The Ultimate Starting Solids Checklist

One of the reasons many parents find starting solids overwhelming is that there are so many people out there telling you that you need a million new things and gadgets before you start!

Who has the time to research the best chair/cup/spoons etc?

This is also one of the reasons Starting Solids Australia was born! A one stop shop (literally) for everything you need!

So here is our list of the MUST have items!

1. The high chair

• Ideally one that will grow with your baby into toddlerhood and beyond
• Good foot rest- you want them to be able to securely touch their feet on this
• One that allows you to follow the 90/90/90 rule of seating- so we have 90 degree angles at their ankles, knees, bottom to back
• Quick release safety harness (so if they are choking you can get them out quickly)

The Rora high chair meets all of these are more! It also has:

• The baby kit which includes a smooth tray, perfect for compatibility with suction plates and bowls.
• Adjustable foot rest- so it grows with bub into toddlerhood and beyond
• Weight limit that means they can use it into toddlerhood and primary school years- the Rora has a 45kg weight limit

2. Appropriate bowl and cutlery

So you want something that isn't breakable and ideally suctions so it will stay in one spot! Our Suckie Scoop Plates have been designed to stick to any tray, are 400g (so nice and heavy so suction is better!) and have a concave side to help promote self feeding/scooping as bub gets older.

Cutlery! We want to avoid metal until 18 months or so (or at least until 1) as teething babies can chew on metal cutely and damage gums and teeth. Silicon is great for baby utensils. Ideally ones that have a shallow bowl/spoon section because deep ones are hard for baby to take food off. We also want to avoid ones that are too wide/big as they are hard to fit into bubs mouth. Our bowls all come with great baby spoons but our Sticky Spoons are also a game changer for those early days!

Check out our Sticky Spoons here and say goodbye to excess mess and frustration. These spoons are designed to empower your little one on their self-feeding journey. Our innovative double-ended spoon is a game-changer, featuring a classic spoon on one end and our signature sticky spoon on the other.

3. Open and Straw Cup

Okay so we recommend we start to offer sips of water as soon as we start solids. We encourage parents to offer both a straw cup and an open cup! It takes time to build the skills to drink from both, so lots of practice and opportunity is key!

Our Bubbie Cup is:

• The perfect size for little hands
• Encourages the development of oral motor skills and coordination.
• Safety First: Made from the highest quality food-grade silicone for your baby's well-being.
• Easy Transition: Smoothly guides your baby from bottle to open cup with minimal mess.

For straw cups- there are many on the market. Your classic BBOX is good but we recommend cutting off the valve at the top of the straw to making drinking easier and a more natural motion for babies.

We also created our First Straw Cup as the ultimate straw to open cup vessel!

It has been purposefully designed with longevity in mind to function as two cups in one! It can be used as an open cup or as a straw cup for different ages /stages of development!

This silicone cup is lightweight, durable (practically indestructable) and the double handles make it the perfect cup for baby to learn on! In the early days pop the lid and straw off and use as an open cup! You will have to help bub by tipping it up to their mouth for 1-2 seconds. They will have the hang of it in no time and be drinking independently! Generally babies can use this style of open cup relatively independently around 1 year of age if given the opportunity to learn!

4. Smocks

I don't feel like we really need to say much about these- other than they are a SAVIOUR for reducing the mess and the constant battle to remove food stains from clothes! Our Smockie Bibs are light weight and easy to wipe down in between uses!

Nice to have:

• Allergen tracker and first food trackers- not essential but gosh they make life easier! Our Solids Allergy Tracker is a fridge magnet so it is easy for everyone to keep track of what you have, or haven't introduced.
• Splat mats are a good way to keep floors clean.
• Silicon container or trays for freezing bulk food prep, like our Freezie Trays - ours are food grade silicon! Beware of anything purchased online from cheap websites/overseas.

Things you don't need:

• Baby food makers! If you have a stick blender, food processor, regular blender or "Ninja" you don't need another gadget to make baby food. Especially when they have moved on from purees in a couple of months
• Fancy allergen introduction packs. You can just use real food for this!
• Bumbo- infact we discourage these types of seats as they aren't recommended by specialists as they can create an unnatural sitting position.
• No spill/sippy cups! These are more for parents to reduce mess and don't give babies the opportunity to practice mature oral-motor and swallowing skills.
• Things to distract babies in the high chair- we actually want them to be present and fully engaging with the meal. Distractions and toys might get them to stay in the high chair for longer, BUT they don't help them to engage with and learn about food.