Am I being over-controlling and silly about this?

[Flossam]

I started weaning DS about a month and a half ago. I am staunchily refusing to give him sugar. I check all his foods to ensure none is added. He does have fruit purees and juices, but this is obviously natural sugars, and again I wouldn't buy any with any added. I was happy with this, I feel that I'm doing the best I can for DS, but my friend is really questioning me on it and I just wondered if anyone else feels the same way I do. Basically, he dosen't need the sugar, it's not good for him and he dosen't know any different!

Well my mum is on side. Dp is as well really. Don't think his mum really approves of anything I do, has only seen him once since xmas, and think me is a big part of the reason why. She told me there was no point breastfeeding a baby after two weeks. I'm now mixed feeding, but DS was exclusively bf for 5 months. I felt like she mad light and wrote off all my hard work. She ran from the room when I was about to feed DS too, and didn't return for 30minutes! Sorry, any excuse to rant about her!

Flossam, just read member profiles and see that you are a nurse, me too. Where do you work and are you looking forward to going back to work?
In fact ive just finished a 12.5 hour shift and have come on here to wind down before bed.

I did exactly the same - there's plenty of variety without refined sugar and since he's never had it, he wasn't missing it! DS has had tiny amounts of food with added sugar since he was one and loves fruit, veg, all food really. He's never had chocolate and until he can ask for it in a proper voice(!), he won't either He has a real "savoury tooth" - except for grapes!

Gorgeous little man by the way

Also, DS likes plain natural yoghurt (he's never had a petit filous - like sprinkling sugar on their gums, I read somewhere!) and he only drinks milk or water - I don't see any point in him having fruit juice as he eats fruit, and I hate squash so never buy it.

Hi Donbean, sorry I missed you earlier. I work at ITU in tommies in central London. am hoping to do some agency for Mayfair for a bit first, to see if I can just do one shift a week and make up some extra money via them. Now I've had DS I want to do the least amount of work for the most amount of money! Awful I know. I used to work in Bristol which is where I trained and I really want to get back there, as does DP. We hope to sometime in the next year. Where do you work and what area? Nailpolish reccomended me to Mayfair, she used to work for them and hopefully she will get some money for it! Not looking forward to those 12 and a half hour shifts btw! Nice to meet you properly!

You're doing a grand job - keep it up! I did exactly the same with dd since she was weaned. She was never given juice to drink either as I thought it just got her used to drinks with a sweet flavour. She's since occasionally had very diluted juice, and squash at other people's houses, but she's 3.5 now and automatically asks for water or milk when we're at home and when we're out. We went out for lunch yesterday and I had a banana milk shake. She thought ti was milk and had a sip and hated it because it was so sweet! Don't want to sound like a holier-than-thou gloater, though. I used to get wound up by other people's attitudes but I figured it was their problem, not mine or dd's so I don't rise to it now. I have to say it's been a lot easier defending my corner this year since all the Jamie's dinners publicity and the childhood obesity reports were published!

Flossam I think you are doing exavtly the right thing - because it's what you think is right. Other mothers can sometimes see your choices as implied criticisms of theirs when they differ - but that is their problem not yours. I still get looks at toddler group when I go and get ds a drink of water from the kitchen rather than taking the Tesco value orange squash on offer. But he's only just 1. I do now allow dd (3) to have it, and recently I have relented and allowed ds a rich tea biscuit rather than taking my own rice cakes. But when it's just as easy to give a healthy choice rather than an additive laden one, why go for the additive laden one?

I work in ITU in Blackpool,20 hours a week over 2 days. This suits me great although the long day is a killer and i miss ds dreadfully.Since i had ds i feel that my heart just isnt in it any more and i just want to be home with him. Still, got a mortgage to pay!
What do you think of the adgenda for change pay scales?
Im an E grade and we are arguing our corner at the moment because of our extended role and additional responsibilities we feel that our scale is completely inadequate.
I think that nailpolish works in HDU (renal) doesnt she, not sure where though.
It sounds like we have got loads in common!
Lovely to speak to you again.
Oh and good luck with the back to work thing its not easy.

Hi again DB! Yes I'll probably be working a similar pattern to you. Hoping that if I get sufficient work one shift can be with Mayfair for the extra cash. Am feeling better about the idea all the time, BF only evening and morning now so that shouldn't be a problem. Just hoping DP will manage ok! Might do nights to start with to give him a fighting chance. He's a police officer and his shifts are similar to ours, but they do 4 or 5 in a row so have 4 or 5 days off in a row, which should hopefully give me enough time to work and see him sometimes! How old is your DS?

Thanks Prufrock, seems more people than I thought are coming from the same idea!

Flossam, haven't read the whole of the thread. It's your right to decide what you give your child. Fwiw I avoided sugary things for ds as he was a fussy eater, let him have them after he was about 1. My MIL regarded sugar as the enemy, and my ds and his siblings weren't allowed it at all, with the result that they all now crave sugar and sweet things - it's different I know for babies, but something worth bearing in mind.

TS, me too! I plan to be a bit less heavy handed when DS is older. I was let loose on chocolate and sweets and boy did I ever!

Flossam I did the same when weaning dst three years ago. The only sugar they had was whatever was in the fruit I mashed for them or in juices which I watered down.

They have perfect teeth and even though now they do get sweeties and the such they would choose a packet of raisins over a sweetie and I am convinced it was because of how I started off weaning them. I didn't give them anything sweet orientated other than the occasional bit of proper chocolate until they were about 18 months old.

Even now I am careful on what they eat, not overly strict but I do make sure that sweeties are a treat and not part of their everyday diet.

It isn't your friend who is raising your ds, do what I did and just turn a deaf ear on your doubters.