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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To serve a baby led weaning buffet at my daughters party?

371 replies

PignutSalamander · 20/01/2013 09:31

Dd is turning 1, I am planning to do a buffet based on the very hungry caterpillar. The plan as stands is to set it all up on a trestle table and when it's time to serve it put the legs down and let them at it.
Consideration has obviously been given to making it safe and easy for kids to feed themselves and the first few people I mentioned it to said they thought it was a great idea
I mentioned it to a mum who will be bringing her dd and she said " err! What about germs? How will we stop them taking a bite and dropping it, then another baby eating it?"
I basically feel that they will be spending the whole party sharing toys, touching each other etc and that germs are just going to be shared.
Obviously I will ensure that hands are washed before they eat and have also checked for allergys and warned mums not to put them in there best clothes. Also seperate snacks for adults
So what's the consensus mn? Aibu?

OP posts:
Softlysoftly · 20/01/2013 11:18

I'm changing my mind Shock.

Not about calling it BLW that's still pretentious bollocks.

But

If you run a messy play and these friends all attend the messy play (if and only if) then they will all think it's fabulous. I understand as well running a "baby business" puts you under a certain amount of pressure to show how whacky and creatine and FUN you are trala!

I'd hate it but then I found children are capable of rolling themselves in mud and painting themselves head to foot without paying a fiver a pop for the pleasure. In fact I'm enjoying the fact DD2 is to small to get so messy yet!

Having said that 2 friends on PFBs do pay for the pleasure, they'll learn...

rainrainandmorerain · 20/01/2013 11:18

Well.... the issue isn't ALL about mess.... I think some other reasonable points have been made.

I think what grates on me (and I did blw, and loved it) is that you are insisting that everyone who brings babies/toddlers to your party has to feed their babies YOUR way. Will you seriously not even provide bowls for those parents who (blw or not) want to exercise some parental control over what their kids eat?

Someone suggested having a normal buffet (themed to the hilt if you like) - and then doing some messy play with the babies.

That sounds lovely.

McNewPants2013 · 20/01/2013 11:18

I would get some plates and put the food up so the parents can select a few bits.

plates

NewAndSparklyMe · 20/01/2013 11:20

This sounds like an absolute nightmare, sorry! Food on the floor for a big group of one year olds to just be let loose on?! Shock
You do know that'll be absolute carnage, don't you?! Grin
Nobody will eat anything, as it will all be smushed into the floor or have footprints in them/ Some of the parents will want to put food on a plate. What's wrong with putting food on a plate, anyway? They'd still be feeding themselves, surely?!
The Hungry Caterpillar theme sounds a lovely idea though, I love that book. Just call it a 'Hungry Caterpillar' themed party and let the parents put stuff on plates.
Lot more fun and relaxed, because believe me, I bet half the parents won't be relaxed or enjoying themselves quite as much.

DottyandSpottyWot · 20/01/2013 11:21

YABU, purely for calling it a BLW buffet, its food for people to eat.

Nice theme idea, but no need for a party where "people will know what to expect from me" get over yourself.

thebody · 20/01/2013 11:26

Ok stopped laughing now. Op are you completely and utterly bonkers.

Your house will be covered in food. The children will be plastered and so will the parents..

You won't be popular.

tabulahrasa · 20/01/2013 11:26

Someone mentioned how clean the floor would be...that's a fair point actually without plates they're eating off the floor of a hall Confused

breatheslowly · 20/01/2013 11:33

Each child will be close enough to reach a small number of items, not to select a variety. My DD would start next to the grapes. On grape 3 she would start choking (not happened yet, but it does and marshmallows are definitely a chocking hazard). I would run over and luckily after some back slaps and the grape flies across the room, lost until your great aunt steps on it and in a slightly slapstick style lands on her arse and breaks a hip. The lovely blue lights on the ambulance calm DD down enough to go back to the buffet where she positions herself defensively over the chocolate fingers (or equivalent). On her seventh chocolate finger and the last in the bowl her little mate comes over and they get into fisticuffs over it. Overstuffed and wailing, DD throws up over me and the end of the table we are standing at. I brought spare clothes for her but not for me, so after being incredibly apologetic about my DD and cleaning her and the table up as best I can we leave. The rest of your party smells slightly of sick. I then have a DD who thinks that food is for messy play. This is not something I encourage, you can but I'm not keen and wouldn't thank you for this. Messy play is something she does in nursery.

Or you can have exactly the same food, laid out the same at adult height. I can carry DD over and discuss with her what she might like. I can talk to her about the Very Hungry Caterpillar. I can select a plate of food which represent a sensible, balanced diet with a few treats. I can then supervise DD eating them and do things like biting grapes in half or chosing not to have marshmallows.

feelingdizzy · 20/01/2013 11:36

Feckin fabulous,I love Mumsnet for threads like these,a blw buffet based on a classic childrens book,you couldn't make it up.

OP it sounds like way to much effort,for a one year old birthday party,believe me having notched up 20 or so birthday parties save the energy for 6/7/8/9/10.You will need it.

It reminds me of a lesson plan that I might devise(teacher) to bring in PSHE and healthy eating as a topic through literacy.(infact I think I will use it)They pay me for that though.

Relax you have done great surviving the first year celebrate that,there are plenty more to follow.

5madthings · 20/01/2013 11:37

Op if you already run a messy play session that your friends attend then it us probably fine.

Put something down on the floor like shower curtains. Make it clear on the invite they will get messy.

Maybe have some plates so anyone who wans food for themselves/their baby can grab some before the carnags begins.

My nephew goes to messy play sessions like this and has a fab time! He is 13mths and some of the pics are fab. I went when mine were little, lots of them are run by childrens centres and are free/minimal donation.

Ime babies love it.

Ohh provide kitchen roll and wet wipes for clean up!!

Have fun.

LoopsInHoops · 20/01/2013 11:41

Um, you mean a buffet, don't you?

A 'BLW buffet' is wankery. It's a buffet.

thebody · 20/01/2013 11:41

Er a little point here. All children definatly do NOT like messy play.

I also run a very successful childminding business and have 4 children and around half of these children hated hand painting and face painting.

It's not for every child.

soverylucky · 20/01/2013 11:42

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

DolomitesDonkey · 20/01/2013 11:44

Omg, when did a buffet cease to be a buffet and instead become a boasty parenting movement? Confused

jaggythistle · 20/01/2013 11:46

Sounds pretty, but a recipe for very messy babies.

I have a 3 year old and a 9 month old and had quite forgotten how wee babies have zero idea of how to be careful and will just crawl all over your beautiful buffet.

BeyondTheLimitsOfAcceptability · 20/01/2013 11:46

I think it sounds fun Grin

I'd never do it in a million years, but I'd let my DSs attend if I knew anyone bonkers enough to do this

cocoachannel · 20/01/2013 11:47

thebody my DD hated it until she was about 18 monts. She is at nursery and they could never get her to join in with body painting etc.

Megatron · 20/01/2013 11:47

Well after a truly horrible couple of weeks this thread has been quite the tonic. 'Baby led weaning buffet' ha ha ha ha ha ha. Bloody brilliant!

MustTidyPlayroom · 20/01/2013 11:49

And the parents who feel they have to keep up (and there will be a few of them) will end up hating you for this.

A simple buffet and a few toys is all that is needed.

breatheslowly · 20/01/2013 11:49

I forgot that at the beginning my DD will sneeze over your whole buffet.

MrsKeithRichards · 20/01/2013 11:51

Oh OP please do tell me that you're planning a cake smash photo shoot as well?

apostropheuse · 20/01/2013 11:52

Oh thanks for the great laugh on a dull Sunday morning! Grin

It really is a load of pretentious nonsense. A load of babies let loose on a buffet on the floor of a no doubt not the cleanest hall. Great!

People are walking outside in all kinds of shit and walking into the hall. Food will be eaten directly from the floor obviously as babies aren't that fussy.

BLW my arse. Here we would say... The wean's on solids now. Eating normal food.

The food itself sounds lovely. Just leave the table at adult height and give the parents some paper plates to choose what THEIR child will eat. After all, they really should have some control over that.

Only on MN would you see something like this. Grin

Megatron · 20/01/2013 11:52

Actually I feel a bit sorry for the op now I don't think she really wanted to know if she was BU at all.

miaowmix · 20/01/2013 11:52

Umm. I think it's going to be a hideous mess of babies, squashed food, possible choking and probably vomit. But if that's what a 'BLW buffet' is then, well, good luck!
Alternatively this might be one of those pfb things that you look back on in 5 years and think 'Wtf was I actually thinking?'. Really.

Megatron · 20/01/2013 11:54

Mrskeithrichards :) :) :)