We have a dish in our house called Messy Beans. It’s nothing more than a can of vegetarian baked beans with a touch of cinnamon. Kiddo loves them, gets giddy when I announce we are having them for dinner, jumps up and down … and then proceeds to strip. Yup, Kiddo eats messy beans naked or, really, near-naked (she does have on panties). This has occurred ever since she was a baby. When we started to introduce solids, I took off her shirt and pants or onesie or whatever she was wearing, and she would sit in her high chair and eat in her diaper. How did I keep her clean? By getting her dirty, not her clothes. I fed my baby naked. Now, I’m not a stain freak. If she has a shirt that has a stain on it and she loves it, I could care less. But, Naked Baby Eating did save many a onesie from the wrath of the messy bean drippage and spaghetti sauce seepage. And, when I think about it, I saved a bit of money as the stain removal stick-thing definitely lasted longer. As she got older, we don’t do it as much, but when it’s an uber-messy meal and we’re hitting the bath right after, she just strips before picking up the spoon. When I talk with new mommy friends and tell them this is what I did, I get some mixed results. Some have thought of it and utilize this Naked Baby Feeding method as well; others haven’t tried it but will; and still others adamantly don’t feed their baby sans clothes. And, sure, the days of Kiddo eating naked are coming to an end, since she will be older … at which point we will start the Crapped Out Shirt technique. Have a shirt that you don’t care what happens to it? Change into that before messy beans are served. She can spill without worry — and with her shirt on. It may be odd, but Naked Baby Eating is a great technique. Feeding the baby solids, trying to get new foods introduced, making sure she eats enough while seeing how much she spits back out — all of it is much more important than a few stains here or there. Naked Baby Eating, well, it made my life a little easier. The secret to keeping your baby clean? Feed her naked. Does your baby eat naked? Image via chimothy27/Flickr
