Hints and tips for weaning (merged)

cookiesncream

starlite wrote:

- Certainly a baby of that age is to young to just be shoved a crap laden snack in order to 'shut up'

If that's what you believe was happening (and it does happen) then I agree with you.

starlite wrote:

- Fruit shoots appear to be healthy 'juice' but they actual have less than 10% of concentrated fruit juice and contain all sorts of other nasties

Far too many additives, you can tell by just tasting it. They're horrible!!

starlite wrote:

to tell a child 'mcdonalds' is a 'treat' is really wrong.

Too true! It creates the association that you're giving the child a break from more healthier options.

To correct my comment about controlled crying, I didn't word it very well. I simply meant that if you go to a baby straight away then they know you will for years to come. Just leave it a tiny bit longer.

missk_ensington

starlite - those are your views, but tere have been occassions when I've been out shopping or wherever and been that stressed I've not known what to do for the best. Likewise, in church, if I have to drag toddler to docs, meetings.... and he's wanting to run around and misbehave, I have spotted a newsagents and bought him some crisps/milky buttons something as not to throttle him!

People's circumstances are different, starlite you may (I don't know) be a stay at home mother, or work part time, or have a very hand on husband and lots of support, and so you don't get stressed and need fixes to help you.

Yes I cook every night generally speaking, but I make no apologies for leaving the house at 5.40am to get to a meeting in London every 5-6 weeks, getting home at 6.15pm and being too whacked out to cook, so getting a McDonalds or KFC or sticking a frozen pizza in the oven. Then having to spend the rest of the evening working on my 4000 word uni essays. We're only human and women shouldn't be made to feel bad because they aren't perfect 100% of the time

starlite_2

Miss K , you get me wrong..what i am saying is examples of when parents can actually make a healthier choice for their children, but choose not to, whether through ignorance/laziness..whatever.
Of course children shouldn't be 'shielded' from junk foods as they are a prominent feature of modern life, and I expect there will be days mine have chips from the chippy for tea/ a burger for lunch, but that will only be rarely and when essential.

I was worried recently as we spent the whole day out with friends and DS's food didn't look to promising after sitting in the cool bag, so he had a smoothie for lunch (from a newsagent) and whilst we were out for dinner I asked for breaded calamari and lettuce leaves for dinner..very easy, and not expensive, in fact the restaurant didn't even add his portion to the bill.

starlite_2

ooh cookiesandcream controlled crying is perhaps worth a whole new thread..I could go on for hours! (in support i must add!)

cookiesncream

starlite wrote:

ooh cookiesandcream controlled crying is perhaps worth a whole new thread..I could go on for hours! (in support i must add!)

:T At last!! A mother who agrees! The hours spent convincing parents has been endless Still very unfruitfull...

missk_ensington

I hear you, if you think junk food is bad now what will it be like in 10-15 years! America wasn;t always Supersize...at one point it was similar to us now but then it boomed....just as we probably will. We always catch up with the US after 10 years!

This has to be a concern for our childrens generation, and we all ahve ways of addressing the problem, but I prefer to allow my son what he wants in moderation. Its like a child in Willy Wonka's chocolate factory, tell them they can have anything and they don't want it!

My best friendfs little boy, also 2, isn't allowed ANY treats (a "treat" in their house is a bread stick or a rice cake!) no chocolate is allowed, no sweets, no cake, no ice cream..... When he see's my Oli eating chocolate you should see the poor little sod scream and cry and try and snatch it from Oli! On the other side, when Oli goes to someone's house and they're eating chocolate he doesn't even notice and most of the time will be happy with a piece of cheese or grapes etc. He knows he can have it, but he's always had chocolate in his life so its not a novelty.

Someone should do a psychology experiment on it! It's be interesting to see what'd happen with two sets of kids - one with treats one without over a sustained period of time

starlite_2

cookies..

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?p=2547431#post2547431

starlite_2

Thanks miss K ..I intend to balance his diet..including chocolate etc..

a similar example to yours is my nephew who is very restricted in what he can eat, he was at my mums and she offered him a 'penguin' bar..his eyes lit up and he was literally shaking, saying 'ooh everyone at school has these but I'm never allowed'

he was thoroughly delighted, but I'm unsure whether his mum is wrong for not allowing it to the point he sees it as a massive treat, or if my mum was wrong by giving him something against his mums wishes.

It's a debate that can go on forever, and at the end of the day we all just have to do the best we can as parents. (which is a hard job!) I know my children won't be harmed by the odd fishfinger/ happy meal, but will try not to make it part of their everyday diet iyswim.

Oh, and the same nephew has been told he can't go to several parties for his schoolfriends birthdays, either as they are at mcdonalds, or at the local swimming pool(chlorine is harmful!?) Even resulting in him being in tears for days and losing friends at school. I find this a step too far

Just shows what differences we all have in how we raise our children.

black-saturn

My DD1 was weaned at 4 months and DD2 at 3 months. Milk just wasn't enough for them so I started giving them baby rice and pureed fruit at an early age. With DD1 the HV went mad saying I was doing it too young and she would be overweight etc etc so when it got to DD2 I didnt even tell the HV what I was going to do. I started giving her pasteurised cows milk at 6 months too. She was breast fed until then and stopped feeding on her own. She wouldnt have formula milk so after a week of trying to get her to have it and getting more and more desperate I gave her a bottle of full fat pasteurised milk which she loved. The HV went mad at me again so I told her I'd managed to get her to have formula milk but secretly still carried on with the normal milk. Now they are aged 11 and 9 and have had no ill effects from it at all. If I was ever to have another baby I wouldnt bother seeing the HV at all. They do everything by the text book, wheras every baby is different.

missk_ensington

Black saturn - I stopped seeing the HV after 4 months! I was fed up with getting a roasting every time she came round!!! What makes me laugh is some have never even had kids.

As a mother you just know what your child needs. Don't know how you know, you just do! I decided to stuff the lot of them and do it how I though, the same Oli was drinking cows milk not long after 6 months (after one night id run out of formula and had to give it him, he loved it and then wouldn;t touch the formula again!)

My brother was 11lb when he was born and my Mum had to put 2 rusks in his bottle to get him to sleep! ha ha ha, by 8 weeks old he was having solid food AND 12 oz of milk with 2 rusks in it! HV told my mum he'd be overweight and unhealthy, yadda yadda, he's now aged 18, 6 foot 5 strapping lad! lol