Among the many wonders of life with a baby or toddler is the sheer volume of laundry such little people produce. I’m convinced that I spend most of my free time folding miniature T-shirts into tiny squares or hoping—against hope—that the mysterious white crusty spot or the smudge of green grass or the Jackson Pollack-esque display of sweet potatoes and peas will lose to the power of the super wash cycle. There’s not much you can do to keep your kids clean while finger painting or making mud pies in the backyard, but you can soften the mealtime blow with a bib. The secret to successful bibbing? Have many on hand and within arms reach—we like to keep W’s latched to the back of his high chair between meals—you never know when your little one is going to perform a chest massage with their cheese tortellini.
From basic to artsy, here are some of my favorite bib picks:
Baby shower looming? Skip the registry and score major points with a super creative and uber-practical gift for the munchkin-to-be. MooMe’s set of two organic bibs ($14.81) come in a carrot/pea or orange/strawberry duo and are packaged—ingeniously—in baby food jars. They’re also made from 100 percent organic cotton and non-toxic dyes.
There are bibs and then there are Bibs. Baby Bjorn’s Soft Bib ($9.95) is a bib with a capital “B.” This ergonomic—the PVC-free, BPA-free material was created to conform to a child’s body—and highly functional device (the bib is designed with a deep pocket to catch food, is supremely water/milk/partially chewed banana proof and can be tossed in the dishwasher for easy cleanup) should be a staple in every baby-occupied home.
Add a bit of flashy style to mealtimes with Bumkins’ aptly titled SuperBib ($16.95, set of 3). The waterproof protectors come in a variety of bold graphic designs (think skulls and crossbones, electric blue paisley and hot pink concentric circles) and are PVC, phthalate and lead free.
Not sure when you’re going to need a quick cover? Stash a couple of Classy Kid’s Clean & Green Disposable Bibs ($4.95 for a box of 20) in your diaper bag and you’ll be good to go at a moment’s notice. Never again will you have to tie a cloth napkin around your kid’s neck when dining out. Nope. Never again will your child be subjected to looking like a disheveled cowboy while dining in public. And you can do it guilt free. These bibs are biodegradable, decomposing in just a few months.
