to feel equally sad at what I heard a young mum say:

[deliakate]

Her baby had been weaned for about 3 months, and she told me she had cooked for her once or twice, but the baby "didn't like" her cooking, and so she was going to be on pre-prepared food from now on. For the rest of her life. The mum wasn't really overweight, but I felt like saying to her that she was going to push her child in that direction if she never cooked at home. Sad, not to mention costly!

The preconcieved opinion of 'young mums' being incapable of being a good mum really drives me mad . Would it have been as sad had it been an 'older mum' saying she would only use pre-packed food?

I was 19 when I had dd and used jars til she learned to chew because I was terrified I wouldn't get all the lumps out and choke her. Once she could chew I mashed our food unless it was something she couldn't have, then I used jars. It was nothing to do with being young - just a worried first time mum.

I only mentioned her age because of the other post, the one about breastfeeding, which was phrased similarly.

And I felt she was a little young to be writing off her own cooking like that. But I take on the point that she might lack confidence at the moment in her cooking abilities. I hope she gets the time to learn.

I can understand why she thinks that way. She probably can't cook that well, baby tried her food and rejected it so she took that to be a failure on her own part. She looks at the jars that blare out how good they are for the babies, tried that, baby ate it so in her mind it proves her right!

My DS was very fussy to start with and we relied on jars a lot. I now regret not being more patient in weaning him (I felt very pressured to get on with it at the time) and keeping him on proper food. Next baby will be BLW all the way!

sorry it was so hard for you 2nd coming, but sounds like you gave your baby a great start. 21 isn't that young, but anyway, the age thing wasn't the main point of my op.