BLW - I am a control freak and getting stressed out at all the mess - HELP!!

[GingerBearingGifts]

I have tried to chill, put an old curtain under the high chair, but I just can't do it!

I am fine with carrots, and potato and chunks of meat that he sucks then spits out, but when he sneezed broccoli all over me, the high chair and carpet, I broke down and cried.

I want to tie his hands together and spoon feed him Annabel stylee.

Oh and why does banana stain everything- permanently??

[camillathechicken]

let go, let go, brrrrrreeeeeeeathe and relax

tis only mess

get a dog

the food won;t even hit the floor !!

you don;t have to do BLW if it freaks you out, the major benefit is that it is not more hard work

mind you puree is not that much tidier, especially when they rub it in their hair

strip little one down to nappy and and old vest, a tea towel tied round the neck and put a pinny on

good tip re banana is napisan... soak stuff in teh sink with a dose of napisan and your food stains will vanish

[GingerBearingGifts]

Good tip about the banana - will try that.
I seemed to be more relaxed about the mess 5 years ago with DD - purees in the hair and everything. I think I have forgotten how messy this weaning can be.

I always seem to forget a bib or muslin. He is grabbing the dish out of my hands and jumps up and down grinning and shouting every time food comes near.

We had a dog, he died two weeks ago - he was a brilliant hoover - one of the things I miss about not having him around any more.

[camillathechicken]

sorry to hear about your dog .

i never seemed to have a bib to hand, hence started using a tea towel

[Louandben]

Oh dear...I hate to break it to you but the mess is going to be around for a lot longer than the weaning phase.I wont even start talking about potty training as you may put your little one up for adoption now!

Its not a battle you can win so you really are going to have to try and chill out and resign yourself to a certain amount of mess otherwise you will lose your mind completely (and possibly have a child that is strangely obsessed with cleanliness).

How about putting magazine pages/old newspaper on the floor at meal times? At least you can just bin/recycle that rather then having more stuff to wash. A big vinyl tablecloth has also been a godsend for me. Also agree with Camillathechicken, near naked babies are much easier to clean up than bibs and clothes caked in banana and broccoli.

Try and see it as part of the fun of having a baby? Just focus on the lovely things you can buy for the house in about 15 years time !

[GingerBearingGifts]

lol at teatowel - a clean one I hope!!

[camillathechicken]

oh yes, clean,

mostly

[Louandben]

Sorry Ginger - I wrote my post assuming you were first time mum, then saw your post about DD1 - have you had your memory wiped from first time round?!

[WhenScoobyGotStuckUpTheChimney]

Oh blimey dd is 22 months, insists on feeding herself & there is always half the food, over the kithcen floor & rubbed into her hair/face/body

I strip dd let her sit in her nappy & make as much mess as she likes, i can never relax when she is eating always thinking about the cleaning up but i think i have a bit of OCD with cleaning

stick to it & just keep telling yourself it's only mess it can be cleared up.

[PrisonerCellBlockAitch]

i found that dd tipped the dishes up so stopped using them for aaages and also found that limiting the amount of food on her tray, say 2-3 bits meant that she didn't do the windscreen wiper thing...

[fruitymum]

Our labrador loves DD when she eats - whether she is being fed or feeding herself - lots of mess but they both love it. You have to laugh when you see an 18 month child covered in yoghurt - when you only left her with the empty pot!(fgrin)

[fruitymum]

[fgrin}

[PrisonerCellBlockAitch]

[show-off]

[PrisonerCellBlockAitch]

or indeed

[MrsBadger]

is it the Libby Purves book that recommends feeding them naked in the bath?
sounds like a good plan to me

[JamesAndTheGiantBanana]

Have you tried those bibs with long sleeves on them? We're planning on doing blw when lo gets to six months (two months to go) and I was planning on keeping a couple of dark coloured sleepsuits in rotation for mealtimes, don't know if it'd work or not.

You know, they should do some kind of highchair with a sleeveless plastic top attached to the tray which you put on baby as you strap them in, so there's nowhere for the food to go except on the top or the tray. Not very good at explaining these things, hope you know what I mean!

[Anna8888]

Put DC in a Baby Bjorn long-sleeved washable/wipable apron (buy two or three) if wearing clothes.

Give your DC meals wearing nappy/pyjamas as often as possible.

Tie hair back.

BLW doesn't have to be exclusive - you can feed the really messy stuff (yoghurts, fruit purées etc) with a spoon and still not burn in hell