Sometimes, the best feature is the one you leave out.
If you have a baby or toddler who is learning to eat, you've probably seen the appeal of suction dishes.
The idea makes perfect sense: attach the dish to the table, prevent little hands from moving it, and hopefully keep dinner where it belongs.
But as kids grow, we started noticing something: they become very interested in defeating the suction.
They pull, the tug, and eventually... the plate doesn't just drop. It launches across the kitchen. 😂
As a mom of 5 and founder of 321 Grow, I wanted to create plates and bowls that would grow with my kids, not something they would quickly outgrow once they moved past the baby stage.
So we intentionally left the suction off.
Suction isn't always as helpful as it sounds.
Suction has a limitation: it depends on the surface underneath it.
Wooden tables, textured surfaces and surfaces with any crumbs or imperfections can make suction unreliable.
And without a bulky suction base, our plates and bowls are easier to stack in a cabinet and fit into the dishwasher.
There's also the issue of suction dishes sticking to things they weren't supposed to.
The counter, as you're serving food for your child.
The fridge shelf, when you're grabbing leftovers.
And then the microwave plate... when you heat something up and then accidentally yank the microwave plate out with the bowl.
If you've done this, you know. 😬
But the biggest reason we skipped suction? Independence.
This one is personal.
From a very young age, I've taught my kids that when they're finished eating, they take their dishes to the sink.
It's a simple responsibility, but I believe those routines are important. They're learning to take care of their things, help around the house and do things for themselves.
But if a plate is firmly suctioned to the table, they can't pick it up and carry it to the sink, An adult has to come remove it.
And that's not the kind of independence we want to accidentally get in the way of. We want kids to participate in the whole mealtime routine, not just eating.
They can help set the table. They can learn to scoop their own food. They can practice using utensils. And when they're finished, they can pick up their plate and take it to the sink.
These little moments add up.
We want our dishes to grow with kids.
Our goal was to create plates and bowls that help children become more independent. That's why our Easy Scoop & Hold Plates and Bowls all have clip-on rims, which are extended rims with handles, designed to help kids scoop food and manage their dishes more successfully, without relying on suction.
We believe mealtime is about more than eating. It's about learning skills, building confidence and gradually doing more for yourself. And sometimes, that means simply being able to pick up your own plate and take it to the sink.
No suction. No suction battles or flying dishes. Just thoughtfully designed dishes for growing kids. 💛