Why Lightweight Dinnerware is Perfect for Families with Kids
If you have children, choosing a set of dinnerware that suits your entire family isn’t easy. Porcelain and ceramic dishes are lovely, and they exude elegance and quality. They’re also expensive, heavy, and fragile. That’s the case with glass dishes as well. While they’re beautiful and just as suited to everyday use as they are for family gatherings and dinner parties, they’re breakable and difficult for little hands to manage.
Plastic dinnerware is lighter, cheaper, and harder to break, so it can be a good choice for children. Still, it’s not very durable. It tends to warp and fade in the dishwasher, so it quickly loses its luster. That’s especially true of the cheaper versions. They may be easier for your little ones to handle, and you don’t have to worry about them shattering, but you may still find yourself constantly replacing them. At the same time, most people feel that plastic dinnerware is a bit chintzy for special occasions.
Melamine: An Amazing Alternative
Fortunately, you don’t have to settle for either of those extremes. You don’t have to keep multiple sets of dishes on hand to meet all your needs, either. Melamine dinnerware is a fantastic alternative to plastic, glass, porcelain, and ceramic. It has several qualities that make it perfect for families with children.
Lightweight
For one, melamine is a lightweight material. It’s lighter than glass, ceramic, and porcelain. It may be slightly heavier than thin, cheap plastics, but its weight is comparable to sturdy, high-quality versions. It’s easily light enough for even small children to handle. Your little ones are less likely to drop lightweight dishes like those made of melamine as well.
Extremely Durable
Another trait that makes melamine dinnerware a prime choice for families with children is its durability. It’s practically unbreakable. Dropping it on your kitchen countertops, on the table, or even your floors won’t damage it.
That’s certainly not the case with glass, porcelain, and ceramic. A minor tumble with dishes made of those materials can shatter them, but melamine dishes can handle being dropped repeatedly and come through no worse for wear. Whether they get knocked off of a table, tossed off of a highchair tray, or dropped into the sink, they can withstand it all.
Furthermore, it’s no secret that dishes are up against a few unexpected dangers in the hands of children. After all, in the eyes of kids, a plate could make a great frisbee. If they’re arranged just right, dishes of different shapes and sizes make for a terrific drum set as well, and anything that makes a sound when it strikes those dishes can serve as a drumstick. Those are only a couple of the possibilities. Melamine can hold up to those little trials and many others.
Simple Cleanup
Melamine dinnerware is easy to clean as well. It’s nonporous, so even greasy, acidic foods won’t seep into it and leave behind unsightly stains. It’s dishwasher safe too. It won’t fade, warp, crack, or melt when exposed to the heat and water pressure of your dishwasher. Unlike some materials, the detergents used in your dishwasher won’t cause it to fade. That means its colors and designs will remain vibrant and beautiful for years to come.
Exciting Colors and Patterns
Melamine dishes are available in a vast array of colors and patterns. That’s yet another reason they’re an awesome choice for families with children. You may have already discovered how much of a difference dishes with fun colors and designs can make at mealtime. Presenting meals in exciting plates and bowls can encourage your picky little eaters to eat more or try new foods. Your children may even make a game of eating their food to reveal the pattern underneath.
Great for Outdoor Use
Melamine dinnerware is great for outdoor use as well. You can use them for backyard picnics, days at the park, and all your other outings. They’re light to carry, and you won’t have to worry about breaking them. They’re better for the environment than disposable dishes too. They can make outdoor meals with the kids fun, and they may be a nice tool for teaching your children about doing their part to help save the planet.
Teaching Housekeeping Skills
As an added bonus, melamine dishes are excellent for teaching your children to clear the table and wash dishes. Since they’re light and easy for small hands to hold onto, your children won’t have any trouble carrying them from the table to the kitchen. You can use them to teach your kids how to wash dishes by hand and how to load them in the dishwasher properly. As mentioned, they can handle bumps and bangs, so your little ones won’t have to worry about being overly gentle with them or accidentally dropping them.
Are Melamine Dishes Safe for Kids?
Yes, melamine dishes are safe for kids. They’re lightweight, so they won’t hurt if they’re dropped on little toes. They don’t crack or shatter, so there’s no risk of your children getting cut on shards or sharp edges with melamine dinnerware.
Additionally, high-quality melamine doesn’t leach dangerous chemicals into foods the way many plastics do. Because of their nonporous surfaces and the fact that they don’t harbor food particles and bacteria, melamine dishes pose no risk of hidden pathogens. With all that being the case melamine is one of the safest dinnerware options on the market for families with children.
Making Your Kitchen Fun and Family Friendly
Numerous dinnerware options are on the market from glass and porcelain to plastic and beyond. Not all of them are ideal for children, though. Of course, in many cases, the ones that are great for little ones aren’t the best choices for adults.
Melamine is an exception to the rule. It’s lightweight, durable, and easy to clean. It’s also available in a variety of beautiful colors and patterns. It’s a safe, kid-friendly alternative to other materials.
Aside from being perfect for children, it’s appealing to adults. It’s a wonderful choice for everyday use, and it’s elegant enough for dinner parties, holidays, and other events. As such, why not make yourself and your little ones happy with a set of melamine dinnerware?
