"Finger bowls" help toddlers clean their own hands at the table

Molly's got the most civilized toddler I've ever heard of:

I always have a difficult time getting my 2 year-old cleaned up after meals. He likes to wash his hands, but there are lots of walls, chairs, tables, etc. between the dinner table and the sink, and they often end up with... er... residue on them. Cleaning him up with a damp rag is always a struggle, and then I have a bunch of nasty damp rags to clean.

But I recently remembered my favorite childhood restaurant, The Golden Drumstick, on Route 66 (11th St.) in Tulsa, OK. The Golden Drumstick had wonderful fried chicken (as I recall; I was four the last time I went there, and it's long gone now), but the thing I remember is the finger bowls: shallow bowls of warm, lemony water that the waiter set in front of you after your meal so that you could get all the chicken grease off your fingers.

After lunch the other day, I set a small bowl of warm water in front of my Spaghetti-O-covered toddler and helped him figure out how to "dip, not splash." Believe it or not, it worked. He got most of the schmutz off his fingers and onto a napkin, so he was at least clean enough to go wash his hands. He can even say "finger bowl," after a fashion. I think it's a hit!

Man. My kids would have dumped the contents of the bowl in a heartbeat.

Related: Baby washcloths cut paper towel use

Comments

[Sandy]

We keep a box of baby wipes on the kitchen island for cleaning little fingers and faces.

[hedra]

We use the baby wipes, cloth napkins, and paper napkins options (ALL, seriously - sometimes if they don't want a wet wipe, they'll happly concede to a dry one, and sometimes a cloth one is better than a paper one - I don't care, whatever it takes!). I think finger bowls are a grand addition. Too late, since my kids are definitely into the 'pouring activities' phase (WELL into).

My kids also love going to the Chinese/Japanese restaurant, where they get the warmed wet napkins with lemon before the meal. SOooooo nice. The warm makes a difference, I think.

[Michelle]

Dried out baby wipes are also great for after dinner clean-up. I once had an entire pack go dry (don't ask!) and instead of wasting all that money and throwing them away, I just placed them at the counter. They can be wet and re-wet, unlike conventional paper-towels, and thrown away, unlike conventional rags! As long as they aren't discolored from the wipe warmer, they are fair game. Usually, I just use wet-wipes, though.

A container of water, while cost-efficient and earth friendly, would just end up being one more thing for this pooped-out Mommy to clean up. Maybe one day when the troops are a little more civilized!

[amy]

this is also a great sensory exercise for kids who are hypersensitive to tactile sensations, especially if you add some bubbles. and, for my daughter at least, a great way to get her hands clean on days when the running faucet is "too splashy."

[Erin]

We use old burp clothes to help keep my daughter clean at meals. We place one on her lap to catch fallen food and at the end of the meal, wet a corner to clean her mouth and hands.