S07.E13: Spretz, ezpz, Hungry Harvest, Controlled Chaos

[bilgistic]

I didn't make up Godsocks; another poster did back in the thread after the original airing, but it makes me laugh, so I use it. ;)

[Tara Ariano]

In case you missed it, here's the Previously.TV post on the episode!

 

Women On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown
Two entrepreneurs seemingly try to out-do each other in a Most Discombobulated Shark Tank Pitch Ever contest. The winner? You, America.

[Eolivet]

I think EZPZ lady is crazy...like a fox. As others have said, she was there for publicity. I do have to think she has some kind of medical condition, though -- her affect was off, but the fact that she couldn't stand up straight (her head tilted to the side) sent her straight past the "garden variety weirdo" right into "clinically weird," at least for me.

 

I liked Hungry Harvest guy a lot -- though I can sort of see his skepticism in not making a deal right away with Robert. After all, does Robert have any connections to the food industry? I can think of food products Barbara, Kevin, Lori and even Mark have supported, but has Robert done a food deal by himself recently? It would give me some pause as well...no matter how good his offer was.

[Ottis]

Re: "The Feeding Industry," it does exist tho I don't know if the one I am familiar with is the one Crazy Placemat Lady was referring to. Some kids have issues with food textures (primarily), consistency, color, and yes, sometimes taste and it affects their nutrition. There are feeding schools that help parents and kids try to overcome that, or in some cases, simply cope with it.

I know because (cue sad Shark Tank music, and tears in my eyes) my now mostly normal teen went to one when he was 2. He was in a group of 6 kids, all around the same age, with feeding issues. Four of the six had some form of autism. We were fortunate in that we didn't. One poor kid had to be fed through a tube in is side, and could only "eat" liquids.

The whole thing was run through Children's Hospital.They would try to get the 6 kids around a shared table and then bring out foods, starting with the least threatening like dry crackers. And some of the kids would literally climb up and out of their chairs and away from the foods in terror because they didn't want to have to eat them. It was one of the most frightening and gut wrenching experiences in my life. Our kid basically got better and in some ways grew out of it, and today eats mostly normally. He still doesn't eat much and prefers very dry foods.

So I can see Crazy Placemat lady positioning the tray as a way to limit distraction at the table for kids who will do almost anything to not have to sit and eat because of feeding issues. Or she simply meant, you know, any time kids eat. That seems more likely in her case.

Edited January 14, 2016 by Ottis

[Saylii]

One of the reasons I was so excited about the EZPZ product is because my daughter (18 mos) has severe food aversions like Ottis described.  She's in speech and food therapy to help reduce her anxiety with food.  Her trigger is multiples on a plate or in a bowl.  Example: Two cheerios, a handful of berries, flavors mixed, etc.  We have tried weighted bowls before, but she gets so worked up and angry that she can find the strength to push them off the table.  

 

So I ordered this during the show with absolutely no research.  For her, it will work or it won't.

 

I found that the Amazon reviews were mostly spot on.  The bowl part of the mat is not going to move for anything.  The lips of the mat have absolutely no suction and come off very easily.  Luckily for me, my daughter is more focused on the bowl when she's eating so she hasn't tried pulling it up from the lip yet.  It didn't create a miracle breakthrough where she eats perfectly now, but she did eat two blackberries out of a bowl consecutively without throwing them on the ground after she figured out the bowl wasn't going anywhere so she does seem to tolerate it.  She can get her fingers underneath so I know it's just a matter of time before she figures out where to actually flip it.  I really wish the product was set up where three of the corners suctioned to the table with one corner or a pull tab that could release from the table.  If Crazy Lady had gotten a deal, I think one of the sharks would have insisted on that change.  

 

I probably won't order anything else from the company unless it gets called out that those changes are made.  Or if my daughter just seems to really embrace the mat.

[Ottis]

Good luck to you, Saylii. Stay patient ... sometimes it does get better! Hope it does for you and your daughter.

[Kiss my mutt]

The placemats were sure an assortment of ugly colors. They looked kind of institutional. I could see another product coming out that was more aesthetically pleasing to kids or got a licensing deal. No way would I even let that crazy woman into my home let alone work with her though.