Gerber Lil' Dipper Fun Product But Really Not Neccesary If Your On A Tight Budget.
Written: Mar 02 '05
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Product Rating:
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Pros: has a barrier to keep baby from choking
Cons: Not practical for the price. May only be used for short period of time.
The Bottom Line: It does what its meant to do but I just don't think of this as something even remotely neccesary for my little girl
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| sunstreeks's Full Review: Gerber Lil' Dipper |
When I was still an infant teacher I had one parent who insisted on bring her own sippy cups, feeding accessories, and Tupperware-like containers with premade meals in them. I thought maybe a little excessive but she was a great mom and I knew she just wanted her child to be using stuff from home.
She arrived one day with the Gerber Lil' Dipper. The 9 month old was already sitting in his chair with a bowl full of yogurt on his tray, the Gerber Lil' Dipper in one hand… The other hand in his bowl. This is how it usually went. He did try to self feed occasionally by banging the dipper into the bottom of the bowl and then bringing it to his mouth but was more interested in eating with the other hand. Because he was able to get more I presume.
I did my best to help him dip it into his breakfast in the mornings and then lunch later on but I usually ended up with his meals all over my wrists from the hand that still intently found its way into the bowl and then to his mouth, clothes, the highchair tray, and me. It did give him practicing holding a feeding utensil and may have actually helped encourage self-feeding but I think that many wide handle small bowl spoons are just as good and don’t become useless after just a few weeks when the child moves on to an actual spoon anyways.
The Gerber Lil' Dipper. is a really cute idea. The one this infant had came a wide handle about 5 or 6 inches long with non-slip gripping rings all down it for little hands to hold on to. The dipper part is about an inch long and a half inch wide so it does fit perfectly in baby’s mouth. It has small vertical slits which is supposed to help food stick on it. Some food does stick but in very small, minimal amounts. For first time self-feeding this is fine but there isn’t as much “reward” as with getting a bit more on a wide spoon. One thing I really like was that it had a barrier like wall at the end of the dipper so that baby can’t choke by getting it too far down their throat. I think this should be considered for all “first” baby spoons.
It can be dipped in just about anything. Yogurt, applesauce, baby cereal, pureed fruits and vegetables. Anything of that sort of consistency will work.
I don’t think I’ll be buying this for my baby girl. All babies are different and maybe she would use it as intended better than he did. I spend so much on baby gadgets and this is just one I hesitate to spend the money on my small budget when I could just offer a wide handle/ small bowl spoon that can work just as well and be useful for a longer period of time. I think this is one new invention that is a fun idea but just not necessary.
It’s top rack dishwasher safe.
They come in bright colors. His had a purple handle with a yellow tip. I’ve seen a green one too. I don’t know if it can be bought singularly. His mother just brought the one in but I’ve seen them at Target in 2 packs for around $3
Just incase your thinking of trying this I mentioned above that this child used yogurt. It is my understanding that children should not have dairy products before age 12 months. I’m not sure if yogurt falls into this category or if it’s processed in a way that is ok for babies. This was one of the many foods brought in by his mother and not something I chose to offer on my own. Please consult with your pediatrician before offering products containing cow’s milk.
Recommended:
No
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Epinions.com ID:
sunstreeks
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Member: Stephanie
Location: Western Washington
Reviews written: 161
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