We put a bib on my son when he is eating for the same reason that babies wear bibs–things get messy. My son’s eating may not be quite baby-messy, but it’s still easier to put something on over his shirt than to clean it up.

My daughter and I went to the craft store to find fabric to make some new bibs. The woman behind the fabric counter asked what we were working on. When my daughter said we were making bibs for her brother, the woman’s voice changed when she asked how old he was. She was definitely expecting us to say he was seven months old or something. Instead, my daughter said, “Five and a half. Almost six, really,” and there was a moment of processing for the woman. Luckily, people are pretty quick to figure out that a bib for a Kindergartener means the child has a kind of special need. The woman went on to say that she had to make a few bibs herself. But not for a child. She needed to make bibs for someone who is 90 years old. Needless to say, her bibs couldn’t be made from the same interesting fabric that we chose for my son.

The point that a 90-year-old probably wouldn’t appreciate having the same kind of bibs as a five-year-old is the very reason my daughter and I went to the store for fabric in the first place. We wanted my son’s bibs to be age-appropriate. He might eat like someone younger, but his bibs don’t have to look fit for a nursery.

It is very difficult to find bibs for older kids. Sure, I can go online to any number of bland websites and pick out basic color stuff for any size of bib I like. But when was the last time you were jacked to give a child a basic, single-colored piece of clothing? And how excited was the kid to wear it?

But honestly, the real reason I wanted to make bibs with superheroes and fun characters was because of this–if my son needs a special item, it may as well be awesome. In my mind, I would like typical kids to look at my son with his bib and say, “Damn! I wish I drooled a little so I could score one of those!”

I don’t think we need to give up on the idea of making or buying things with exciting characters for kids like my son just because they may or may not understand who the characters are. I know who they are, I’m excited about the way they look, and other kids my son’s age will know who they are.

Also, getting a bib for a six-year-old is frankly not the most joyous task. It feels discouraging and is a reminder of how far behind my son is. But by accepting the need for it and leaning into it to make it as kid-friendly as possible, hopefully these bibs will help people see the little Kindergartener wearing them more than the fact that they’re needed.