5 Products You’ll Be Grateful For On Your Baby’s First Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is here. Prepare yourselves.

One Thanksgiving, I fed my daughter so many sweet potatoes, carrots, and spinach that her nose turned orange. Ella’s pumpkin-tinged nose was due to the vegetables’ rich sources of beta-carotene. It was also due to her chubby, little fingers smearing our favorite Thanksgiving Day foods all over her chubby, little face.

Thanksgiving is a joyous, if messy, occasion—especially once your baby or toddler arrives at the table. While we can’t pre-empt all the carnage of the holiday, there are products designed with your baby’s first Thanksgiving holidays in mind. Ones that will help simplify Thanksgiving chaos before, during, and even after the most memorable family meal of the year.

These five products help make your baby’s first Thanksgiving holiday more manageable. You’ll be ever-grateful.

1 / High Chair

Scooch over; it’s time to make room for your baby at the table. We all know the smaller the child, the more space they (and their gear) take up. A high chair is a perfect example of this confounding phenomenon. An easy-to-clean high chair is necessary year-round, but perhaps never more so than at Thanksgiving. It’s that time of year when orange, green, mushy, and mashed foods take over their plates and faces. 

2 / Splat Mats

Despite where your child sits on Thanksgiving Day, parents have more important things to consider than their baby or toddler throwing peas on the floor. A durable splat underneath their high chair is a no-brainer during the holidays—and the bigger, the better. A splat mat will protect your carpet, rugs, and floors, and it will inevitably allow parents to focus on the fun part of the meal. 

Some splat mats are made of water-resistant and stain-resistant materials that can be easily wiped down. Others are more design-forward, with pretty patterns that are non-slip and machine-washable. 

3 / Plates and bowls and utensils, oh my!

No other baby product has done more to prevent stains and protect clothes from accidentally spilled food than the bib. A durable and baby-chic bib is essential for your baby’s first Thanksgiving meal. Say hello to The Paperclip Foodie Kit. It has everything you need to introduce your baby to this food-centric holiday, including a bib, interchangeable sippy/snack cup, and utensil set. The kit also contains a sectioned suction plate, a standard suction plate, and a suction bowl, so you can forever say goodbye to flipped plates of mashed potatoes.

The Paperclip Foodie Kit is made from sustainable silicone and is 100% BPA-free. Each item comes packaged in a reusable Stash Bag—another way Paperclip is helping to reduce waste and avoid single-use plastic. 

4 / Stain Removers 

Alas, sometimes even the biggest and most well-designed bibs can’t prevent soiled clothing. So, expect stains unless you plan to have your baby in their birthday suit at your Thanksgiving meal. Those leafy greens and beta-carotene-rich foods are fierce, so keeping stain removers handy to pre-treat clothes is critical. There are many tried-and-tested stain removers on the market. Choose ones that are mild enough to protect your baby’s delicate skin. For example, Babyganics makes a stain eraser marker with certified organic ingredients and a plant-derived formula ideal for babies with allergies.

Ever popular Dreft Baby Laundry Stain Remover Spray’s gentle formula removes stains effectively and has a mild fragrance that won’t compete with the scent of your home-baked apple pie.
 

5 / Bath Tub

No matter how clean your baby is at the end of Thanksgiving Day, a bath will be imminent. Not all baby bathtubs are created equal. Choose one that is ergonomically designed, sturdy, and appropriate for your baby’s weight. A baby who enjoys bath time won’t notice how deep you must dig between rolls of fat to release hidden crumbs and bits of food. A lulling bath time routine will also set the stage for a good night’s sleep.

Some bathtubs are designed to keep kids clean from newborn through toddlerhood with a clever removable sling. Others are collapsible, so they can be stored easily, especially when space is an issue. Many support a grow-with-me design so parents aren’t constantly buying tubs to keep up with their ever-growing kids.
 

Sweet potatoes, anyone?

Bring gratitude to the table this holiday season with an extra helping of joy. Your baby’s first Thanksgiving is one to be treasured. A little advanced prep and a few essential products on hand will make it all the more memorable. And if your little one loves sweet potatoes, don’t be surprised if they wake up with a slightly orange nose the next day. It’s the sign of a great family holiday, indeed.

 

Written by Jamie Edwards

Jamie is an avid traveler, travel writer, and photographer. She launched I am Lost and Found, her adventure/luxury travel website after 25 years of living and traveling around the globe. She has lived in both NYC and Tokyo. Today she resides in Washington DC with her husband, two kids, and two black labs. Jamie’s goal is simple: to inspire travel.