Can you clarify exactly what materials are acceptable? Plastic, wood, pottery, glass...?

I use the preserve line of tableware for the kids. They aren't "kid sized" but it has worked fine!

http://www.preserveproducts.com/products/tableware.html

This set reminds me of Japanese cups and dishes. For our little guy I use a couple of hand painted Japanese bowls that I bought at Goodwill years ago. The shape is identical to the bowl shown in the Heath set. They not only look nice, they are resistant to shattering when dropped on the floor.

Have you thought about Fiestaware? They have smaller sizes that are perfect for kids.

My children used everything we used and learned to respect good things. There's no need for special children sized anything if they are taught properly.

But sometimes it's just fun to buy kid-sized things.

Have you seen the notNeutral Baby Dish Set. It's super cute and priced nicely. The modern seed sells it. http://www.modernseed.com/onncb.html

great suggestions! our "grown up" plates are so boring and way too big for a little tummy...which is why i like the scaled down sizes, plus he thinks it's more fun to mix it up (as do i) thanks for your comments!

HDS15 - some would disagree, not because kids are irresponsible or not well taught, but because they are so much smaller than adults and it is a courtesy to them to provide better-suited tools. This is the idea behind Montessori play - they provide children with household tools sized to suit them.

As for other options, we just stock up on those little wooden salad bowls from thrift stores. They're shaped like the Heath bowls, won't break, and are beautiful (and around 50 cents each). Just need to oil them once a year or so to keep them in good shape. 3191 blog has a good recipe for "spoon oil," which is a foodsafe beeswax and mineral oil mix for wooden things. I'm afraid that doesn't help you with cups and plates, though.

You're not a bad parent, don't let anyone tell you that. Hope you find some fun kids dishes!

Here is a beautiful wooden set. A bit pricey, but could become an heirloom if cared for properly:

http://lifewithoutplastic.com/boutique/childrens-4piece-japanese-wooden-lacquerware-p-198.html

or ikea?

I don't have any plate suggestions, because we aren't there yet. but I give my 15 month old food in le creuset ramekins. I had a bunch in both green and blue that I used for all kinds of things before the baby. now I almost exclusively use them for her food. tonight at dinner she had three ramekins--one with broccoli, one with pasta, and one with banana for desert.

they are virtually indestructible and colorful.

I agree with HDS15 - she's not saying anything crazy or disrespectful or hurtful. That's the truth. Whatever your children eat out of will be fine. You don't need small plates, or small tools, etc.
But personally, I don't come here for things I need - I come looking for things I want that match my aesthetic and that I think are cute.

And to that end...Pearl River Mart has cute stuff. If you can get to their store in SoHo it's worth the trip. They also have a few items online but not enough description. I searched "children" and here's what I found:

http://pearlriver.com/v2/FramesSearch.asp?search=children&btnSearch.x=0&btnSearch.y=0&btnSearch=GoSearch

Enjoy!

On a trip to Vietnam, I picked up some spun bamboo bowls for the kids. They came in great colours and sizes, and so far are still looking great (because despite giving our kids "kid-size" or "designed-for-kid" stuff, they've miraculously learned to respect their things, and other people's things!).
Plus at about US$40 for my haul of 8 noodle bowls and 8 shallow plate/bowls, teacups, two large bowls and a tray... how could I go wrong?
I'm not sure where Emily is from, but I know that Ten Thousand Villages stocks them.

Adding on to this question, can anyone recommend some nice toddler-sized cutlery?

As far as dishes, there are a lot of cute small ceramic bowls and plates at Crate & Barrel that are not too pricey. For drinking we use juice glasses or teacups, they are just the right size. for a 2 year old.

Based on Montessori principals, "For Small Hands" is a great resources for all things toddler and child. While they don't have dishes per se, they do have excellent flatware, glasses and mugs. Just the right proportion and durable without being cute-sie or too juvenile.

http://www.forsmallhands.com/store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=1_4

We have been using enamelware dishes for 4 years. We bought a bunch of plates and bowls like these:

http://mackenzie-childs.com/Gifts/Gifts+for+Children/Enamel+Child+s+Dinner+Set-Frog.axd

Our original set is still going strong. We happen to live close to this retailer, so we got a bunch of seconds and did not pay full price, but there are probably less expensive options for enamelware out there.

Nova Naturals has some kids enamel plates, bowls, and cups.

http://www.novanatural.com/baby/kitchenware

ThinkBaby and Lunchbots both make stainless steel dish sets for kids. I have the lunchbots set, and while my 2-year old likes and uses them, they do look sort of dog-bowl-y to me.
When he eats a regular meal with us at the table, he uses glass/ceramic dishes along with the rest of us, and that works well. When he eats a snack, however, he tends to carry it around (despite my efforts to have him sit at the table while eating) and after having him break a glass bowl on two separate occasions, I decided that something unbreakable was a must. We walk barefoot around the house most of the time...

We've been really happy with our Kinderville bowls & cups. They are made of silicone, but it's really thick, heavy, sturdy silicone (not the floppy thin stuff I've seen in some stores). The bowls are flat-bottomed, and that makes it easy for my son to use his little toddler utensils with them. I've seen the storage jars starting to crop up at some stores here in Minneapolis, but you'll probably have to go online for the bowls & cups.

Dishes: We use Corelle or little Japanese dishwasher-safe bowls I bought at a kitchen supply store in San Francisco. The brand is Kotobuki Trading. They have some very cute designs. We also use stainless dishes that my relatives brought from India. You might be able to find some at an Indian grocery store.

Cutlery: We use Munchkin coated spoons, bamboo forks and spoons (from a Japanese food shop), and also some plastic toy spoons and forks from Green Toys, a San Francisco company that makes their products locally with recycled plastics. They are meant for play but our kid scoops Cheerios with them.

I was going to second the enamel set of cup, bowl, plate at Nova Naturals:
http://www.novanatural.com/baby/kitchenware/enamel-cup-bowl-plate-set_2

Emerson Creek has kids sets, they are pricey, but not nearly as much as Heath Ceramics!