Every child enjoys seeing his or her name emblazoned upon something he/she uses every day. I think these Personalized Placemats by Birthday in a Box would be a great way to encourage a little one to eat at the table. In my household, both my son and my husband are guilty of eating way too many meals away from the kitchen. If, however, my son had his own, personalized placemat designed with something he likes (like the dinosaurs in this photo), he might be more apt to eat at his seat at the table (instead of in front of the television with his dad). Maybe I should consider getting one for my husband in a sports motif? You can check out all the designs at BirthdayInABox.com, where these placemats sell for just $5.99.

With a newborn and a three year old, we aren’t brave enough to venture out to eat very often these days.  When my three year old was younger, however, we used to go out for dinner at least once a week, often with a friend and her son of approximately the same age.  I have some fond memories of those dinners, and then I have some embarrassing memories of screaming children, flying food, and broken salad plates.

Sometimes, between worrying about keeping your child entertained and well-behaved, and worrying about the germs he or she may be acquiring from restaurant tables, eating out completely loses its appeal. The people at Bebe ChaCha have designed a product that aims to help with both of these issues.  Their sticker placemats feature brightly colored designs that will interest your child.  They stick to the restaurant table, creating a barrier between your child and germs and allowing you, should you choose, to remove breakable plates from the picture completely by placing your little one’s food directly on the 11 x 14 placemat.  When the meal is over, you simply peel it off the table.

These palcemats come in a pack of 12.  They are packaged in a plastic zipper-seal bag so that you can carry them easily in your purse or diaper bag.  They may not completely solve your dinning out woes, but they definitely promise to make things a little bit easier. You can purchase a pack for $8.99 at BeBeChaCha.com.