MSE Newborn to 1 year (& beyond!) baby club 2

katiechoc_2

*Nutella* wrote: »

We're contemplating that - so far, we've been fine with locks on the cupboards that contain things like cleaning products, spices and cooking oil (leaving her to explore plastic tubs, unopened bags of pasta etc.), but now that she's able to open drawers we might need to get stair gates. She's currently shaking a bag of pine nuts! We'd need two gates (in addition to the two we already have at the top and bottom of the stairs...), but worth it I think. Cooking is getting increasingly tricky, and using the oven whilst she's awake is not an option

Happy belated birthday! :j Hope your mum is doing OK now.

Thanks . Mum is doing ok thanks too.

At mums her kitchen is open plan so G was belting up and down it (long corridor style room) non stop - she ended up wedging the cushion off a sun lounger against the wall at the end as she was terrified he'd fall headfirst into a bare brick wall! but it made me realise how nice it is being able to cook in peace! Well,relative peace - yesterday as I was doing tea he managed to pull his highchair over on top of himself in the front room. That wasn't so peaceful.

DayDreamBeliever_2

Hi ladies, looking for some outside opinions really as my oh and I can't seem to agree at all! We've decided to go with a childminder rather then nursery when I first return to work, however I've now been to see 5 different minders and although all lovely people their kitchens were full of value ranges of food they serve to the kids and thats bothered me. lil miss has only had organic (its what we eat too!) and free range meat/eggs - so the thought of her being fed food I wouldn't ever feed her bothers me. For example ALL of this weeks menus included chicken nuggets - and from the produce I saw they aren't going to be great quality.

My oh reckons it's something I need to compromise on and shouldn't influence whether I send her to that specific minder or not but do you guys think I'm being unreasonable letting it bother me so much? He's making me feel a ridiculous snob and I'm really really not

mozzyc

*Nutella* wrote: »

We're contemplating that - so far, we've been fine with locks on the cupboards that contain things like cleaning products, spices and cooking oil (leaving her to explore plastic tubs, unopened bags of pasta etc.), but now that she's able to open drawers we might need to get stair gates. She's currently shaking a bag of pine nuts! We'd need two gates (in addition to the two we already have at the top and bottom of the stairs...), but worth it I think. Cooking is getting increasingly tricky, and using the oven whilst she's awake is not an option

Happy belated birthday! :j Hope your mum is doing OK now.

We had 5 in our old house lol. 2 on the stairs, one over the kitchen, one over his bedroom and one over the bathroom. Now he's a bit older, we have 2 on the stairs and one over the kitchen. Kitchen is also so that the cats can eat in peace! x

mozzyc

DayDreamBeliever wrote: »

Hi ladies, looking for some outside opinions really as my oh and I can't seem to agree at all! We've decided to go with a childminder rather then nursery when I first return to work, however I've now been to see 5 different minders and although all lovely people their kitchens were full of value ranges of food they serve to the kids and thats bothered me. lil miss has only had organic (its what we eat too!) and free range meat/eggs - so the thought of her being fed food I wouldn't ever feed her bothers me. For example ALL of this weeks menus included chicken nuggets - and from the produce I saw they aren't going to be great quality.

My oh reckons it's something I need to compromise on and shouldn't influence whether I send her to that specific minder or not but do you guys think I'm being unreasonable letting it bother me so much? He's making me feel a ridiculous snob and I'm really really not

No i completely agree with you. I'd be exactly the same. I want to know that Charlie is eating healthy balanced meals, and at nursery, fortunately they get freshly cooked meals every day by the nursery chef. No chicken nuggets, especially not daily!

You're not being a snob at all, you're being a concerned mum, and at such a young age, they need to have controlled salt and sugar in their foods, so as far as i'm concerned, you have every right to not be happy about it x

katiechoc_2

DayDreamBeliever wrote: »

Hi ladies, looking for some outside opinions really as my oh and I can't seem to agree at all! We've decided to go with a childminder rather then nursery when I first return to work, however I've now been to see 5 different minders and although all lovely people their kitchens were full of value ranges of food they serve to the kids and thats bothered me. lil miss has only had organic (its what we eat too!) and free range meat/eggs - so the thought of her being fed food I wouldn't ever feed her bothers me. For example ALL of this weeks menus included chicken nuggets - and from the produce I saw they aren't going to be great quality.

My oh reckons it's something I need to compromise on and shouldn't influence whether I send her to that specific minder or not but do you guys think I'm being unreasonable letting it bother me so much? He's making me feel a ridiculous snob and I'm really really not

I agree that nuggets every day isn't on, but I'll stand up in defence of value food Not value ready meals as we don't have any ready meals generally, but my cupboards are jampacked with tesco value tinned toms, tinned kidney beans, value cornflakes, value rice . And George eats what we eat. I guess it depends on how its prepared as much as whether its value/basics or not.

*Nutella*

Sigh. I thought I'd removed all the open bags - turns out I'd missed a huge bag of pecan nuts. She emptied the whole thing on the kitchen floor, five minutes after I'd finished hoovering. She wasn't impressed when I picked her up and put her in the highchair so I could clear up - before she'd even had the chance to put a single nut in her mouth! Needless to say, I'm not getting much work done today

*Nutella*

DayDreamBeliever, I'm with you all the way - but I also think your OH has a point. At home I'd only ever feed her organic and free range food, but I've had to accept that the nursery isn't going to. I'm also Vegetarian (OH isn't), and I'm bringing her up veggie, although she does have fish at the nursery so she gets a bit of omega 3 without me having to cook it. At least I know that she doesn't eat factory-farmed, processed meat, although from what I've seen from the nursery menu, they don't serve things like nuggets anyway. Have you considered telling them that she's veggie? You could still give her organic/free range meat at home, but you would avoid the processed stuff? I know that doesn't solve the issue of other produce, but personally I struggle with the idea of poor quality meat more than anything else. Although the other day I'd forgotten to buy milk and had to get some from a local corner shop - I felt so guilty about giving her non-organic milk...

Unfortunately due to cost (or perceived cost) I think you're going to struggle to find a childminder that only serves organic and free range, but you're not being a snob at all

Gillyx

Hmmm I don't know, it really depends what the 'value' stuff is imo. Sugar/salt content is much more important to me, and on checking some things, value fromage frais for example has a lot less sugar than branded. Would it be possible to take your own food and ask them to make it? Get a copy of there menu, find out if Wednesday is Chicken Nugget day then the night before breadcrumb up some free range chicken at home and take it with you? We have home made chicken nuggets once a week here I know it's not ideal but if it would make you feel more at ease?

My food budget just doesn't extend to free range and organic everything, I do buy free range eggs, and I buy most of my meat from a local butchers who are able to tell me where the meat comes from, but that's about it. I buy my fruit and veg from a local greengrocers and they don't tend to have organic and non organic, it's just one type of whatever they have Like Katie, we buy a lot of value tinned tomatoes, cereal, rice, pasta and A eats it all.

Maybe a nursery would be better suited as it's likely they'd have a cook/chef and have better quality ingredients? Although this is an assumption on my part so I don't know

martafdz

I would be bothered about the nuggets menu. I buy value tins of vegetables or pasta / rice, because I believe it's just the same but didn't have the exact colour and shape supermarkets want, so gets sold in value ranges. However, I don't buy ready meals and I cook from scratch as much as I can. Ready meals have high contents in sugar and salt, and you should avoid these in big quantities, not to mention all the preservatives and low quality meat that goes in some of them. I think what they eat now has an impact later in life because you create a taste for it, and they get used to high contents of salt and sugar. I definitely would be unhappy if the menu was nuggets every day, it shows laziness and lack of nutritional knowledge. I'd not say your lo is vegetarian as a way to avoid the nuggets, though, you might end up with chips in the menu instead! Lol. For me the compromise would be giving your lo a packed lunch, maybe tell the childminder that your lo has some intolerances, so she doesn't risk giving anything other than your food, and maybe ask for a reduction in price due to you cooking? I don't think you are being snob. It's curious, my DH is very into healthy eating, but he also looks more at the fat, and does not bother with the quality, I'm exactly the opposite. Maybe your DH is the same and he's thinking nuggets equals chicken without thinking what kind of meat the value nuggets have, since they are mainly fat, cartilage and leftovers from other chicken products.

lazywife

DayDreamBeliever wrote: »

Hi ladies, looking for some outside opinions really as my oh and I can't seem to agree at all! We've decided to go with a childminder rather then nursery when I first return to work, however I've now been to see 5 different minders and although all lovely people their kitchens were full of value ranges of food they serve to the kids and thats bothered me. lil miss has only had organic (its what we eat too!) and free range meat/eggs - so the thought of her being fed food I wouldn't ever feed her bothers me. For example ALL of this weeks menus included chicken nuggets - and from the produce I saw they aren't going to be great quality.

My oh reckons it's something I need to compromise on and shouldn't influence whether I send her to that specific minder or not but do you guys think I'm being unreasonable letting it bother me so much? He's making me feel a ridiculous snob and I'm really really not

Could you send her with a packed lunch? Explain to child minder that you specifically feed her organic & free range, so LO will bring food with her. I know it may cost you more, but you're likely to get the best carer rather than the person that serves the best food.
(or I like the option of telling them she's veggie)

Had 6 week check up at gp today. She was happy with LO and got me sorted for the mini pill, although had to take pregnancy test 1st before I start.... really? OH and I have barely managed a cuddle, definately not any no clothe moments!?!
MIL coming today, so a bit of a break.

Hope everyone well. A couple of warm weather days coming :T