to have judged my friend ?

[Tillyscoutsmum]

My friend and I used to be very close, particularly in our pre children "single" days but have drifted apart a bit since having children, predominantly because we have very different ideas about parenting.

Her dd is two weeks older than my ds and when we visited them recently, I was shocked when she started feeding baby rice and puree to her dd. Her dd is 16 weeks. I was then even more shocked and, frankly, a bit horrified when she told me that she'd been having baby rice since she was 9 weeks old

To make matters worse, she was then questioning me about why I hadn't started weaning DS and when I told her I wasn't intending to start until around 6 months, she laughed and told me she'd never known anyone wait for 6 months and she thought he needed food earlier, particularly as he is a big baby.

I just smiled and nodded at her but was really just thinking who in their right mind gives baby rice to a 9 week old ?!

It's not so long ago that we were all feeding babyrice from around 12 weeks. Only in the last 10 (?) or so years that the approved weaning date has moved back to 6 months.

I have very different parenting views to my closest friend - she thinks I'm completely neurotic about road safety and kids going to the park on their own, I think she's completely neurotic because she takes them to the GP every time they sneeze.

But we can take the piss out of each other about it, and it doesn't affect our friendship. People have so many different views on parenting - you can judge away, fine, but that doesn't mean you could or should change her way of doing things. She's obviously taking advice from a mother or grandmother - and they did do very early weaning in the 50s and 60s.

One of my good friends has a 'different' parenting style from mine (mine obviuosly being the right way!) but after a few drunken heated debates I have discovered its easier to bite my tongue (particularly when I know I'm right
)

It would never stop me being friends with her and I do have close friends who parent differently to me but she does seem to be very vocal about my choices (she has, for example, told me she finds b'fing "disgusting").

I know people do wean early (I did dd at about 22 weeks) but I did think 9 weeks was unusual. Obviously not though

Thanks for the responses

Sounds like she has a few hang-ups, tbh. Is certainly a bit chippy, isn't she?

I'd be pissed off with someone describing either FF or BF as "disgusting". What a ridiculous statement

I started weaning dd at around 16 weeks, but she had been ready from around 14 weeks.

If she had had any difficulty with it, I would have gone back to just milk immediately. The 6 months thing is a guideline that will be appropriate to most babies, but there is the exceptions. Her dd may be ready, although 9 weeks does seem odd.

Shrug your shoulders, not your business unless you have massive concerns about safety / the baby's health. We all have our oddities as parents.

even if weaning has changed over the last 10 years, 10 years is a fairly long time

given rice at nine weeks goes against all current guidelines and advice
i would have expressed surprise and wonder and would have said something

i would have judged too

current guidelines which have been in place for years now do advice waiting until 17 weeks minimum with the aim being to get to 26 weeks, give or take

my niece has just started taking solids at 24 weeks , she is sitting, able to pick up and get food to her mouth , chew and swallow, has lost the tongue thrust reflex and has good head control.. all signs of physical readiness for weaning

DD was weaned at 25 weeks but did not really start eating until 9 months.

each baby is different but weaninga t 9 weeks unless under medical supervision is not a good idea on the whoel