Page 2 | To think that this is appalling?

Lillabet · 2009-04-28T12:30:50+00:00

AIBU to think that this woman should be given a slap/threatened with legal action for child endangerment?

sleeplessinstretford · 28/04/2009 14:55

well,he works and she's at home-my point is that for a lot of people they just don't think about it. I am not saying it's wrong-it's just not entered their heads to cook for them-they give them toast and fruit in addition to the jars but lunch and tea are jars with yoghurt/fruit to follow.
I wasn't being judgey-i don't think i was anyway-just pointing out that some people might think a jar of baby food that has been made for babies is ok to feed babies-if that makes sense?

LibrasBiscuitsOfFortune · 28/04/2009 14:58

goodnightmoon I was just really commenting on the fact that people think McD food is the devils spunk. Now I have no problem with people having a problem with McD on moral or ethical grounds but really to get all in a tizzy about having a little bit of french fry, burger or burger bun once in a while is a little OTT.

BalloonSlayer · 28/04/2009 15:00

I think the bit that bugs me most about that article is that "a team of 68 medical staff delivered her triplets at a cost to the NHS of £200,000" - haven't cut and paste so I hope that's right.

As if, if she wasn't so fat and lazy she'd have been able to give birth to all three of them naturally at home on the carpet and saved the taxpayer a fortune.

Sleepless - you did definitely sound judgy. Are you saying that you are disapproving of the older child having jars only, or both of them.

How about the likes of me, who tried making her own [had to be dairy free] food and they'd never eat it?

solidgoldSneezeLikeApig · 28/04/2009 15:06

My DS had quite a few jars when he was weaning: this was mainly due to me a) running my shop at the time and b) going on camping trips or long days out, so a jar and a clean spoon was the best solution. Even then I sometimes took a few frozen cubes of liquidized food and allowed them to thaw out before lunchtime..
Jars are fine IMO.

TheShipsCat · 28/04/2009 15:07

I sort of see, sleepless. But I think jars that have been made for babies, are OK to give babies. Especially if you're too busy to cook...
Dd1 wouldn't eat food not from a jar, so I'd cook it then put it into an old jar when she wasn't looking!

sleeplessinstretford · 28/04/2009 15:08

i didn't mean to be judgy- i am just surprised that two,well educated,sensible parents haven't stepped away from the jars (as it were) aside from any other reason than they are so bloody dear.They cook fresh for themselves but not the kids- i wonder at what age they might think to stop?
My baby refuses all sorts of food and hasn't let us near her with a spoon since she was 8months old, if i tried her on jars/sloppy food she'd bloody starve to death.

sleeplessinstretford · 28/04/2009 15:10

theshipscat-that's what i mean-they are following the rules-haven't thought to freestyle yet-baby food is for babies,they have babies-that's what i meant when i said i wasn't judging-i was (perhaps badly) semi saying 'jars are ok-i have some nice friends who use jars with their babies exclusively' DYSWIM now?

TheShipsCat · 28/04/2009 15:17

Yes I think so!

fizzpops · 28/04/2009 15:29

I cook 99% of my DD's food from scratch but cook in bulk and freeze. She has a variety as I have enough different foods frozen to vary things.

She is obviously poorly educated if she thinks vegetables cause anorexia, but aside from anything else I hate the judgey tone of the article and the points being made about how much money it cost to deliver her babies and how much benefit money she gets. All making nasty implications imo.

Morloth · 28/04/2009 16:25

"a team of 68 medical staff delivered her triplets at a cost to the NHS of £200,000"

I read that as "LOOK how much these kids cost us, what a waste".

The Sun really isn't very nice, but that mum needs to get her act together or she isn't going to see their 10th birthdays.

youvegotyourhandsfull · 28/04/2009 17:05

As a mother of triplets I have to confess:

I used jars...a lot

My house was and still is...a mess

My children very occasionally have visited McDonalds

Guess what - when they were babies I was incredibly busy - they took every moment of my waking hours to look after AND I had a DH and other help and a reasonable income

My babies mostly wore babygros

My children were delivered at considerable cost to the NHS (although I question whether there were 68 people involved unless we are counting different shifts of staff in the neonatal unit)

I would not criticise a single mother of triplets living on benefits in a small house as I know for a fact how hard it is and I had none of those disadvantages. Some weeks it is a struggle to get out the door let alone get to the shops and going anywhere with all three babies is a logistical nightmare. McDonalds was one of the few places I could find three highchairs by the way.

Some of the things she has supposedly said/done (never believe much in the SUN) dont reflect well on her I have to admit and I hope she gets some help to improve her diet and the children's diet but I still think YABU.

Original poster

Lillabet · 28/04/2009 18:02

I would like to clear up a couple of things:

I never said baby food jars were bad, actually I think they are a god send

My house is always a mess, it is clean but it is a mess.

Of course babies mean you are incredibly busy (frankly the prospect of having three at once is terrifying).

Mostly wearing babygrows isn't an issue - they are inexpensive, easy to clean and you end up with lots of 'em

I don't tend to read The Sun; DH sent me the link and I wondered AIBU to want to slap the woman, for the stupid comments on veg, healthy diets causing anorexia and blaming her obesity on a thyroid problem. I did concede earlier that education was more constructive than a slap. I think I was so at what I was reading I had to ask whether my gut instinct was reasonable .

OP posts:

curlygal · 28/04/2009 18:17

My question would be how did anyone find her fanjo to make her pregnant in the first place

Original poster

Lillabet · 28/04/2009 18:23

curlygal - not sure I want to know! Eww!

OP posts:

ilovemydogandMrObama · 28/04/2009 18:27

But youvegot, you're probably not as fat as she is. Seems her main crime, other than occasionally giving her DCs McDonalds, and not enough vegetables, is being very fat.

charmargot · 28/04/2009 18:29

Poor woman, she really hasn't got a clue has she? I hope the publicity means someone can give her a bit of help to understand what a normal healthy diet is, for herself as well as the children.
Surely she'd make a great before and after story for some mag?

HecatesTwopenceworth · 28/04/2009 18:30

I feel sorry for her - but more sorry for those kids - IF this story is true.

She clearly hasn't got a clue about nutrition - it's not just about being a 'healthy' weight (although those kids look chubby to me tbh), it's about getting the vitamins and minerals they need, the omegas.... I seriously doubt the diet described does that. They are going to be really malnourished.

She needs educating, she really does.

BalloonSlayer · 28/04/2009 19:52

I think if my DCs (who do not yet know a lot about biology) read that article, they would think that the more you eat the more children you produce per pregnancy.

There is a definite sense that having triplets is in some way her fault, or a cunning plan to drain the taxpayers of their hard-earned.

A bit like if you put on a lot of weight when pg, some "jolly" people like to suggest "are you sure it's not twins, ho ho?"

fizzpops · 29/04/2009 11:27

I have changed my mind on this topic slightly having seen an interview with Ms Salt on tv this morning.

Apparently she has been quite hurt about some of the comments she has heard about her habits following the newspaper story - understandable, but at one point in the interview when she was explaining that it was hard to buy food that didn't contain sugar or salt she emphasised that she didn't add sugar to their breakfast cereal or [and I think I heard this correctly] if they have 'a bottle of tea'!

Did anyone else see it?

Bellebelle · 29/04/2009 13:15

I saw it Fizz and it was the bottle of tea bit which stood out to me! My DH says that he remembers his little brother (11 yrs younger) being given tea in his bottle when he was a baby and I was horrified. I'm not a tea or coffee drinker but I think that some people have so many cups of tea a day that they treat it like water iyswim and don't think that it might not be a good thing for a child. I have a lovely friend who is a wonderful mum in all ways but I remember being shocked watching her let her DD drink her tea when she was about 12mo. Having said that I have another friend who is married to a pediatrician and she lets her boys (2 & 3) drink her diet coke.

She didn't come across well at all in the interview, it was the first I had heard about it but I don't think she will have silenced her critics. She still seemed clueless and kept on going on about different textures of food for the babies which someone had obviously told her to say. I doubt she is giving her kids some of her take away so that they can experience the texture of a greasy chip. It still astounds me how clueless people are about nutrition, I remember being taught quite early at school about the food groups and what you needed each for but I still have to explain to my DH 'how it all works' as he doesn't remember ever being told what's what (he runs a lot and has been given lots of nutrition advice but still has to ask me what foods are protein rich etc).

Education may be the answer but tbh there are a lot of people who don't want to know. So many people 'live in the moment' that it's all about instant gratification from a burger or something and sod what happens as they age.

fizzpops · 29/04/2009 14:13

The disappointing bit is that it was the doctor who was interviewing her and he didn't say anything! Really irresponsible...

charmargot · 29/04/2009 14:18

I actually do give my DD tea...

BUT I drink it so weak and milky most people are appalled by how it doesn't look like tea. My DD has even more milk and less tea than me and often her "tea" doesn't actually see a teabag at all.
I'd rather a child have normal tea than coke though.
I say again, instead of all these journalists getting on her case why don't they use her as a before/after project and teach her the error of her ways? She simply doesn't know any better.

shavenhaven · 29/04/2009 14:22

i am surpried that she only gets over £200 a week in benefits when she is a single parent.

i know it sounds a lot but when you add up how much she must spend on nappies/wipes and formula it must not leave alot.

then again dh and i both work and she seems to be able to afford take aways much more than we could

a friend of mine has 4 children and a husband who earns £30,000 a year and she gets more benefits than leeanne salt.

katiestar · 29/04/2009 18:22

It seems pretty obvious to me that the woman's interview has been twisted in a different way than she intended.
the article says she is feeding them on jars and gives them tastes of her MCDs as a treat.Now 'MCDonalds' could mean anything.A little corner of one of their breadbuns won't do them any harm.
I don't know what the woman's weight has to dio with the story.
I seriously think some people should try and get a grip.

Baisey · 30/04/2009 09:26

Whether the article has been twisted or exagerated is besides the point, its clear from the picture the mother herself is morbidly obese and the children are more than likely going to follow in her footsteps, its all rather sad really the poor children and indeed the mother have not got a hope in hell.