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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To NOT give DS (6 months) a "taste" of chocolate

78 replies

Misswrite89 · 24/03/2016 16:22

On a board on another parenting forum, where all our children are around the same age, someone has asked whether we will be giving our babies a "taste" of chocolate over Easter.

I am certainly not but another poster has said that those who don't are "Scrooges" and that a little bit of chocolate does no harm. In fact it seems quite a few posters will be giving their kids a bit of Easter egg and I'm in the minority.

AIBU by NOT giving my six month old son even a bit of chocolate? I don't want him having any added sugar for the next few months whilst he's in the early stages of weaning and for this reason have avoided giving baby jars/pouches and have made homemade purees. I hadn't thought about when to allow chocolate and other junk food but I suppose the first time I would is on his first birthday when he can have a bit of his cake if he likes. I'm certainly not going to deprive him of treats as he gets older as I don't want them to be "forbidden" and want him to have a healthy relationship with food but I just hadn't intended to give him food with added sugar and other crap until he's old enough to ask for it.

AIBU or indeed a "Scrooge"?

OP posts:

curren · 24/03/2016 16:24

It's up to you.

I don't see the massive issue, when I weaned my kids they are what I ate.

Wouldn't call you a Scrooge. But ever one is different.

I am shock on a chocolate thread only the 'pro-chocolate' posters were throwing my insults. Usually the 'anti chocolate' brigade find some lovely choice words to throw.

SaucyJack · 24/03/2016 16:25

I really, really, REALLY don't think it matters either way.

Whatever floats your boat.

janethegirl2 · 24/03/2016 16:26

YANBU, he is still a baby.

melonribena · 24/03/2016 16:26

It's totally up to you!

Not all shop bought baby food is packed full of sugar though

SquinkiesRule · 24/03/2016 16:27

Your baby your rules, don't give it if you don't want too.
I wasn't going to give my under one year old any, but his older brother fed it to him in the back of the car while I was driving. I wondered why it was so quiet.

SylviaWrath · 24/03/2016 16:27

I don 't think anyone cares either way what you give your own baby. The problem usually arises only if/when you bore on at people about how you won't do it and how awful it is, and implicitly or overtly criticising what others do.

As with most things; crack on with your own kids, let other people do the same.

Xmasbaby11 · 24/03/2016 16:28

Yanbu and I don't know many people who allowed any refined sugar before 12 months. Mine both did from about 9 months and had the odd bit of cake, ice cream etc.

Btw the baby food pouches etc do not usually contain added sugar. They can be a really good alternative when you don't have time to prepare from scratch.

originalmavis · 24/03/2016 16:28

It's not exactly one of the major food groups is it? Early on you need to focus on getting them used to fruit and veg and quite bland things really.

DS loathed chocolate until fairly recently. He tried it (not as a baby) and just didn't like it. Anyone would think I said "I take him out and whip him through the streets daily" when I said "he doesn't like chocolate". Mostly people would assume I was a crazy 'no chocolate' mum or lying.

Chinks123 · 24/03/2016 16:28

YANBU it's your choice, like its other parents choices to give their children a taste of chocolate it they want to. The people bashing others and calling them a Scrooge are BU it's nobody's business but the parents really.

SylviaWrath · 24/03/2016 16:29

This is the kind of thing, for example, you should not be saying: I don't want him having any added sugar for the next few months whilst he's in the early stages of weaning and for this reason have avoided giving baby jars/pouches and have made homemade purees
since very few baby jars and pouches have any added sugar at all

arethereanyleftatall · 24/03/2016 16:30

Yanbu.
I didn't give dd1 any chocolate/sweets/cake at all until her first birthday.
But now, I'm actually gutted I introduced it so early. There was no point. She was none the wiser beforehand, happily munching on her broccoli and sardines.
With hindsight I should have left it as long as I could.

Chinks123 · 24/03/2016 16:30

And I second what other posters say my DD used to have the organic jars/pouches sometimes and they don't really have any nasties, obviously if you have time to cook your own that's good.

Terribleknitter · 24/03/2016 16:32

It's up to you what you give your baby, I was quite fanatical about weaning with my first however I caught him sharing his pizza topping with his baby sister when he was 4 & she was around 6 months old. She loved it...
It was at that point I realised that it's possible to get too over involved in exactly what passes your baby's lips.

Luckystar1 · 24/03/2016 16:33

My DS is 16 months and still has no sugary goods. He will, in time, but not yet.

I'm sometimes shocked by what people give their children but I don't actually give a hoot. I'm definitely in the minority though.

yorkshapudding · 24/03/2016 16:34

Your baby, your choice. Its no one else's business what you feed him or don't feed him. You're not "depriving" him of anything and at 6 months he doesn't know any different so YANBU. Equally, others are not BU to give their babies a taste of chocolate if they want to.

For what it's worth, my DD wasn't given any chocolate or similar until she was well over a year old and I was accused by my IL's of being "mean" and "depriving" her but she seems fine

JolieMadame · 24/03/2016 16:34

Do what you like.

It doesn't matter a jot

Pinkheart5915 · 24/03/2016 16:35

No not a Scrooge.
It is up to each parent, do what you think is best.

I have a ds who is 6 months and he won't be given any chocolate over Easter even to taste. He is still a baby and I don't see a need to give him chocolate yet.
I like you don't use baby jars and don't want to give my ds any added sugar while I'm weaning, this is our personal choice as his parents but it really is each to there own way of doing things.

arethereanyleftatall · 24/03/2016 16:39

It's funny how things change as dc get older doesn't it.
I do remember talking all the time to my friends when dc were babies/toddlers about who ate what.
Now (dc 5&7) I couldn't give a shit what other people feed their kids.

Gileswithachainsaw · 24/03/2016 16:40

I don't think you are a scrooge.

seems as soon as babies start eating people are obsessed with getting them to eat stuff when really it's no bad thing to keep it limited while they are in the early stages. doesn't even have to be daily. amd I think taking ot slowly cab he a sensible approach. especially when new foods are introduced and there's the chance of a reaction or it just nor sitting well.

mine didn't have chocolate til well over a yr. not because I was being mean but because I wanted to introduce other things first.

some people are happy to throw anytbing amd everything at their babies.

others like to take it a bit slower.

nothing wrong with either.

AliciaMayEmory · 24/03/2016 16:43

All this matters so much when your child is little, but in the scheme of things it will pale in to insignificance once your child is older. Mine are in primary school and I cannot even remember when I let them eat chocolate for the first time. You cannot tell who was bf or ff. You cannot tell who ate jars, home made purees or blw. Do what you feel comfortable with and remember that everyone is just doing their best, regardless of what we think of their decisions sometimes.

foragogo · 24/03/2016 16:46

I agree with you really but sadly I too was a victim of elder brother syndrome - my youngest's first ever food after milk at about 5m old was a piece of partially chewed nutella and toast which he yanked out of olders brother's mouth while he was laughing and crammed into his own mouth and swallowed. Ironically, he has the least sweet tooth of them all now. So yes, not ideal, but not the end of the world and don't freak if he does have a teeny bit.

FirstWeTakeManhattan · 24/03/2016 16:52

I don't really know why anyone would want to give a 6 month old baby chocolate to be honest.

It's not the end of the world, obviously, but hardly what a baby needs.

VeryPunny · 24/03/2016 16:57

Sugar in chocolate is pretty similar to the vast amounts of fruit juice uses to sweeten baby foods - even the naice ones.

DD didn't have chocolate before a year. DS - can't remember at all. He probably found a smartie on the floor at some point....

Terribleknitter · 24/03/2016 16:57

Should have said in mine you're not a Scrooge at all!

BarbarianMum · 24/03/2016 16:59

It's fine not to, it won't do any harm if you do. And a taste (or not) will make no difference long term at all.

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