Nobody warned me about the mess. I'd read the books, watched the videos, felt reasonably prepared for weaning. What I was not prepared for was the sheer, spectacular, all-encompassing chaos of a seven-month-old encountering solid food for the first time. Puree on the ceiling. Puree on the dog. Puree, somehow, inside my ear. My son Kofi approached every meal like a small, enthusiastic scientist conducting an experiment in which the hypothesis was: what happens if I throw this?
After two weeks of this, I was dreading mealtimes. That felt wrong. Weaning is supposed to be a milestone, something to enjoy. Instead I was spending twenty minutes preparing food, five minutes watching Kofi redistribute it across the kitchen, and forty minutes cleaning up. Something had to change.
The Problem With Our Existing Kit
We'd started weaning with a collection of bits and pieces — a plastic bowl, a couple of spoons, a bib that tied at the back. None of it was working. The bowl slid across the highchair tray the moment Kofi touched it, which he found hilarious and I found less so. The bib covered his front but not his arms, which meant his sleeves were soaked through by the end of every meal. The spoons were fine but awkward to hold for a baby still developing his grip.
I needed a proper weaning set — one that had been designed by people who had actually watched babies eat, rather than people who had imagined what babies eating might look like. A friend who'd been through weaning six months earlier mentioned the Bibado Complete Silicone Weaning Box Set and said it had been the single most useful thing she'd bought for the whole process. I ordered it that evening.
What's in the Box — and Why Each Piece Matters
The set includes six pieces, and I want to talk about each of them because they're all genuinely useful rather than just padding out a gift box.
The Coverall Weaning Bib is the standout piece for me. It's full coverage — arms included — made from 100% food-grade silicone. It goes on like a poncho, covers everything from shoulders to lap, and wipes clean in seconds. The difference between this and a standard bib is the difference between an umbrella and a hat in a downpour. Kofi can do his worst and his clothes stay clean underneath.
The Suction Bowl has a base that creates a genuine vacuum seal on the highchair tray. I was sceptical about this — I'd seen suction bowls before that claimed to stay put and didn't. This one stays put. Kofi has tried to remove it with both hands and failed. That alone was worth the price of the set.
The Multi-Portion Divider Plate has separate sections for different foods, which has been invaluable for baby-led weaning — keeping textures and flavours distinct so Kofi can explore each one independently. It also suctions to the tray, with the same reliable grip as the bowl.
The Attachable Handi Cutlery Set clips to the highchair or bib so it's always within reach and never ends up on the floor — which, if you've been through weaning, you'll know is where cutlery spends most of its time. The Dippit Dual-Ended Weaning Spoon and Dipper has a shallow spoon end for purees and a dipper end for thicker foods — a small design detail that makes a real practical difference. And the Silicone Open Training Cup is the right size for small hands and the right depth for a baby learning to drink without a spout.
Everything is made from 100% food-grade silicone, free from BPA, phthalates, and harmful chemicals. It all goes in the dishwasher. That last point matters more than I can adequately express after weeks of hand-washing plastic weaning equipment.
The Difference: From Dreading Mealtimes to Looking Forward to Them
I ordered through Altoe and it arrived within a few days. The first mealtime with the full Bibado set was noticeably different. The bowl stayed on the tray. The bib kept Kofi's clothes clean. The cutlery didn't end up on the floor. The cleanup took five minutes instead of forty.
More importantly, I was relaxed. When you're not anxious about the mess, you can actually watch your baby eat — notice what they like, what they're curious about, how they're developing their grip and their confidence with different textures. Weaning became something I looked forward to rather than something I braced myself for.
Kofi is now ten months old. We use the Bibado set at every meal. The silicone has held up perfectly — no staining, no warping, no deterioration despite daily dishwasher use. The suction on the bowl and plate is as strong as it was on day one.
What I'd Tell Any Parent Starting Weaning
Get the right kit before you start, not after two weeks of chaos. The Bibado Complete Silicone Weaning Box Set is everything you need in one box, designed by people who clearly understand what weaning actually looks like in practice. It's also one of the best baby shower gifts you can give — practical, beautiful, and something the recipient will use every single day.
- Coverall Weaning Bib — full arm and front coverage, wipes clean in seconds
- Suction Bowl — genuine vacuum seal, stays put through determined baby attempts
- Multi-Portion Divider Plate — separate sections for different foods, also suctions to tray
- Attachable Handi Cutlery Set — clips on so it never ends up on the floor
- Dippit Dual-Ended Weaning Spoon — spoon end for purees, dipper end for thicker foods
- Silicone Open Training Cup — right size for small hands, right depth for learning to drink
- 100% food-grade silicone — BPA-free, phthalate-free, dishwasher safe
- Premium gift box — perfect for baby showers, newborn gifts, and first birthdays
Get yours here: Bibado Complete Silicone Weaning Box Set
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Amara Osei is a graphic designer and first-time mum based in Leicester. She writes about the products that have genuinely made the early months of parenthood more manageable — no gifted items, no brand partnerships, just honest experience from the weaning trenches.
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