Frustrated by Your Baby’s Mealtime Messes? This Nifty Catcher Helps.
If you ever want to know what a baby has (or hasn’t!) eaten, just look at the floor.
I’ve watched each of my three children squish a blackberry between their juicy little fingers, grin, and then drop it. There’s a running joke among parents about the “berry budget,” aka the high cost of berries and how quickly they’re devoured. I’m sure you can envision my horror upon seeing those fruity remains, Pollock-style, on my dining room floor.
I’ve been pelted with food on and off for seven years, and in my house, once food touches the ground, it’s off-limits. But what if I could avoid the frustration of having to clean nearly an entire meal off of the floor?
In recent years, a number of high chair add-ons have emerged in an attempt to address this problem. There are tethers meant to secure eating utensils, silicone-suction plates and place mats, and more. I have a toddler, and I’m pregnant again, so I was particularly drawn to a bigger-ticket item called the Catchy, a shelf-like attachment that installs to a high chair and could potentially save me a lot of time, effort, and money.
I was most interested in the Catchy’s main claims: It contains the mess, it is easier to clean than the floor, you can safely reoffer dropped food, and meals become pressure-free and positive. My 18-month-old, Jade, was most interested in flexing her pitching skills.
So, does the Catchy live up to its name? I think it’s worth the money — especially if you buy it when your little one is first starting solids. But before you envision mess-free living, know that this rather large contraption can’t always stop snacks from becoming besties with your kitchen tile.
