Review and Discount: Tiny Tongs

Thank you to Tiny Tongs for participating in the Bloggy Birthday Blowout on Goodie Goodie Gumdrops!

As most of you know, I have a very picky eater on my hands. Nate is very particular when it comes to textures. He doesn't like to pick up things with his fingers unless they are crunchy like cereal or firm like chunks of ground beef or turkey. He refuses to touch soft, wet foods like fruit or noodles. But these foods can be rather difficult for him to pick up with typical utensils since they tend to slide right off the spoon or fork. I wasn't sure there was anything out there aside from time that could solve this pesky little problem until I was introduced to Tiny Tongs.

Tiny Tongs were invented in 2008 by a mom of a three who was searching for a way to bridge the gap between finger feeding and eating with traditional utensils. After seeing her small children use tongs in their preschool to help develop their coordination for writing, she decided to expand the concept to mealtime as well. A year later, Tiny Tongs were born!

Tiny Tongs are ergonomically-shaped and have proper tension for small hands. The non-slip grip helps maintain optimal position and gripping ridges aid in picking up and securing food. Tiny Tongs are non-toxic, lead free, BPA-free, phthalate-free, and are dishwasher-safe for easy clean-up.

When our Tiny Tongs arrived all tied up with cellophane and ribbon, I couldn't help but "ooh" and "aah". They were so adorable, I almost didn't want to take them out of the package. Notice I said *almost*. I couldn't wait for our next meal so Nate could test them out.

Now, Nate is moderately skilled with utensils and no longer relies heavily on his pincher grasp, so he couldn't quite master Tiny Tongs right away. He had a hard time holding the tongs closed long enough to get the food to his mouth. But surprisingly, Nate didn't grow frustrated and throw a fit when things didn't go his way. Tiny Tongs are much too fun for that! After initially substituting them as a toy to pinch me with, he kept attempting to pick up bits of food until he got it right. With a bit of patience and practice, he has used his Tiny Tongs to successfully eat all sorts of things like buttery pasta, shredded cheese and pepperoni pizza. Maybe in the future he'll use the skills gained from his Tiny Tongs to expand his palate to things like California rolls. Hey, a girl can dream!

In the meantime, I'm happy he uses them for old reliables like his morning cereal:

I love that Tiny Tongs are made of safe materials and can be tossed in the dishwasher for convenient cleaning. They are great for messier finger foods - no more sticky palms! I only wish we had discovered them sooner, before Nate became accustomed to utensils. We could have saved ourselves lots of hassle in the transition!

Bottom line: If you want to make mealtime exciting for your toddler or preschooler, Tiny Tongs get two prongs up!

BUY IT: You can purchase a single pair (ARV $7.99) or 4-pack of Tiny Tongs (ARV $24.99) online at www.tinytongs.com.

DELECTABLE DISCOUNT: Tiny Tongs is offering all GGG readers an exclusive discount! Just use code "goodie2010" to receive 20% off your purchase!

Also, be sure to follow Tiny Tongs on Facebook for all the latest news and developments!

Disclaimer: I received a free pair of Tiny Tongs from Hilary at Abbott Communications to facilitate my candid review. I was in no other way compensated for this post. The thoughts and opinions expressed in my review are solely mine. Your experience may differ.