Since our launch over a year ago, we’ve received emails, tweets and calls with your questions. Questions about our product, our company, and our mission. We’ve compiled a few that we think deserve an answer. Or at least publishing on our blog for everyone to enjoy. You’ve posed the questions. Without further delay, it is time for some answers.
Q: It says on the package your product is for 6+ months – really? Can a baby seriously self-feed at six months??? Mine couldn’t!
A: Mine neither. In fact, most babies aren’t ready till 7, 8 or even 9 months. But we – like other manufacturers of baby utensils – must acknowledge the super babies among us and show the age at which it’s possible for a child to begin safely using our product. Every baby is different. Only you can make the determination as to when your child is ready to begin the self-feeding process and, equally as important, when you as a parent are ready.
Q: Can my child start self-feeding earlier with your product?
A: Our first blog post encouraged readers to say ‘yes’ to self-feeding the first time a child lunges for the spoon. But only a parent knows when their child is truly ready for self-feeding. We simply encourage you to support your baby’s natural curiosity and follow their cues. If you’ve nailed the timing, your baby will be able to replicate the dipping action from your demonstration and will, subsequently, beam with pride over the accomplishment. We call it the ‘Can Do’ moment and it is awesome!
Q: I notice your spoon doesn’t have a safety guard to prevent choking. Is it safe?
A: Let me begin by reminding parents that babies learning to self-feed – whether at a year or 6 months of age – should be supervised by an adult at all times. Also, the child should remain securely seated while using any utensil. Okay, so back to the design of our product…NumNum is designed slightly smaller than most spoons so that when it’s held by a baby, only the head and a bit of the handle will remain. In other words, enough to dip and place in the mouth, but not long enough to cause choking. We think – and our testing has shown! – NumNum is the perfect size for little hands and mouths.
Q: Your product is essentially a spoon with a hole in it! I don’t get it. Sorry.
A: Not the first time we’ve heard this. We would think exactly the same thing had we not teamed up with some bright technical minds who have a better grasp of science and, specifically, the properties of liquids. But surface tension is real and it works. The innovative channels in the orange NumNum actually suspend the food, giving baby more time to get it to the mouth. Science is so cool! Sometimes.
Q: I love that your spoon doubles as a teether! Brilliant!
A: Thank you so much! So…your photo scared us just a bit as a wobbly toddler running full tilt with a utensil in its mouth is…well, somewhat unsettling. NumNum is a utensil first and, as such, should be used only while your child is securely seated. But in between those yummy dips of food, let them gnaw away and soothe those gums!
Q: I love your product but it doesn’t do anything to keep my baby from tipping the bowl over.
A: Uh, you are correct. Our feeding apparatus in no way secures the feeding repository. However, we may have a solution in the works. Shhhhhh!
Q: How did you come up with the name NumNum?
A: Like most babies, our son expressed approval of the food he was eating by mumbling “NumNum.” It stuck.
Q: I read about your Bite for Bite initiative on your website and I applaud your organization for its social mission. I was wondering how much gets donated annually and how that is managed?
A: Our goal is to donate 8 to 10% of annual profit to a charity (or charities) committed to ending childhood hunger. We estimate it’s going to take 3 to 5 years to achieve that goal. Until we are able to reach our targeted percentage, we compensate by donating our time. Our employees volunteer approximately 20 hours per month with various charities in the Atlanta area, such as Open Hand Atlanta.
Q: I saw a blog post that was about feeding therapists using your product; how is your product different/better than other tools they use?
A: The tool choices at a therapist’s disposal differ little from the spoon options available to a parent. Therapists like NumNum because it’s an early self-feeding utensil that’s actually shaped like a spoon. Also, there’s nothing gimmicky going on to confuse the child. So they feel the transition will be more seamless. Plus, NumNum embraces the concept that, developmentally speaking, dipping precedes scooping and therapists have known this for a long, long time.
Q: You need to make a larger NumNum for messy men like myself!
A: Ha! How can you have any pudding if you don’t have a NumNum?!? We’re on it.
Q: Is NumNum BPA free?
A: Yes. We are parents too, so we are just as concerned about product safety as you are. In fact, because we’re sharing our products with babies around the world, we’re hypersensitive to this issue. You can trust that your child’s safety is always top of mind. It’s the reason we invest in more expensive materials, such as the TPE used in the head of the NumNum. It’s a premium EU-grade material that far exceeds the standards set by the FDA. It’s decisions like this one that speak to our promise to deliver products you can trust.
Q: My son has grown extremely protective of his NumNum and actually started crying when I took it away after dinner. Suggestions?
A: Never, ever attempt to take a NumNum from a child while in use. When the NumNum has been set down, you may then carefully remove the NumNum from the area. However, we would still recommend removing the child from the area first. (Seriously, this is for your own safety.)
Have a question we didn’t answer? Post it here or email us. As always, thanks for supporting and believing in our product. NumNum!
NumSTERS 