What should he be eating now??

[Twinkie]

Just thought I would ask what a baby of a year is supposed to be eating now.

DPs brother and his wife live on the continebt, he is english and she is of arab desent - anyway they have a DS who is 15 months old and are feeding him with 5 month old food - nothing lumpy at all other than some bread sticks and a bit of french stick every so often if he sees them having it - DPs mum and I were talking last night and we think he should be on more solid food at his age and that it is just that as they have no friends with kids around them they have no idea what he is supposed to be eating.

If I remember correctly DD was eating what we ate at a year with jars if we went out somewhere and there wasn't anything suitable for her that could be mashed up. She was deffo having sandwiches and finger food by that time for lunch at least.

Anyway I thought I could send them an Annabell Karmel book (no matter how much I detest that woman) so they could get more of an idea - but how to do this without looking like an interferring busybody??

And they are both teachers so I would think they knew better but is there any problems that could arise if he is not given food to chew and digest that has lumps in it - speech, digestion etc..??

Where do they live ? Most European countries, as far as I can tell, offer regular development check ups with paediatrician or gp, an opportunity to discuss developent, immunisations and any diet/allergy issues. These for us were monthly to 6 months, then 3 monthly up to a year, at 18 months and then annually. Over here they tend to be more relaxed than UK about giving regular foods by around a year.

Annabel Karmel is an idea but perhaps not the Baby & Toddler Book (might they feel a bit insulted ?). We also have "Small Helpings" which has some baby info but has ideas more directed at older babies, toddlers and young kids (some recipes appear in both).

Paris!!

Some of their ideas seem to me to be a little bizarre but I think he should be practising chewing at least for the sake of his speech by now!!

He should definitely be eating mostly normal food by now - finger foods like carrot sticks, cucumber, bits of toast etc etc. There's a reason for teeth!

I have a colleague who is French and she says they traditionally go on to finger food/lumpy stuff much later - not until back molars have come through, and have different ideas about what foods to give when - very little protein other than milk even at 15 months (her DS is that age too). I wouldn't worry too much about it. My DD2 (14 months) only has 2 teeth and have only very recently started tolerating lumps and softish finger food eg pasta, bread.

Twinkie, I have a 15m old who totaly refuses to take finger foods, beacause he hates to touch it!, he never put anything in his mouth as other children do all the time, and only eats cookies or anything that comes in a spoon. I feel terrible when I see other children having "normal" food because DS has not wanted to put even a raisin in his mouth yet(though he will eat them if they come in a spoon). If you really have a solution for this please post it here, I believe there are at least another 5 mumsneters here who are experiencing the same problem and believe me we all are desperate about this...

Chandra - it is not that he won't the times that I have seen him he lunges at you trying to take what you are eating but they do not let him!!

Maybe I should just not worry then??

To be honest Twinkie, I think there might be more danger of upsetting the relationship with your 'ILs' than their little one coming to any actual harm. French bread takes some chewing, anyway!

My DD 14 months won't eat lumpy food. She will eat the pureed stuff and I have to still feed her a bowl of baby rice cereal ( I add pureed veg) for one meal a day just so she eats a reasonable amount. She will eat finger food when she feels like it and I make sure her lunch is always finger food just to get her used to it. Any of the jar stuff with lumps in it is refused.

Very relieved to hear I'm not the only one in this situation, as I was worried.

She won't use a spoon herself though, which worries me. At what age shold they be able to feed themselves with a spoon?

DS is able to put the spoon in his mouth and lick it but can't use it properly himself, normaly he gets so frustrated about it that ends up handing it back to me. HAve tried not to offer mashed things until he eats at least a bit of finger food but he seems determined to starve himself before agreeing to chew a carrot...

By the way he is 15m.

I'm worried about this too with my DD. SHe has only just turned 1 last week but I have been worrying because I can't seem to get her interested in anything lumpy. Shje will tolerate things that are a little bit lumpy but anything too big just gets spat right out. She will eat pieces of chicken, cheese and sometimes toast as finger food but that is about it. I tried the other day to give her some broccoli with cheese sauce but she wouldn't have any of it.

She only has her two bottom teeth - the top ones are just starting to come through. She doesn't seem keen to even start trying to feed herself with finger food - shall i stop worrying and continue spoon feeding her (which she is quite happy with).

Yes - my DD (14months) wants to feed herself all the time and feel all her food (including readybrek, yoghurt) and it is such a mess ! Only way is for her (and me) to strip off for meal time and then get in the shower afterwards ! Try not to give her anything with tomato in as it stains everything. Glad it is hot at the moment ! But high chair and floor get covered. DD1 never wanted to feed herself and that was much easier.