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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

giving a baby a biscuit

359 replies

Lolly1984 · 02/02/2016 14:43

My ds, 7 months came with me to a return to work chat, unofficial. Nice colleague said she'd look after him in office.
Come back to find hes had some banana and a shortcake biscuit.
Not a massive problem, but hes 7 months, and I'm not happy hes had something sweet. Hes also allergic to dairy so now I have a sad, spotty baby with tummy ache.
I didn't say anything coz she's the kind of person to get upset, crocodile tears, and tell everyone her mistake.
But now I'm home I'm fuming!
Aibu?! Who gives a baby a biscuit without checking with parent?!

OP posts:
Gileswithachainsaw · 02/02/2016 22:07

No they just think.my portions are too small.

they are just child sized that's all. and it's to combat me for being mean.

and yes they make far too much

coconutpie · 02/02/2016 22:47

TheCatsMeow - a biscuit is NOT suitable finger food for a baby. And who knows - maybe the OP hasn't tried finger food with their baby yet and the baby was weaned traditionally so was only on puréed food.

And yes, one biscuit is bad for a baby. I do not give any sugar to my toddler - it is completely unnecessary. Is it any wonder that there is such a problem these days with food-related illnesses (diabetes, obesity, etc) as people seem to think it's totally fine to give a baby biscuits. They do not NEED biscuits. I honestly don't understand the mindset of people who give babies biscuits / chocolate etc.

TheCatsMeow · 03/02/2016 02:17

Coconut no it isn't bad. Everything in moderation is fine.

Why are you afraid of sugar? You really think by restricting something that heavily instead of encouraging a healthy attitude to it is a way to combat food related illnesses? Really?

It's sugar not heroin.

TheCatsMeow · 03/02/2016 02:22

P.S when they're 21 you can't tell who was breastfed exclusively till 2, who was given organic quinoa, who was born in water with scented candles, who had no sugar until 12 or who was only clothed in home grown hemp. Wink

Ericaequites · 03/02/2016 04:29

My mother was a registered nurse. She started feeding me cereal at 4 weeks in 1970. At two, I was drinking unsweetened iced tea. I have Aspergers, but don't blame it on what I was fed.

catsinthecraddle · 03/02/2016 08:08

TheCatsMeow

Look at the record levels of obesity in this country, you can clearly see who is raised on sugar and rubbish and who is raised on healthy food.

Children will eat unhealthy food at some point, at school, at parties, in fairs. I agree the odd sweet won't kill them, but why start when they are baby and it's completely avoidable? They only way to encourage healthy eating for a baby is to give him healthy food.

TheCatsMeow · 03/02/2016 08:12

cats

You think people are obese because they were given a biscuit as a baby? How ridiculous.

Where's this paranoia come from? It's up there with fretting about screens and holding your child's hand until they're 18.

The best way to encourage healthy eating is to not ban anything and eat it in moderation. A biscuit for a child, occasionally, is moderation.

By the way I had an obsession with digestive biscuits as a child. I ate relatively healthily but would happily raid a tub of those. I'm 5"7 and 128lbs and walk 6 miles most days!

vulgarbunting · 03/02/2016 08:28

People without babies know nothing about nutrition for babies. If you didn't want her to feed him you should have said. YABU.

maybebabybee · 03/02/2016 08:43

Look at the record levels of obesity in this country, you can clearly see who is raised on sugar and rubbish and who is raised on healthy food.

I was raised on healthy food. No crisps, biscuits or chocolate in cupboard. Not allowed fizzy drinks ever. Diet rich in fruit and veg. Mum really, really cared about healthy eating.

It did no good whatsoever in terms of my diet now, I fucking love a nice biscuit from time to time! Yesterday I had fish and chips for dinner and then a magnum Grin

maybebabybee · 03/02/2016 08:44

I do love the naivety of people who think that if they don't give their DC any sugar, said DC will shun all sugar/unhealthy food automatically. They won't.

notquitehuman · 03/02/2016 09:00

My mum was very strict about food in that very 80s, hippy way. Lots of lentils in my past and hardly any sugar.

The minute I left home I ate absolute shit. The supermarket was like a magical wonderland of food I could suddenly eat! I'm now obese. Not saying my mum caused it at all. I'm just saying that controlling a kid's diet doesn't necessarily stop them from getting fat in later life. I'm now trying to relearn those good habits.

TheCatsMeow · 03/02/2016 09:03

maybe it's ridiculous. If you never have something you make it more attractive. If you always have it around its normal and won't hold that magic

Forbidden fruit biscuits after all

Muskateersmummy · 03/02/2016 09:08

Totally agree cats and maybe. You can often see the children whose parents have banned sugar at home going crazy for the sweeties at birthday parties.

Anything forbidden is incredibly desirable, you know yourself if you give up chocolate for lent or whatever diet your on this week, all you want is chocolate. Everything in sensible moderation.

I also thing people without children have no idea how to entertain a 7mo, so offering it a biscuit seems like a good idea! I probably would have done before I was a mummy. It happens, you can't expect everyone to know what's right or wrong for your 7mo, unless you tell them "she has just eaten, so don't give her anything to eat, if she gets fussy give her this (toy/dummy/comforter) I'll be back in 15 mins"

AppleSetsSail · 03/02/2016 09:09

I think there's enough blame to go around here, OP.

Your colleague shouldn't have given someone else's baby a biscuit, but you can be sure my MIL would.

You, on the other hand, should have told her he has allergies - it should have certainly occurred to me that a colleague walking through an office with a baby could result in just this.

TheCatsMeow · 03/02/2016 09:14

The irony I find is like I said the only parents I know who did this have socially inept adult children, one has ADHD so sugar made no difference there despite usual claims and the kids are so cocooned they can't do anything for themselves.

Far more damaging than a biscuit.

catsinthecraddle · 03/02/2016 09:15

I see kids eating biscuits, sweets, crisps in their buggy, and the parents smugly announcing that one treat won't hurt them. But it's not just one "treat", is it? It's daily - possibly hourly - snacks.

If you think the obesity crisis in our schools has nothing to do with unhealthy diet, then please help me understand what the cause is.

Until you discover something, let's say chocolate, you don't miss it because you don't know what it is, which is why some parents delay giving unhealthy food to their kids.

When they are old enough, then yes, moderation is the key.

TheCatsMeow · 03/02/2016 09:18

cats

Who gives hourly snacks?

I haven't said obesity is nothing to do with an unhealthy diet, I've said a biscuit occasionally won't cause obesity.

Yeah and then when they've discovered it they go mad for it instead of if it had just been around there'd be no fuss

It's the same as parents who ban alcohol it's always their kids getting smashed and ending up vomiting in the back of some random blokes car as soon as they turn 18 every night.

AppleSetsSail · 03/02/2016 09:18

The irony I find is like I said the only parents I know who did this have socially inept adult children, one has ADHD so sugar made no difference there despite usual claims and the kids are so cocooned they can't do anything for themselves.

It is possible to not feed a baby refined sugar and eventually produce a well-adjusted adult.

Muskateersmummy · 03/02/2016 09:19

The obesity crisis is multifactorial. The inactivity of our lifestyles, the rise in the use of convenience food as oppose to home cooking, and yes the change in some peoples diets.

I agree that if that "treat" is hourly then it's no longer a treat and to me that's not all in moderation. But a biscuit given by a well meaning stranger is not going to lead to a sugar addiction for that child.

TheCatsMeow · 03/02/2016 09:19

Apple but a lot of the time it's something that a neurotic over the top parent does, so it's not isolated

SanityClause · 03/02/2016 09:20

Giving one 7mo child a biscuit does not cause an obesity crisis!

The PBFery on this thread is hilarious!

The point is, if you leave your baby with someone, and don't give clear instructions about what to feed, or not to feed, then don't be surprised when the person you leave them with, gives your baby a biscuit FFS.

Yes, I know the baby didn't need a biscuit, and doesn't even understand the concept of a biscuit (Grin) but the OP left her baby with someone who thought she was doing something kind, even though the OP disagrees.

Get your grips here!

AppleSetsSail · 03/02/2016 09:21

It's the same as parents who ban alcohol it's always their kids getting smashed and ending up vomiting in the back of some random blokes car as soon as they turn 18 every night.

Ah, we've found the 'cool mum' who would rather the kids drink at her house so she can keep an eye on them. Yay.

Whatthefreakinwhatnow · 03/02/2016 09:22

catsmeow talking perfect sense as always!

All those parents pointlessly restricting all sugar from their children face the very real risk of these children gorging themselves every chance they get when they are 18 old enough to go out by themselves. I'll never forget a friend when we were 13 on holidayat center parcs- saw her hiding in shrubbery in the pool bit inhaling a Mars bar, hiding from her mum who was anti-sugar. She's now an incredibly overweight adult.

My BIL grew up in a strictly no sugar household too...... he now weighs in excess of 25 stone thanks to his unhealthy food addiction. He has been in therapy for years bless him but still struggles.

Forbidden foods like anything else becomes all the more appealing!!

This is very un-mumsnet andI will no doubt be frowned upon,but growing up, I'm addition to biscuits after school and pudding and custard on Sundays, we also from a very young age had a small glass of wine with Sunday lunch. Low and behold, you didn't see me up the park with bottles of cider and 20/20 like the rest of my year group, because alcohol was no mystery. I will be doing the same with my girls

Whatthefreakinwhatnow · 03/02/2016 09:23

oooh cross posts with cats about the booze!

SanityClause · 03/02/2016 09:24

It is possible to not feed a baby refined sugar and eventually produce a well-adjusted adult.

It is also possible to feed a baby a little refined sugar, (ie, a biscuit-worth) and eventually produce a well-adjusted adult. And the well adjusted bit is much less to do with what you feed them, and more to do with the emotions associated with doing so.

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