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AS soon as a toddler switches from the bottle to solids, many parents are faced with a choice of suitable dishes – plastic or porcelain, with bears or flowers, colourful or elegant?
The range of products on the market is huge and covers everything the heart could desire - from synthetic materials to fine designer pieces.
The designs can also spark a child’s imagination, says Eva Barth- Gillhaus, a spokeswoman for an organisation that represents the interests of household goods retailers.
She says unusual designs can help a child learn how to behave at a table and how to eat properly.
Whether it’s Winnie the Pooh, a horse motif or a princess you can find the right design to suit your child.
Animal motifs are very popular at the moment. The online mail order company Jakoo has a range of plates with giraffes, elephants, sheep or fish.
Kahka Porzellan makes plates and bowls that have a learning effect for your child: when stacked on top of each other, the crockery forms a clock motif with hands. By moving a bowl a child can change the time.
But some parents find too much colour a distraction. Rasselfisch has a range of dishes for kids that look like they were made by a designer. A special feature of their cup is a dimple that makes it easier for a small hand to hold.
Danish designer Stelton have brought out a range called Rebel which is also coolly designed and makes a high-class impression. The plates, cups and spoons are white with a concave design in an ergonomic shape.
But no matter whether you choose something colourful or a designer item, what counts is the suitability for your child, according to Ms Barth-Gillhaus.
She advises parents to choose good quality synthetic materials, or softened plastics or porcelain which is guaranteed not to contain any lead.
“Choosing one or the other is a matter of how much you’re prepared to spend and personal taste.”
The child’s age is also a factor. Plastic makes sense for babies or toddlers, according to Andrea Beil of the company Kinderraeume. “Children never learn that you can’t just drop a plate on the ground.”
