The mess never improves really, it just changes. DD eats yogurt with a spoon perfectly, even spooning it off her face when she's missed! Then she'll turn the pot upside down and bang it on the table to make pretty circles
Or the spoon/ dinner gets thrown/ dropped in protest. Although the best of all is tipping the plate up and watching everything slide off
Jaci we still don't give really runny food, far too risky! We soak it up in something first! We also discovered the best bibs are small adult t-shirts, they come down to their feet covering everything! Obviously not waterproof, but a small bib on top of that can soak liquids up!