To wonder how people feed babies this revolting stuff day in day out

[moogy1a]

Had to give a mindee a jar of food today ( mum particularly wanted her to have it).
it smelt rank and I couldn't bring myself to try it.
Little one wolfed it down though so obviously used to the taste and it wasn't "off".
AIBU to think that except in emergencies babies should be fed food you would be happy to eat yourself ( or is Heinz food particularly revolting?)

Making two year olds sit down for extended periods of time is also wrong. Did you know children can actually find it very painful to sit down for long periods like that?
What need is there? And BTW mine at 8&5 sit beautifully at a table.

Sitting down to eat their food at the table isn't wrong. Extended periods of time? Just long enough for everyone to eat their food. Thats not extended, just normal. But do enlighten me as to why that might be painful for them

I'm pretty sure everybody who works with people slags them off from time to time. Nursery workers, teachers, doctors, dentists, salespeople, shop workers...

It's not on to do it in front of the children of those parents though.

DS1 had a few jars. I became ill after DS2 was born and couldnt open the fucking things, so he ate the same as DS1 and us. No pious blw'er here. All people did was moan if they looked after him that he wouldnt be fed jar food. Sometimes you just can't win.

Brianthemole

As part of my training I attend workshops etc on child development led by experts in the field. And according to one of the very knowledgable women some children do find it painful to sit. And in some settings circle time/ carpet time is too long. Children naturally want to move and get up and explore. All children are different, but if I had a baby who had finished their meal and was restless I wouldn't leave them in the highchair. But mine are sat at a child size table by the time they are 2 and made to sit still whilst they eat their dinner. But they are allowed to get up and play once they've finished excused themselves and they've taken their pots away.

I've had a quick hunt for info about it and found this:

pediatricot.blogspot.co.uk/2011/03/when-child-cant-sit-still.html?m=1

pediatricot.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/twenty-four-reasons-why-child-cant-sit.html?m=1

I think I can remember as a child the struggle to sit still and the almost burning feeling in my body from having to do it. And I think it is worth bearing in mind when you work with children that there might be some underlying reason why children find sitting still hard.

As an early years practitioner I am paid to look after children in a kind way that takes into account their needs not run a baby boot camp.

Jennie Lindon is a well-respected authority on child development, particularly babies and young children. She's written many books on the subject.

She has said many times that sitting still for extended periods is not desirable for toddlers and babies. Keeping still is the one of the last physical developmental steps and many children won't manage it until 3 or 4 - sometimes later, especially for boys.

I think my issue isnt with that as such, its the fact that the OP has set herself up as the last expert in everything.
Statutory guidance states that CM's HAVE to have a behaviour policy.
We HAVE to state how we discipline children by law.
Therefore yes, we HAVE to inform parents what our policy is.
I have not set myself up as an expert.
Why the fuck has my opinion ON A JAR OF FOOD been twisted round to make me a smug expert slyly trying to take over parenting?
You're a nasty load .

I was wondering the same thing, moogy!

I wonder what your parent would say if she knew her innocent little jar had provoked such a storm!

Tanith I'm going to tell her tomorrow. She'll find it funny ( and probably send 10 jars of food in a day to take the piss!)

You're going to tell her tomorrow?
You're brave I'll give you that!

Yes thats all very well Mary, but sitting at the table to eat for a normal period of time is not going to hurt child unless there are underlying issues going on. Not sure where you are getting the extended bit from. I haven't said that. Maybe thats just what you wanted to read into to back up your argument eh?

"TheHouseCleaner Sat 19-Oct-13 00:03:48

You're not. You're being slated for being judgy and sneery. You're being questioned about allowing an unusual and IMHO undesirable way of behaving at mealtimes. You're not being slated for giving mindees good food

But you are being judgy and sneery! Judging the OP mealtime routine? Sneering at the so called 'hired help'! UNBELIEVABLE!"

Hey, hey Maryshoppins! I didn't call the OP "hired help"! You've got the wrong poster there!

Hell yes,but I will judge the OP's mealtime routine. It encourages the very opposite of good table manners and the very opposite of ensuring that each child has its fill and a nutritional balance. As Brian said, it's shite, love.

Have you kept the offending jar? I think yo should keep it on your shelf as a reminder of this thread

QueFonda: Most people use jars/pouches from time to time, but all the time is pretty bad, learn to cook, put some peas in a microwave and blend, squash a avocado or banana, it really isn't fecking hard.

I will say this again (and I would love to say this will be the last time I'll say it, but I doubt that it will). I had severe PND. I was physically unable to cook so therefore I fed my three dc on jars and powdered food. Not one of them was malnourished, underfed, unhealthy, underweight/overweight. They are now all happy, healthy children.

Things are not as black and white as 'learning to cook' for some people.

Learn to read the thread 'it isn't fecking hard'.

Mary, I've been looking at your link seeing as you went to the effort of finding it. What strikes me is how easily the fidgeting problem could be resolved for many of the points.

Ten of those points state various underlying issues which means things aren't as clear cut. However, two of the points are about environmental issues that can easily be rectified. Another talks about a child not getting enough exercise which is which is why they fidget at the table. One point discuss the child being in an environment where the adults argue regularly, which may impact on the child's ability to not fidget and sit still. The other points talk about too much screen time, and not enough sleep. And of course making the child sit there too long, hence they are bored. Leaving the child at the table alone whilst going off to do other chores obviously is extended, but generally the time taken for everyone to eat a meal cannot be considered excessive.

Interestingly one of the points mentions that obeying grownups is optional for some children, which will cause a problem too.

You know this stuff isn't rocket science. Over half these points made are things that are rectifiable. The rest needs a visit to the GP to rule out or diagnose any of the underlying issues.

Actually maybe the op should look at this and work with the parents to rule out any other the issues, rather than just going right ahead and letting the children pick off peoples plates to make life easier.

"They are marketed at women who are educated and knowledgeable about food issues but still want to have ready made stuff.
They just want it to look healthier because they feel guilty about using it."

It doesn't mean that it actually is healthier though, does it. Just that it looks healthier. And just because it is marketed at a certain type of parent...the parent who wants to look educated about food and who they think won't buy a heinz jar, doesn't make the Hipp Organic parent any more caring than the Heinz jar parent. It's just po-faced marketing as far as I can see.

Unless the Ella/Hipp/Organic stuff genuinely IS miles better than the Heinz stuff. In which case, what's so terrible about thinking that it isn't so great to feed a kid the crappier Heinz stuff?

I confess I haven't read all the pages of this thread - but you might find this article interesting.....

www.thealphaparent.com/2013/02/the-truth-about-baby-food-jars.html

Grrr - I really must learn how to do proper links!

www.thealphaparent.com/2013/02/the-truth-about-baby-food-jars.html

Oooo..

here

MrsDV sums it up nicely.

Ah, The Alpha Parent - the balanced voice of parenting reason

You know a lot of people think she's full of shit and vitriol wrong on a lot of issues. That link is the forum equivalent of pouring petrol on a BBQ.

For me, jars are the equivalent of when I give my kids sausage and chips for dinner...as in OK, not something that bothers me if it's once a fortnight but not something I'd make a habit of. The early jars are the worst IMO. I don't care wjat posh brand you buy, I'd feel pretty comfortable betting that there's not much in the way of nutrients left by the time they've been so heavily processed.

All 'aw don't worry hun, jars are fiiiine' rubbish gets my goat. We don't tell parents of children that it's 'fine' to only feed their child a diet of heavily processed food. Why are babies any different?

Self congratulatory crap gets my goat way more than the reassurance seen on this thread.

Blending some butternut squash means fuck all in the long run. Everyone is doing their best.