I don’t want my baby to be eating rubbish so quickly, why am I being made out to be the wicked witch of the west!

[user1494270143]

Hi,

I am just in need of a little rant. My ex’s family always seem to criticise every little thing about me and my son. Stuff that just doesn’t need to be said and I just bite my tongue most of the time. However I got annoyed yesterday as I’ve just started weaning my 6 month old last week and started with veg before moving onto fruit too. I don’t want to give him chocolate and sweet stuff so soon when there’s no real need for that yet. However when I took my son over yesterday they were trying to give him chocolate and kept pressuring me about it. I simply said I didn’t want him to have it yet and I then just got a load of shit basically because I said no.

It really wound me up because he’s my baby and I’m doing what I think is best. I will let him have chocolate of course but I don’t see the need yet. There’s no need to look at me like I’m an alien because I’m not ramming sugar down my 6 month olds throat 😅 He is eating his veg and fruit well but I’m just stressed now about going over when they think it’s appropriate to hound me about what they can give him to eat!!! I don’t even know how I go about it in a nice manner because they just don’t listen to what I have to say!

I feel better now after that rant 😂😂😂

Honestly u r doing the best not giving them sugar like chocolate! I find that weird. Children need to start healthy eating , my little girl 18 months hasn't had chocolate yet!

They're idiots op , of course you want your baby to try healthy foods before he's allowed junk food!

I wouldn't bother being polite with them and please don't leave them alone with your baby.

My baby didn’t have any intolerances, but I still made a massive song and dance about introducing one food group at a time, for exactly this reason. Ooh - exciting, it’s wheat week! I also had dairy week, fish week, meat week, etc etc. People gave this a surprising amount of respect.

I know just how you feel. When you’re pregnant you have everybody tutting about every little thing you do or don’t eat or drink, then as soon as the baby’s born you’re a cruel mother for not giving them whatever other people deem suitable!

The clue is the ex I expect - they are idiots. I tried to avoid chocolate until at least 2, more success with the first dc than the second. Appalling anyone would try and give chocolate to an under one year old!

Why would anyone want to give chocolate to a six month old. My children were at least two before they had chocolate. They had no idea they were missing out on anything and were perfectly happy with fruit!

Yeah I was going to say it’d be a long time before they had my dc on their own if I couldn’t trust them to respect my wishes.

I'm pretty relaxed about what food my children eat now but I think you are right, chocolate for a 6 month old baby is just not necessary.
However, I think we all have these annoying relatives who seem to think its ok to ignore the mums "modern" (correct) ideas.
Last Christmas my FIL gave all my kids a massive bag of Haribo each about an hour before the meal and then complained they didn't eat much
You are right but there's no point getting into a row, just make sure he's getting his veggies the rest of the time!!

I was fairly relaxed with my dc.

Thinkthey had first chocolate pudding type thing and 9/10 months - though not regularly and first chocolate buttons about 14/15 months?

Honestly they seem pretty bonkers.

I completely agree with you with regards to chocolate. I am the same with unhealthy , crappy processed foods and my DS won't be having refined sugars any time soon. He doesn't need them or know what they are or what he's missing as people keep telling me.."oohh he's missing out, that's cruel" no it's not idiot, he knows no different.
They sound stupid, you should just keep enforcing what's best for your baby as long as possible and wherever you can control. You sound like a great mum, good luck .

They're being stupid OP. You're right; there's no need for him to have sugar or chocolate at all. I have to be hard on this as well as my DS is 9 months old and by that stage my MiL was giving her two granddaughters chocolate buttons and gingerbread men. I'm adamant that I don't want him eating that crap until he's much older. Kids don't want bad foods until they know about them and then when they do know about them they don't want the healthier stuff. With attitudes like your ex's family is it any wonder childhood obesity figures are at their highest yet??

You are doing the right thing, don't give in! Trying to manage children's diets gets harder with age I imagine (I have a 1 yo), so I agree, give them the healthiest diet and best start you can, while you can - plenty of time for chocolate and arguing with them about junk food and eating more vegetables in the future!

Maybe with family, you can practice a reasoned argument if you think you can change their minds, or at least get them to respect your parenting. Or if you think there is no chance of that, come up with a few short phrases to use, like "we are very happy with lo's diet" etc, and just repeat them until your family lose interest in badgering you.

Thanks ladies. At least I’m not the only one!! Honestly the way they were going on about it you’d think I was doing something really evil. Comments like “he’s a little boy of course he wants chocolate” urm no he doesn’t now please shut up. And then they were turning it into a joke afterwards and almost mocking me because I said I’d just been giving him fruit and veg that I had done myself! I honestly couldn’t believe it.

Exactly he has no idea what he’s missing out on! No way would I trust them to look after my son on his own especially with how they were searching the fridge to give him something. His cousin was eating a protein yoghurt and without asking me just started giving him it off of HER SPOON! I was absolutely fuming. Safe to say I left as soon as that happened 😡

I’m pretty relaxed over my children’s diets, but my 9 month old does not eat chocolate. In fact my 3 year old hardly has it, and he loves it. Baby might have had the odd fishfinger which eldest wouldn’t have tried until he was over one, and I’ve got there too late to see her pick up a raisin from the floor and eat it, but I see no need to deliberately give a baby chocolate and sweets. They’ve got their whole life to eat them

@user1494270143 Did you say something about that?!

Are you being too nice about it?

I started off like that. I was really nice and explained all about how I was giving baby just fruits and veg etc.

I soon found that when I allowed it to be a discussion, people argued against me.

No I just say no, he isn't having it. If they continue to argue, just keep saying no, and be blunt about it.

You don't need to justify or explain yourself. It is rude for them to try to undermine your parenting, so don't be afraid to be rude in response. Your baby, your rules.

My 6yo son has 2 cavities - they are in baby teeth so hopefully can be kept under control under they fall out by themselves, but if not they will have to be removed or filled. I was quite strict with chocolate etc but I did let it go when MIL fed him sweets; I wish I'd been stricter. Stick to your guns. There's no need for a 6 month old to have chocolate.

When my DS was a baby his paternal DGF gave him a chocolate biscuit and I was so, so pissed off. He couldn’t understand why, I just think times have majorly changed (for the better). You’re doing the right thing OP.

What about telling them you want it to be a special treat for his 1st birthday or something? You are correct btw. Pick your baby up and walk out if they push it.

Is your ex there, or are you just taking your DS to see the extended family?

I just wouldn't bother to see them for a while if your ex isn't there.

My partners nan gave my DS an Easter egg at 4 months old and has proceeded to buy him chocolate bars since pressuring me to give him some.
I took him to a bbq the other day and took him a snack of some cucumbers/strawberries and I got the comment 'Oh god so healthy nowadays' 😂😂

My mum did this. When I left the room gave him chocolate buttons to which he had an allergic reaction to. That was fun. I've asked her not to feed him anything I don't provide in case of a reaction again

Omg what are people like these Days! I feel like I am being stern about it and saying no, but things are awkward too as my baby’s father doesn’t see his son (his choice. He’s a moron) so I take my son over to see him. You’d think they would pussy foot around me in a way but I just feel like they’re taking the mick out of me! 😩

Take my son over to see them his family

My sister in law is exactly the same. I just smile and ignore what she's saying.