me about http://www.quirky.com – a website that allows people to submit there invention ideas for $10 and a community of members vote on it. The ideas that get the most votes will be brought to the attention of the Quirky staff and maybe, could be turned into actual products and sold in the marketplace! I will not have the money any time soon to develop this on my own or get a patent for it (it’s like $4000!) – so I’m hoping, if my idea is as good as I think it is, it will get into the market this way. But I need YOUR help!

You can vote once per day for 30 days. Signing up to vote is free and easy. :) Please vote!!! Tell all your friends and family. Post on your blog. This is such a good idea! I’d love your feedback! Thoughts, questions, concerns???? Let me know!

Okay! So go to http://www.quirky.com/ideations/296741 and vote every day!!! Keep checking back!! Thanks so much guys! And leave me a comment letting me know what you think and that you voted! :)

Okay so besides the pics I posted and the description I left for how it would work, I drew a few possible designs of how it could work (rather poorly I might add – sorry!). So here ya go!