All About Children's Silver Cutlery

Children's silver spoon is a great gift for a baby and parents for christening, "for a tooth" and on the birthday itself. Silver has antimicrobial effect and is safe for babies. With such a spoon, you can not only feed the child, but also disinfect the water by dropping it into a mug.

Usually a silver spoon is presented to a child when the first tooth is erupted. It is believed that if you hit a child in the tooth with a spoon and wish him health, prosperity and well-being, then they will certainly come true. According to the mystical version, such a spoon becomes a talisman for a child for life. In tsarist times, it was customary to give a child dessert spoons when entering school or a gymnasium and a cafeteria when graduating from an educational institution.

According to another version, the child is strongly weakened energetically during the period of teething. Such a spoon becomes a protective amulet. And from the standpoint of Christianity, the silver spoon was one of the gifts of the Magi to the Christ child.

On the practical side, silver has a number of useful properties. It disinfects water and food, saturates it with useful ions, is non-toxic and safe. Teething itself coincides with the period of the introduction of complementary foods. In the old days, sanitary conditions were worse, and silver reduced the risk of catching an intestinal infection. In addition, this gift will remain with the baby as a memory. Toys break, go out of age, money can be spent for other purposes, but the spoon will remind you of the donor all your life, it may become a family heirloom.

According to tradition, the godparents should give a silver spoon "by the teeth".

• Baby spoons have some characteristics to consider when choosing.
• On average, the spoon is 12-14 cm long and weighs 10-20 grams. For a child 3-5 years old, it is better to choose a larger spoon, 14-16 cm long. The scoop should be round, without sharp edges, deep enough to eat the soup, but at the same time convenient. For a child under one year old, a teahouse is suitable, from a year old - a dessert one.
• Special attention to the handle. It is better to choose embossed, smooth can slip out of hands. The shank should be thick enough so that the child can put it in the mouth. Here, the design can be absolutely anything. A spoon can have an unusual shape, with carved ornaments, be made in the form of some kind of animal, often a bear, decorated with ornaments and engraving. The bright enamel pattern will additionally attract the baby's attention, making the feeding process more interesting. But the enamel should only be on the handle! Blackening silver also looks beautiful and will not do any harm.
• Moreover, the decor of the handle should not be massive. It is important to understand that the needs of a child and the skills of using the device differ from that of an adult. He just has to learn everything. The spoon should be comfortable. A too massive handle can outweigh, and a bulky decor can deprive ergonomics.
• Engraving can make a gift special. You can indicate the date of birth, height and weight of the newborn, or write a memorable congratulation wish. The spoon itself can be ordered from a jeweler. The lead time usually ranges from a week to three. But such a gift will be exclusive. In addition to a spoon, you can donate a set, for example, by adding a fork or a mug to the spoon.
• The cost of the product depends on the weight of the spoon, sample and design. For beauty, gold plating can be applied to the handle of the spoon, which will make the product even more expensive. In any case, a silver spoon is not a cheap pleasure. However, children's cutlery is not the case when you can save money at the expense of quality and safety.

Silver cutlery can be used for household and souvenir purposes. The latter cannot be used in everyday life, since they may have additional impurities and alloys that are harmful to health if they get inside the body. For example, various sprays of rhodium, special varnish, wax or enamel to preserve the beauty and shine of the product. Such protection perfectly saves from mechanical damage, oxidation, but these products are absolutely unsuitable for eating. They serve only as decoration. For a gift, you should look for household cutlery that has a hygiene certificate.

Under the guise of silver, they can sell sputtered items. These devices must have a factory stamp with a 925 or 999 fineness. It is laser cut and should be clearly visible. The higher the sample, the less impurities are present in the metal, it will not darken. In Russia, the USA and Europe, a warranty certificate is attached to the cutlery. The cheapest silverware is produced in China, Turkey and India. The quality of such items can be questionable. Therefore, before buying, it is imperative to ask the seller to present a hygiene certificate.

Next, you need to pay attention to the shape and convenience of the spoon and fork. If the device is not comfortable to hold in the hand, it will be difficult to use it. Particular attention to the scoop of the spoon. It comes into contact with the child's mouth, so spraying is highly undesirable. On the handle you can, on the scoop itself - no. There should also be no filigree elements near it that could cause injury to the child. Sometimes silver spoons are covered with gold.It looks nice, but this coating completely blocks the effect of silver. From the point of view of benefits, let the spoon be simpler, but more useful and safer for the baby.

You can look at the silver spoon "on the first tooth" further.