I hate to comment on others parenting, BUT...

[BeyondTheLimitsOfAcceptability]

I've just seen a post on facebook saying that someone is proud that their 6 week old baby has just eaten a whole jar of puree...

Has anyone else seen examples of interesting parenting first hand that they thought were the stuff of MN myth? I honestly didnt think that people this, ahem, naive existed!

DD has officially declared me a Cruel and Heartless Parent because I will not buy fruit shoots. I let her drink them and/or squash at parties, if she really insisted she could have squash at home (but water is the default and actually she is fine with that) but I refuse to buy them (on waste of money grounds as well as objections to the content). I was oh-so-smug with DS (my pfb) - he doesn't like anything except water, doesn't much like junk food, won't eat chips, etc, etc - DD is my comeuppance who will gleefully fall upon cheese strings and fruit shoots like the deprived child she isn't at parties.

Tiktok.....that's awful. I would have said something, got punched and made everything worse.

TikTok's story is sad - when i see things like that I just have to console myself with the thought that somewhere in that little girl's life will be a person or people that are kind to her - a grandmother, a teacher, a friend's mum, a neighbour etc....

What's wrong with tap water in a bottle What harm can it possibly do?

Eating disorders in young children are on the rise

I often wonder if all the healthy eating when taken to the extreme is partly to blame?

I was once walking through the streets of Versailles and saw a woman with a small child - no taller than my waist - walking along. They were both smoking. I actually stopped and stared I was that gobsmacked.

What's wrong with cheestrings, they're just milk aren't they?

when you speak to strangers in a critical way to it at a distance (safer)

Have you ever dropped a polo mint into coke?
A great explosion ensues....

It put DD off coke for life.

Good thing really as I read somewhere that carbonated drinks leach potassium from bones, and contributes to Osteoperosis.

ive bought fruit shoots for ds2 11 months old, emptied it out and refilled with water, he has a tongue tie and struggles drinking out of baby cups and water bottles but no problem at all with fruit shoots, discovered this at mils btw.

i mean if we are out and he ive forgotten, hes lost one of the toddler cups (with the long spouts) he can drink out of

Do some of you walk around with notebooks and personal recording devices, or something? I must admit that I barely notice what other people are feeding/watering their children with, I'm too busy keeping track of mine.

I get that it's a jokey thread, really I do... and now I think I'd like a rusk or two for my lunch, they really are lovely.

US do you class avoiding fizzy drinks, fruit shoots, lollipops, crisps etc as extreme healthy eating? It just sounds like a normal diet that doesn't give in to marketing and the idea that our children 'need' these things as 'treats' or whatever purely because they exist and other people have them and not because they are actually of any benefit. I guess my children are destined for a lifetime of eating disorders.....

Lying , I've got a special app for it on my phone

I want a rusk for lunch now.

i'm with monkeyfacegrace on pretty much every point raised! (although i've only made it to pg4 of the thread so far)

re: airbags yes i drove with DS in the front seat when he was rear-facing, i did turn off my airbag its really easy you open the door switch the switch from on to off & you even get a helpful little light on the dash to remind you its switched off, so i switched mine on or off depending where DS was sitting and if i had other passengers.

watch you don't choke on you're hat though!

I am always a bit shocked when I hear about nutritionists or doctors recommending chocolate, crisps, chips etc to fatten children up when there are so many healthier high calorie options available. Maybe they just assume that is what children will eat so don't bother suggesting the alternatives that aren't as high in saturated fats. There does seem to be this general opinion that only unhealthy foods are 'nice' or 'treats'.

Theres degrees of this - theres those of us who have our childrens future health as a primary goal and make sure they eat well the majority of the time but allow them the occasional sweets/crisps/fizzy drink and theres those of us who raise our children on a continual diet of crap (I return to my comment about the kids who do not eat ANY vegetables - its only because they havent been fed a range of them). One is imo verging on abuse.

We are none of us perfect - and I remember being a teenager and my own diet was shocking so I know whats coming - but at least I will know I tried my hardest when their diet was mostly under my control to make sure they were as healthy as they could be as adults (and also exercise, we havent mentioned the kids who dont get exercise judgies!)

Im a bit baffled about the dentist and the yoghurt. Some of them are very sugary but if you watch that they also have lots of calcium in them which is good for teeth and bones?

Rhonda my DH wouldnt eat any veg when we met. He now eats everything and a mainly vegetarian diet!!!
I told him that I wouldnt have any fussiness when we had DS, I wasnt going to have him able to say "but Daddy doesnt eat cabbage..."

I return to my comment about the kids who do not eat ANY vegetables - its only because they havent been fed a range of them

It's not that simple, force-feeding is not reasonable & some kids are just very loathe to try anything remotely different. I confess to occasional coercion & heavy bribes to get DC1-2-3 to all eat most veg, but omg, DC4, is a semi-nightmare; he ate a whole THREE (small) bites of banana the other day & I rate that as immense progress. DH's family take great pride in never trying anything different (MIL once shoved some yellow peppers to remain uneaten at the side of her plate, because she "didn't know what they were"). It's pretty clear that DC4, a placid docile chap in most respects, so I won't complain, takes very much after his father's side, esp. with respect to food (sigh).

DC3 has a mate who lives on a specific brand of crisps, orange juice, milk & ice lollies. The mate is a terrific athlete & gives every impression of being quite healthy (7.5yo).

So, would you judge me?

DS is 18 months and is going through a phase of not eating. At the moment, he has wheatabix/toast for breakfast, jam sandwich and crisps for lunch, and nothing for tea unless it's mash potato.

He ends up eating tons of bananas and yoghurts because he won't have anything else. rhonda your comment about kids not eating veg because they haven't been fed a range of them is very untrue in my case. Once upon a time, he ate everything that we did from lasagne to fish pie.

Breaks my heart to see him refuse good, nutritional food that I've cooked.

He also drinks orange squash as he refuses to drink water.

I know this is a jokey thread, sorry if I've put a downer on things!

As you were :)

Kids do go through phases but if jam sandwiches and crisps were not on offer then they wouldnt eat them. If you cant deal with them at 18 months what are your strategies for when he is older?

As for the "healthy" 7 year old with the poor diet - it can take time for the effect of these things to become apparent. However I stand by it - if you dont offer crap they cant eat it. Theres no reason to make a fuss - just offer the good food, quietly remove it if they dont want to eat it, and offer no alternative. Apart from the food thing, you dont want to teach them in general that its okay not to do what you say if they want to do something different.

And YES its tough but thats our job as parents.

He doesn't eat anything else Rhonda - did you read my post?

You've actually made my fucking blood boil with that comment.

I can handle him fine, I'm finding it tough that's all.