When did you quit using bibs?

[vikivoly]

I still wear a bib on my 2 1/2 year old DD. I spend a lot of money on her clothes and don't want them to end up stained. My SIL and her daughter make fun of me for wearing a bib on her. My SIL's daughter has 3 year old twins, and they never wore bibs. I found that to be really strange, but they always act like I'm the odd one. So, when did your DC quit wearing bibs?

[jadamom]

Hee! My 3 1/2 DD still wears one. She's a messy eater. :)

[brubeck]

My DD started understanding about keeping her clothes neat just before she turned 4, which is when I basically discontinued the bib. I would still use it sometimes for stuff I KNEW would be messy.

DS is still using a bib (although I will occasionally be able to get away without one when we are out) and he is 2.5.

BTW the bib I use is the Baby Bjorn bib and it is AWESOME for teaching kids to drink out of a cup because it catches all the liquid that dribbles out. My kids would totally have been soaked if they did not use this bib when learning to drink from a REAL cup.

[JElaineB]

DS still uses bibs most of the time at home and always at daycare. He won't wear the disposable ones in restaurants anymore though. He's getting a lot better than he used to be, but we still have some occasions where it is a very good thing he wears a bib!

Jennifer
mom to Jacob 9/27/02

[TraciG]

My nephew who is 3 wore a bib last night when we ate dinner with them, no way will Sydney's bib go for a LONG time, way too messy !!!!

[slknight]

I'll be the odd-person out on this one. DS turned 2 in April and hasn't worn a bib in AGES. Honestly, I don't remember when he last wore one, but I'm guessing it's been at least a year. He doesn't seem to make much of a mess. <shrugs>

[alkagift]

My son is younger, but he still wears one happily. My nephew, who is the same age, hates them and his mother takes off his shirt and puts a kitchen towel on his lap to protect his pants! When they go out, she just doesn't give him anything greasy or ketchuppy.

As much as I love nakie babies, I like my situation better!

Allison
Mommy to Matthew Clayton, who is TWO!

[g-mama]

I would love to put a bib on my 21 month old but for months, he has all out refused. The velcro ones he pulls off instantly. I got one that ties and he just yanks on it and screams. When he sees it coming, he just gets nuts and I finally gave up.

My older ds wore one til about 3.


Kristen
Paolo 11-00
Benjamin 8-03
and a third one coming in december '05!

[schums]

My DD tried that for a while, and then when we got it on her, she'd rip it off quickly. We started to tell her "no bib, no food" at every meal. Every time she took off the bib, I moved her plate to the other side of the table. When she protested (since she hadn't eaten very much, if anything, yet), I'd put the bib back on. It only took a few days of this before we had NO fighting about the bib at all.

Sarah
Alex 3/02
Catherine 8/03

[californiagirl]

We're pretty loosey-goosey about the whole bib thing, always have been. She gets food on herself with or without the bib (this is the kid who goes to daycare in a onesie with clothes over it and still has sand in the waistband of her diaper -- she's talented). When we're out she often wears a bib with a pouch to minimize falling food. At home, we put a bib on her for yoghurt or soup, but mostly she doesn't wear one.

[August Mom]

My almost 3-year-old still wears a bib. In fact, he generally insists on it. I've trained him well. :) I had a hard and fast rule (as much for DH as for DS) that DS had to wear a bib whenever he dipped. DH seems to always serve him ketchup and that's a stain that's hard to get out sometimes. Anyway, now DS will ask for a bib if there's ketchup involved. :) I plan on keeping him wearing a bib until he won't.

[em_jon98]

Lindsey started to refuse to wear a bib about a month or so ago. Before that, we were very consistent about using one, and she usually went and got her own before meals as part of setting the table (we hang them on the pantry door handle to dry.) Since she is usually pretty careful and not a really messy eater, we have not really fought her too much on this unless it is something really messy (pasta with red sauce, etc.)

I really wish she would still wear one, but they don't use bibs at her daycare and we are guessing that is why she is now refusing to wear one. She is so opinionated...we have to pick and choose our "battles" with her :(

[vikivoly]

That's how Gillian is also. Sometimes when she is eating dry foods, I'll skip the bib and she'll ask for one. She's never been a real defiant, gotta do it my way kind of toddler.

[zuzu]

Unless really messy foods are involved, we've been skipping the bib lately. Sarah is not as messy an easer as she once was, and insists on wiping her hands and mouth throughout the meal. She started resisting using the bib a few weeks ago, so we just make it a requirement for messier meals, and she is generally fine with that.

Melissa, mom to Sarah (5/03)

[MelissaTC]

We haven't used a bib in forever. He generally does not make a huge mess and is big into wiping his hands and mouth with his napkin.

[amp]

Jake just turned two and we haven't been using a bib for quite some time either. Occasionally, when we eat something really messy (spaghetti, mexican rice, etc) we'll use one, but more often than not, he pulls it off. If the food is reasonably unmessy, he does a pretty good job. He's a fairly neat eater.

[raynjen]

Noelle still wears a bib occasionally at 3 1/2. I carry the disposable ones with us and she wears them without objections. I too have invested money in her outfits and would like them to last till she outgrows them!

Personally, I think it is rather rude of your SIL to make fun of you in front of her children (and positively obscene that she lets her children make fun of another adult). Perhaps the next time she brings it up you could say, "I am teaching my daughter good manners - what are you teaching yours?" It wasn't so long ago that it was acceptable for adults to wear their napkins tucked into their shirt collars - fashions change, but manners do NOT!

Don't doubt yourself!

Jen in Okinawa
Mom to a wonderful preschooler,
who is three and a half, Noelle!

[crl]

About 2 days after we got home with DS at 14 months old (he's adopted from China). He pulled them off and always got food all over himself even with the bib (sleeves, parts of shirt not covered, etc.) So, I just take his shirt off at every meal and most snacks. When we eat out, he just gets food on his shirt. I figure they wash, just like the bib would . . .

I'm impressed at the bib success the rest of you have had!

[MartiesMom2B]

I'm impressed too. Martie hates them. I've come to love my laundry stain removers or if we are at home and it's really messy Martie eats without a shirt.

-Sonia
Mommy to my Strawberry Shortcake lovin' Martie

[netne]

DS is 25 months and started refusing bibs the past few weeks. I guess he decided "I'm 2, big boys don't wear bibs." I don't push it unless he's eating something really messy (like pasta with tomato sauce), and then I usually just take his shirt off if I'm worried about it getting stained. It's not worth making a battle out of it for me at mealtime.

I have a friend whose DD started refusing bibs around 18 months. I guess it just comes down to your child's temperament and your preferences. I wouldn't care what anyone else thinks. Sometimes I still bib myself if I'm eating BBQ or cracking open crab legs. :-)

[TraciG]

my 3 year old nephew wears one still when he eats !

VERY aggravating when clothes get ruined, drives me crazy

[LittlePrince_Mom]

DS is 2 and we don't use one anymore. I was surprised to learn that they don't use them at preschool anymore either (they did last year). We stopped at the beginning of the summer when he was 1.5 but we used to just strip him down for meals it seemed easier. Now that clothes are required weather-wise we haven't gone back to bibs. He does make a mess sometimes but I find most bibs too small, he hates them and he is usually able to handle meals without too big of a mess so that's that.

-E
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