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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Feeding babies lemon for a laugh?

98 replies

GooglyEyeballs · 08/04/2022 12:10

I don't have kids so really I don't get a say! (TTC at the moment so please MN fingers crossed for us!)

Lately I've been seeing on Instagram/Facebook loads of videos of people feeding their babies lemon and then laughing at their reactions. It probably doesn't do any harm, but it seems a bit off to me, making a baby uncomfortable for laughs. Babies are pretty funny things without the feeding them sour stuff just to see their faces scrunch up. Maybe I have a stunted sense of humour and need to lighten up?... But I was wondering what MN thought about it.

I also keep seeing videos where parents blindfold their kids and get them to dip their finger in something and taste it and then remove their blind fold and the parents are holding up their dogs arse and the horror on the kids faces is just horrible. I'd be really upset if someone did that to me.

Don't get me wrong I love a good prank but I think they're only funny if the prank makes the victim laugh and not feel awful. What does MN think?

OP posts:

707smile · 08/04/2022 12:26

@Smartiepants79

My youngest loves lemons, always has and still does at age nine. The dog bum one is a bit weird but filming your child’s reactions to new foods is not that big a deal. You know they’re not going to remember it don’t you?

Actually the dog's butt thing (and that other horrible prank with parents putting nutella on their kids arms after asking them to bring a loo roll into the loo for them) could break their trust in a way that impacts psychologically on them in the future; whether they remember it or not.

RowanAlong · 08/04/2022 12:30

Yes they’re weird videos and odd parents! Stop watching them!

PurBal · 08/04/2022 12:31

@GooglyEyeballs

Just to clarify, I don't think it's off to let a baby try lemon, of course they might like it. It's the purposefully doing it knowing they're not going to like it so they can post it on the internet bit that I don't really like.

I agree with you

Antarcticant · 08/04/2022 12:33

I would only drink lemon juice when I was small. Not orange, not blackkcurrant, not water or milk - had to be lemon juice.

Aimee1987 · 08/04/2022 12:34

I filmed DS first taste of cake on his first birthday thinking it would be cute and he'd wolf it down. He pulled a face like it was the most disgusting thing in the world and cried ( I obviously stopped recording). When I gave him lemon he sad there happy out munching on. It's impossible to predict babies reactions to foods and many babies and adults have a preference for sour foods.
The other one breaks trust and I dont understand it.

takingmytimeonmyride · 08/04/2022 12:37

I've got a photo of my DS1 trying a lemon at about 6 months old. His scrunched up face is so cute. It was just a one off. He wasn't keen so he never tried again.

My second born however loves lemons, the more sour they are the better. I have some great photos of him eating them, despite the faces he makes he loves them! And really hot chillis too. He's a real sensory seeker for strong tasting foods.

JesusInTheCabbageVan · 08/04/2022 12:39

@hifiive I assumed the OP was referring to babies being fed a chunk of lemon purposefully to get them to react.

If it's just letting the baby have a lick, then I agree it's not so bad.

In general though, there is a horrible trend of upsetting children on purpose and posting it online. I do think it's a horrible thing to do, especially as these 'pranks' are entirely dependent on the child's love/trust in its parent. Doing something like that and then ridiculing the child, and then posting the results online for everyone to join in... I maintain that those people are total shits.

Valencebalance · 08/04/2022 12:43

@Headabovetheparakeet

I saw a video once where some parents pretended their kid had disappeared, they totally ignored her. The kid was frantic and sobbing by the end, it was really cruel.

That’s so nasty! I thought the trend where people threw those singles cheese slices on their babies face was horrible but that’s just another level!

SilverBirchWithout · 08/04/2022 12:44

Just because stuff is posted online it’s not compulsory to watch it.
Thank goodness!

JurasicPerks · 08/04/2022 12:47

DS2 really liked sour things. When he was about 18 months, so old enough to understand a bit, we did try him with a slice of lemon. He loved it, and still, 10 years later, asked for lemon from drinks if we are out, or munches on bits left over from cooking.
So I'm on the fence with the lemon (but we didn't do it with DS1).
The dog thing is awful.

Chely · 08/04/2022 12:51

Our son loved lemons and still does. They pull funny faces at pretty much everything when they start weaning, it's adorable.

Viostep · 08/04/2022 12:56

@Headabovetheparakeet

I saw a video once where some parents pretended their kid had disappeared, they totally ignored her. The kid was frantic and sobbing by the end, it was really cruel.

That's so cruel. I hate those parents who post videos of there child upset or humiliated on social media for likes. I did see a similar video to the one you mentioned but the child, thinking her family couldn't see her, gave them all the middle finger

serves them right!

QueenOfDuisburg · 08/04/2022 12:58

I didn't give my children lemon as babies on purpose but I let them try it if there was a slice in glass of water or something in a cafe. My youngest has loved it since she was 18 months!

I can't say I've ever taken a video of lemon eating but I've definitely taken by videos of them as babies trying new foods. I think it's ok, although I have never posted on social media for laughs.

Never ever heard of the dogs arse thing! Not my sense of humour!

Favourodds · 08/04/2022 13:21

I think these are two quite different things really. Giving your child a slice of lemon is pretty gently amusing compared to some of the other pranks described.

Parents do all sorts of things which seem kind of mean if you describe them dramatically enough. Does anyone else remember the TFI Friday (or maybe Big Breakfast?) Baby tumbling game where you had to guess if the baby on the bed was going to fall left or right? I mean, it's pretty mild to sit a baby up and let them topple over but no doubt there's language to make it seem a great abuse.

We gave our baby a slice of lemon because we thought it would be funny. It was funny, in so much as she ate the whole slice and tried to dive into my gin to get a second slice. I think I'm a nice enough parent, and she is sufficiently loved to weather the storm of occasionally being used for my own amusement.

godmum56 · 08/04/2022 13:24

yep, nasty....same as all the other "funny" videos where kids/ pets are made uncomfortable or scared...goes back to the days of candid camera which I also loathed

RonRonRonWeasley · 08/04/2022 13:35

I let my son try lemon as a baby and he loved it. It’s a perfectly normal food and he loves sour things and lemon flavoured things now.

However, the second trend is disgusting.

Youdoyoutoday · 08/04/2022 13:36

Pranking children for likes is awful! There's one I saw recently of a woman pretending to have fallen on a knife or fork which was sticking out of her eye! Her poor kids were screaming, horrified and frozen to the spot, they were is such shock! It was awful!

Then there's the father who purposely gave his kids constipation medicine and filmed them!! It's not funny!!

A bit of lemon seems mild in comparison but i get what you mean.

veronicagoldberg · 08/04/2022 13:40

It's horrible.

There was a reel going around lately of a mum serving her toddler daughter a plate of alphabet chips that spelled out U PISS ME OFF. I found it really distasteful, especially because the little girl looked so excited for her dinner.

ThreeRingCircus · 08/04/2022 13:46

I took a photo of my 7month old (at the time) trying lemon thinking it would be cute and funny but the joke was on me because she absolutely loved it! I wouldn't have posted it on social media, but probably did send the photo to my mum.

That is completely harmless though and I see it as very different from purposefully distressing your child like with the dog's bum example or some of the other horrible things mentioned on here.

Xpologog · 08/04/2022 13:48

If parents are going to do that to a baby, what else will they do for “laughs”

Favourodds · 08/04/2022 13:51

Oh, this was horrible. It made me feel so sad. That little girl, she was so happy and excited. Social media is a plague.

latriciamcneal · 08/04/2022 13:52

@JesusInTheCabbageVan

I hate things like this.

Basically anyone who exploits their child's unconditional trust in them doesn't deserve children.

It's sour lemon, not cyanide.

latriciamcneal · 08/04/2022 13:53

@Favourodds

Oh, this was horrible. It made me feel so sad. That little girl, she was so happy and excited. Social media is a plague.

That's bizarre and horrific.

BFPDec21 · 08/04/2022 13:54

If it's a 'trend' or 'challenge' then it's completely off. No one should do anything to their children for likes.

However, surely it's part of trying new foods? I see a lot of videos of babies trying foods. I have a lot of photos of me trying new foods as a baby. If it were the age of SM then, perhaps they would have been videos online.

JesusInTheCabbageVan · 08/04/2022 13:54

I'm going to get lots of people responding to my post on the first page, not having read my follow up posts... 😬

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