Not being a mother myself, I was wondering what I could contribute to Truly Madly Kids, when someone told me about the Spilly Spoon (www.spillyspoon.com). I am probably a bit of a big kid, but when I saw it I was really excited by it (I could even see myself using it at night for cough mixture rather than swigging from the bottle and wondering why I can never wake up)!
The Spilly Spoon was designed by Philippa Le Boutillier, a mother of three, who was fed up with trying to get her kids to take medicine, sticky stuff everywhere, stains on the carpet and all the drama that goes with trying to make small people better. She created the spoon in 2011 to be practical for parents and fun for kids. Made for doses from 2.5ml to 10ml, and using medical grade materials that are dishwasher and steriliser safe, made entirely in the UK (despite the temptation to use cheaper foreign manufacturers), the caterpillar design has little legs to stop it rolling when put down and is easy for children to drink from themselves. As she says ‘The end of goo on the carpet’.
Armed with a spoon and a bottle of Calpol I set about finding some models to photograph with it. Princess Jess (in the fairy wings) and her little sister Aimee were volunteered by their mum, Jennifer. While I set up the shots (well, bribed the girls with jelly babies and chocolate buttons) we could already see the benefits as the Spilly Spoon sat on the bedside table obligingly full of medicine which wasn’t going anywhere. I failed miserably to get the girls to pretend to sleep (without laughing or opening their eyes) with a spoon in the foreground so we moved onto asking them to pretend to drink from the spoon. The girls loved the feel of the spoon and were able to hold it easily without sticky pink Calpol going anywhere at all, even with sparkly wands and cuddly rabbits being clutched in the other hand.
Aimee was first up and very sweetly held the spoon up and gave me a big wink…. and then before I could say, ‘No, just pretend!’ 5ml of Calpol were down that hatch just like that! Oops! I apologised profusely to Jennifer, who thankfully saw the funny side of a photographer turning up to accidentally drug her children. I had caught all the action so Aimee was fed chocolate and relieved of her modelling duites by her big sister, Princess Jess. Jess, desperate not to be left out (and in excited anticipation of the Snow White dressing up shoes she had been promised if she behaved), posed beautifully in her wings with the spoon to her lips… and then before I could say, ‘Nooooooo!!!!’ her 5ml of Calpol had gone too. The Spilly Spoon was a hit, so much so that I had to use my best bargaining tools (more chocolate buttons) to wrestle the spoon from them to get it home with me, to adorn my bedside table with my dose of Benylin!
The spoons can be ordered directly from Philippa’s website at www.spillyspoon.com or an be purchased through the NCT, The Nappy Lady, Baby Reflux, Gadget Baby, Manor Pharmacies or The Prestwood Pharmacy chain. I wouldn’t be without mine now!
Have fun!
Penny x
