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AIBU?

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Original poster

Nursery gave baby rusks

199 replies

Wonderingabt · 13/12/2023 21:44

7 month old recently at nursery.

They've fed her rusks. Should I be worried?

I don't offer rusks at home because I heard they are full of sugar. I was fed them myself as a baby though as were others in 80s.

A nursery worker today commented that 'she loves rusks'. Do I need to step in and say no rusks? I hate the idea of kicking up a fuss but I don't want her eating rusks every day. Once a week I can cope with.

The rest of the nursey food seems healthy but I'm surprised they give rusks as I assumed they know about sugar etc. Unless these are special rusks...do those exist?

Yabu - no need to kick up fuss
Yanbu - tell them no

OP posts:
Snugglemonkey · 13/12/2023 23:54

I would be eating actually. I do not feed my child processed shite and certainly nothing with added sugar. I do not think I would trust them.

stepintochristmas1 · 13/12/2023 23:57

HoppingPavlova · 13/12/2023 23:51

I wouldn’t be happy and would say no. It’s a sugary biscuit broken down with milk to mush who would feed that to a baby ?
I don’t mind porridge, but honestly rusks

I have never heard of this? I used to give my kids rusks when they were teething as biting/gumming on the rusk helped. Most of the rusk was left on the front of their clothes in little soggy pieces 🤣, but if they swallowed little bits there was no harm. They were not used as foods as such!

I used to give mine Bikkiepegs as well that used to come with the little safety pin and the ribbon . Do they even still make them anymore . This was in the 90's and they had been around for decades for teething babies .

Snugglemonkey · 14/12/2023 00:00

SnowflakeSparkles · 13/12/2023 22:28

People don't really understand that babies also need macronutrients and they need food when milk calories can't keep up with their developing needs. So what's the point in feeding nothing but pureed veg?

Babies need the energy density. A rusk is fine alongside a balanced diet.

Rusks ate a processed food with added sugar. Or with artificial sweetener. I would not allow either near my one year old. Nor have I ever pureed veg though. I would expect any childcare setting to give my baby balanced nutrition, with nothing chemical, no added salt, no added sugar. As recommended by the NHS.

SleepPrettyDarling · 14/12/2023 00:06

honeysuckleweeks · 13/12/2023 22:15

I thought they were great. Teething rusks. They just gnaw on them to try to relieve the pressure on their gums. Most of it goes down their front anyway!

Judging by the number of rusk chunks I used to find in random places around the house, I’d be fairly confident that not much sugar actually made it into my kids’ small tummies.

Headshoulderscheeseontoast · 14/12/2023 00:06

I don't understand the fucking panic in some of these posts, it's one rusk!

Wait till they turn one, are walking and start foraging for food. My toddler ate cat biscuits when I had my back turned a few weeks ago

Op just tell the nursery you'd rather your baby wasn't given rusks anymore, panic over, no big deal and certainly nothing to worry about.

CharlotteBog · 14/12/2023 00:18

Some of you lot are horrible to a new parent.

The 'just wait until they're a teenager' comment and 'but what about the environment'...just unnecessary.

Most parents of 7 months olds do try and give them they best diet possible.
I'm sure OP isn't stupid and knows that a single sugary biscuit isn't going to harm her child, she posted because she wasn't sure about the sugar content and whether she should raise it with the nursery.

I would be very, very surprised if the nursery is giving 7 month old babies sugary rusks, the advice is not to give newly weaned babies food with added sugar.

BertieBotts · 14/12/2023 00:27

Are they special rusks Grin

Bless you.

No, I do totally see your point. They are sugary and it's not a great thing to be feeding babies TBH despite the marketing and nostalgia.

BUT also, it's not dangerous for your baby to have sugar. They are a popular snack for babies. It is not something to worry about, even though it it also not ideal. The reduced sugar ones have about the same amount of sugar (by weight) as a couple of Rich Tea biscuits. You are absolutely right to discourage it if you want to.

I think I would firstly check if they have a healthy eating policy. This may be in all of the paperwork that was given to you when she first started. Because if they do then you can bring it up specifically in the context of the healthy eating policy, something like "Hi, the other day you said that DD was enjoying rusks, I am glad that she likes the food, but I was a bit concerned as I really thought rusks had quite a lot of sugar, and your healthy eating policy says..."

If there is nothing like this, then you could start off the same but instead of healthy eating policy just say "Do you think you could offer her some of the low sugar Hipp biscuits instead?" (Or whichever brand you like).

It is quite possible that nobody has actually thought to check. But a lot of nurseries have a policy of healthy eating, particularly in the baby room. It would be a shame if you were trying really hard to avoid too many biscuits and sweet treats at home just to have it all undone at nursery.

BertieBotts · 14/12/2023 00:30

stepintochristmas1 · 13/12/2023 23:57

I used to give mine Bikkiepegs as well that used to come with the little safety pin and the ribbon . Do they even still make them anymore . This was in the 90's and they had been around for decades for teething babies .

Show quote history

I don't think so Grin but they were great. I had them for DS1, heard about them on here, he is a teenager now. They tasted like MDF and took weeks to dissolve. Totally weird product. I wish you could get them as DS3 chews everything, he is like a puppy.

dontbesillyofcourse · 14/12/2023 00:31

I miss rusks especially rusks with vegan butter on. almost as good as weetabix with vegan butter on. aw now Im thinking of rusks with hot vegan milk on. Why is anyone worrying about rusks? I had them growin up plus loads of sugary stuff and my teeth are excellent.

Icalledmywheelchairdoris · 14/12/2023 00:35

It's a rusk. And sugar. It's not like the nursery are giving them crack on a spoon. Besides, has anyone ever seen a baby actually eat a rusk. More of it goes on the baby, their hair, their surroundings and clothes than actually goes in their gob.

My now teenager was one of these 'no sugar' kids in nursery. As well as being rearfacing when it really wasn't that common. I'm sure the nursery hated me.
Now, said teenager seems to live off spicy chicken noodles, breadsticks, haribo, roast potatoes and waggon wheels. Oh, and somewhat bizarrely, cherry tomatoes. The days of a carefully controlled and balanced diet are looooong gone.

How many people would give their kids dihydrogen oxide??

BertieBotts · 14/12/2023 00:39

Well there you go doris, if you hadn't insisted on low sugar he wouldn't even eat those cherry tomatoes now! You might have saved him from a life of scurvy Grin

Mouthouch · 14/12/2023 01:05

If you’re panicking about rusks then you’re going to be in for a rollercoaster over the next year. You should have seen the first time my boy was given birthday cake leaving nursery. He practically inhaled it and was completely wired. I think without some practice sugar he might have keeled over 🤣

allitdoesisrain · 14/12/2023 01:05

I'd find out what the rusks are first. They might be cooked by a member of staff or the kitchen, if they have one. In our nursery it was just bread baked hard. No worse than giving a finger of toast.

If you find out it's something else and you don't like it, just tell them no rusks. No big deal.

Mouthouch · 14/12/2023 01:07

BertieBotts · 14/12/2023 00:30

I don't think so Grin but they were great. I had them for DS1, heard about them on here, he is a teenager now. They tasted like MDF and took weeks to dissolve. Totally weird product. I wish you could get them as DS3 chews everything, he is like a puppy.

Show quote history

They do still make them!

MeinKraft · 14/12/2023 01:21

'They're full of sugar! If you really work as a Vet's Assistant then you'll know what damage can be done'

Yes that's semester 1 of veterinary. Weeks 1-4 Phlebotomy, weeks 5-9 assisting labour in farm animals, weeks 10-12 the dangers of rusks

WhosAfraidOfVirginalWolves · 14/12/2023 01:31

Despite what I've been told over the years by friends, family, exes, colleagues and near-strangers, I think from this thread I can conclude that, comparatively, I actually am a very chilled out person.

Forgottenmypasswordagain · 14/12/2023 02:28

You are the parent, if you are not comfortable with the rusks just ask them not to give your dc anymore sweet biscuits.

HoppingPavlova · 14/12/2023 03:30

I used to give mine Bikkiepegs as well that used to come with the little safety pin and the ribbon . Do they even still make them anymore . This was in the 90's and they had been around for decades for teething babies .

Don’t know, can’t imagine something with a ribbon and safety pin would be sold now🤣, but the concept of the rusk is the same I imagine. Mine used to hold them in their hand and along with most being dribbled down their front as it slowly softened, there was a hell of a lot in their hair, on any surface nearby and even the cat if you had one🤣. Point being, not much of a rusk, if any, actually makes it down a baby/toddlers throat. It’s a teething implement really, not a food so they are getting a bare minimum of whatever’s in them. That’s why I can’t understand those banging on about sugar content, lack of macronutrient's etc.

Topseyt123 · 14/12/2023 03:33

I couldn't get het up over this. I loved rusks as a young child and my own babies liked them too. Not all the time, just a couple of times a week. All are now in their twenties with no lasting ill effects.

No need for the shock and horror.

oneflewoverthe · 14/12/2023 03:38

I wouldn't get too upset about it. But I am surprised any modern childcare setting would give them. The only time anyone recommended these to me had been parents in the 80s or below when I was born.

ithinkthatmaybeimdreaming · 14/12/2023 04:33

VeterinaryCareAssistant · 13/12/2023 22:00

Jesus Christ, they're just rusks. Babies love them. Calm down.

Sometimes I can't help but wonder how earlier generations managed to survive with all the evil things they were given to eat/drink 😂

Hecate01 · 14/12/2023 04:53

Piglet89 · 13/12/2023 22:02

@VeterinaryCareAssistant yeah but rusks are a gateway drug to KitKats and shit.

Definitely a gateway drug. I can confirm that after I had a rusk at 7 months and I'm now in my 40's chugging down a can of Prime because I've been in work since 3am. It's a slippery slope.

PinkPlantCase · 14/12/2023 04:54

I’d be annoyed too OP. It is below the standard I would expect of a nursery and would ask them not to be given. And what else they are giving them. Snacks at our nursery are fruit.

I did find that food in the baby room was much more geared up for children over 1 because most of the babies were over 1.

stepintochristmas1 · 14/12/2023 05:04

HoppingPavlova · 14/12/2023 03:30

I used to give mine Bikkiepegs as well that used to come with the little safety pin and the ribbon . Do they even still make them anymore . This was in the 90's and they had been around for decades for teething babies .

Don’t know, can’t imagine something with a ribbon and safety pin would be sold now🤣, but the concept of the rusk is the same I imagine. Mine used to hold them in their hand and along with most being dribbled down their front as it slowly softened, there was a hell of a lot in their hair, on any surface nearby and even the cat if you had one🤣. Point being, not much of a rusk, if any, actually makes it down a baby/toddlers throat. It’s a teething implement really, not a food so they are getting a bare minimum of whatever’s in them. That’s why I can’t understand those banging on about sugar content, lack of macronutrient's etc.

Yeah mine used to sit in their bouncer seat chomping away while I put all the shopping away , the dog would be sat waiting for the rusk to be discarded in her direction 😂.

user1471481356 · 14/12/2023 05:23

The rusks in Australia don’t have sugar in them, they’re basically flour and water. Gross, but not going to do any harm