To think that giving lemon to a baby is not funny

[fibrecruncher]

Just that really - I don't understand why people think its funny. Perhaps its the hormones, but the poor little blighters trust us completely. A few people have tried to encourage me to give my 10 month old lemons to taste, AIBU to think this is a bit cruel?

I think its funny! My little fellow makes a bad face about peas, veg, many meats, this that and the other. Maybe I shouldn't let him try them because it's cruel........

A group of adults sitting down going 'werrrr herrr, give it a lemon and let's have a laugh' is horrible, yes

Can anyone explain why? Lots of you are clear that its unambiguously wrong to give a child a piece of lemon to watch the reaction, but it's not clear why you think this. There's nothing wrong with lemon, it's just a surprising taste.

DS used to love lemons when he was 10mo. We would ask for a few lemon/lime slices in a glass and he'd munch away. Not sure how you are supposed to know they like things till you give them to them. His face after being given avocado was very funny tho.

We got a hilarious video of dd on her first birthday sucking a lemon, the faces she made were brilliant. And she was very put out when we took it away from her. She still loves lemons now age 5 and eats the whole thing including the rind when they come in our drinks.

Love lemons, the boys loved lemons from very young, the faces they pulled were very funny, but they came back for more.

Giving small babies ice cream is imo far more cruel, brain freeze hurts! DS2 couldn't eat ice cream until he was 2 because the cold in his tummy made him vomit. He's made up for it since though!

My DS2 currently 9 months loves lemons so not cruel at all!

I don't think that 'letting' children try a strong tasting food is what some posters are objecting to.

I think that it could be seen as a bit exploitative to give a young child something which is not a run-of-the-mill foodstuff (how many adults do you see eating a lemon?), and which is likely to cause an extreme reaction, just for amusement. Totally different if a child takes a piece of lemon out of a drink themselves to try it.

I don't see anything wrong with giving them a new taste and having a bit of a laugh at their reaction to it.

As you see here, many children actually like it, if they don't they probably wont keep eating it after the first taste.

DD (2.7m) loves vinegary salad and lemony water!

Isn't Vitamin C (lemons, limes, etc.) supposed to encourage iron absorption?

It is so good for a baby to have it's senses woken up like that. And they usually go back for more the silly little things

Apparently I used to steal ice from people's drinks when I was a baby, and once grabbed a slice of lemon instead and pulled a face. Served me right, surely?

I once saw someone giving an 18 mo popping candy to see their facial reaction. I thought that was pretty cruel. A lemon, not so much

My DD, nearly 1, loves them!! Her big sister had given her a slice without us knowing and she was just sat chomping away on it!!

That was about 4 months ago and every time she sees lemons in the super market she goes mad for them!! Trying to climb out of her trolley seat to grab them!

People who do it for their own amusement are cruel though.

My ds loved lemon as a baby, he would actively seek it out and eat it!!!

Lemon is just another taste. It's not poison! If you only ever let them taste sweet things they may not adapt easily to more adventurous tastes.

No, it's not a poison, but neither is it something which we normally eat. And most people would eat oranges for Vit C, not lemons and limes!

My neighbour's DS liked mustard on his meat from age 3. English mustard, not the weak rubbish they sell in America under the same name.

But it IS something we normally eat! Maybe it comes down to individual tastes because I've always loved lemon, I'll happily drink squeezed lemon juice. Lots of people enjoy sour tastes, even from a young age. My DS grabbed a spoonful of my curry when he was tiny and everyone laughed thinking he'd hate it, when actually he loved it. I suppose these days I'd be a supporter of baby led weaning. If they're holding their hands out to try something and it isn't harmful, let them try it!

Really? Dd loves lemon! She gets all wiggly and excited and won't give it back. That's not my idea of cruelty!

Lemon isn't so bad. I gave baby DC1 a chilli once. DH still scolds me for it.
I think I wanted to test how culturally tuned taste buds are.
Definitely not a mere cultural aversion for DC1.

ps: glad to see I'm not the only one to try a chilli experiment.

Hahahahahahahahahahahah at it being cruel to give a child a lemon. It's citrus fruit, not poison. And is anybody holding the child back and forcing them to suck on it? I highly doubt it.

^If they're holding their hands out to try something and it isn't harmful, let them try iot the same as people who give their baby something they hope will cause a reaction, sniggering away with camera in hand.

If mine took a lemon and ate it of course I would let her, doesn’t mean I have to find it entertaining if she disliked it.

Oops, should have said thats NOT the same.

All of mine have grabbed lemon from the drinks at a young age, sucked it, pulled a face and come back for more.

Mind you, I still love sucking on lemons.