kid gear

Hooray for food! Moving beyond rice cereal to real food purees is a real milestone, and like any new baby step, it's filled with gadgets and gear to help mamas along the way. Sure, you can simply take the spoon to the jar or bowl and place it your lil one's mouth, but before long, mom's sure to realize that "there has to be an easier and neater way" to do so. Before cleaning up another puddle of spilled food, check out nine products designed to make solid food feeding a more pleasant experience for everyone involved!

Part preppy, part hipster, plaid seems to be just about everywhere these days — including kids' clothes. From classic tartan dresses to traditional wool trousers, we've rounded up some of the best plaid styles for kids.

Who said only piggies can hold your kids' coins? Let these adorable animal banks — giraffes, bunnies, elephants, hippos, and more — inspire your lil one to save their pennies. Cute, modern, and fun, they'll make a sweet addition to any kid's bedroom decor, while also teaching them an early lesson about financial responsibility.

If mama ever wants to explain to her lil one how he was born vaginally, while his big sister came out via C-section, there's now a doll for that! Perhaps one of the odder baby products out there MamAmor has just introduced a VBAC doll ($175), complete with a C-section scar and a Velcro opening through which her new lil one can enter the world. The company recommends the doll for tots over the age of three, but mom may want to wait until her tot is a bit older to explain the differences.

The VBAC doll joins a growing collection of anatomically correct toys on the market that help a mom visually explain vaginal birth. From breastfeeding versions to those that also deliver the placenta, here are six birthing dolls for kids.

Let's paint! Lil ones love to get messy — whether they're playing in mud puddles or playing with paintbrushes. When the artistic spirit strikes, no one wants tots to worry about ruining a perfectly pressed outfit, so keep reading for five sweet smocks that will protect lil ones' clothes while they're creating the next great works of art.

Are you ready for some football? With Super Bowl week in full swing, pigskin fever is quickly spreading across the country as tots everywhere choose their favorite teams. New York Giants and New England Patriots gear is selling out fast, but it's not too late to gear the lil one up for the biggest football weekend of the year. Today's the last day to order some of these great finds that will help even the smallest fans to show their allegiance on game day! Check them out!

Splish splash! Bath time may be designed to get lil ones clean, but for many mamas, it's also an opportunity to calm fussy lil ones during the witching hour. The key to doing so is ensuring that the entire experience is as comfortable as possible — both for mom and for tot! A host of new products are making bath time cleaner and comfier than ever. Check out five that are hitting our radar right now!

Love the one you're with! Prebaby, Valentine's day might have meant a long, romantic candlelit dinner followed by an even longer, romantic, candlelit night. Once a lil one is on the scene, the holiday — like everything else in life — shifts its focus from couple to family. With your lil one dressed in one of these adorable heart-themed onesies, you won't miss your prebaby celebration for a moment!

It's gonna be a wet one, folks! As unpleasant and frustrating as bed-wetting can be, it's not at all uncommon. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, 20 percent of 5-year-olds and 10 percent of 6-year-olds wet the bed. Most lil ones outgrow bed-wetting without medical intervention, but there are some great products available to make the process a little more manageable for parents and tots. Support and positive reinforcement is crucial when it comes to helping lil ones get past the bed-wetting phase, so the last thing you want is to make a tot sleep in a soggy bed or underpants. Keep reading for some helpful products to support lil ones on their quest for total potty domination.