Do you judge parents who feed their child jars/pouches

[sabrinathethirtysomethingwitch]

Just that really.

And if so, why?

Definitely not if using them when out and about as they are far more convenient in terms of not worrying about temperature etc. Also, some of the fruit pouches are incredibly useful to have in your bag to mix into yoghurts etc and can be purchased for fruits which are otherwise out of season (such as mango) or harder to make at home for other reasons.

If weaning exclusively on them then yes, I like many others, would judge, not because they are particularly unhealthy or bad for children but largely due to cost of them. For the price of one pouch, can make about 8 portions at home and freeze. If someone is making food for the rest of the family (which those with older children will inevitably be doing), it is pretty simple to make some extra, remove a few baby portions before adding salt, blend to desired consistency and freeze. Every meal won't be suitable for this, but a good portion are and that builds up the freezer stash. While pouches and jars do not contain additives or E numbers, they are bulked up with water and savoury ones sweetened with fruit juices which isn't usually added to cooking so children become accustomed to the processed taste which can cause problems as they get older.

OP stick blender is definitely the way forward to save on washing up! I mainly BLW myself but all friends who weaned on purees used a stick blender and then had the Nuby bowl and masher which they took out and about to mash food that had been served in restaurants.

I don't judge do what you need to do and what works for you, but personally I find it easier to do BLW and just feed everyone the same meal

@riddles26 I like the sound of the nuby now and masher! Might have to invest

*bowl

Like many pp I think I would feel a bit judgy sad if a baby was literally only given packet foods. After all its not hard to mash a banana and cheaper than many of the pouches too.

But I use pouches etc out and about, they are really convenient and safe to keep at room temp if unopened. I also use some of the pure fruit purees to stir into porridge or yoghurt, the Aldi and Lidl ones are organic with no nasties, and cheap too. Ella's pouches are too expensive imo!

Yes. And I judge women who breastfeed. And those who bottle feed. And those who use blw. And those who make their own purees. I find it easier to just judge everyone and then no one feels left out. And those who give their little ones chocate and those who don't.

In rarity few people will clock how often you're whipping out a pouch and you can always decant it just before you leave the house if you're really self conscious.

Do what works for you and stuff anyone looking down fro mtbeir moral high ground. That's what karma is for.

No. To be honest, I’m too tired to worry about what other people do.

I always think it's up to them if they have money to waste! When my DD was weaning I recall friends who followed various cook books and spent hours making pureed ice cubes of avocado and spinach etc etc & then moan that little Archie just spat it out.
All I did was offer DD some off my plate of home cooked (no salt) whatever we were having, mashed with a fork if needs be, she sat on my lap and helped herself. Minimal fuss minimal mess and so so easy.
Couldn't be fussed with cooking separately, nor with extra shopping.
Now as a late teen she is one of the least fussy eaters I know. Will try everything.

I would probably be surprised if someone only ever fed jars/pouches and would see it as a symptom of some wider problem, whatever that might be. Whether that's judging or not, I don't know.

I wouldn't care at all what other parents are feeding their babies when out and about etc as a one off, whether it's jars, pouches or homemade food. I will say that where I live in the South East you tend to rarely see jars, pouches are popular as is BLW or homemade purée.

Not at all, because I am absolutely desperate to get DS (14 months) to eat my home cooked food and despite having tried so many different recipes, meal ideas, consistencies, dishes and flavours he refuses to eat anything other than pouches, plain pasta, yogurt and fruit.

I have tried ideas suggested by various health visitors, other mums, baby weaning books - you name it I've tried it. DS is such an easy baby in every other respect but I have found weaning so difficult and demoralising.

I'm not an incredible chef by any means, but I'm not that bad and have a pretty good repertoire of healthy meals that I would love him to eat.

So no, I wouldn't judge at all because sometimes with the best will in the world, life is not that easy.

The only thing I would judge is if the brand of jars is a sugar-added one and if it’s being fed to a baby. Ella’s kitchen ones are good because refined sugar isn’t added (I used them a lot when I was out). Even then I tend to feel more annoyed with the manufacturers for not labelling their food clearly as I know most mums are looking for good healthy options.

i dont give a shiny shit. Im just glad you are feeding your kid

My eldest was weaned on farleys sunshine banana dried mix that you had to add milk or water to and hes 17 now and fit as a fiddle, never gets ill and eats anything. I remember there being points when I was tearing my hair out with each of them that they would only eat this, or only eat that. Every single thing was a case of waiting it out and it passes. It matters not a jot.

For those saying 'how hard is it to mash a banana' or wondering why we don't just feed our children what we're having, what do you suggest we do when they simply won't eat that? When the doctor has told you your child is underweight and that you just need to get food, any food, down them? What are people like @househunthappening and I supposed to do then apart from rely on jars and pouches? As for the expense - it's not nearly as expensive as the amount of home cooked food I've thrown away because my child wouldn't eat it.

Not directly but some of my 'friends' on Facebook will post pictures of their child's 'BLW journey' and say things like 'it's so much better for dear little x to eat like this rather than being force fed muck from a jar' so PA judging basically.

I use the unfollow button pretty liberally on FB.

No - when you have a small child you have to do what you have to do to keep them fed and not go mad yourself. Pouches were amazingly convenient for carrying about until DS could reliably do finger food without getting hangry. Yogurt/banana/rusks were also easy if you want an alternative to carry about.

Not judge but looked on a bit enviously!

DD wouldn’t touch the things. I never gave her any the first few months (she was fed hand prepared, mostly organic food - typical PFB). Then I stockpiled a load to take on holiday (Ella’s pouches so cost a fortune). Tried her with about half a dozen of the things. She hated them all and refused to eat them. First things she ever properly refused. She screamed, she spat, she cried.

After 2 days of holiday I gave up and bought her pizza which of course she loved.

nope, I wish I had used them from the start. I spent bloody hours pureeing various organic veg. DS (2) is a good eater, but a lot of that is down to nursery anyway, I cook at home etc but I don't think me making my own puree made a shred of difference to be honest. Time consuming and stressed me out.

I did when I had my first and went all in with BLW but now with my second I have quite a different attitude. He is mostly spoon fed as he refuses to feed himself at the moment (so much for my plan to have him feeding himself entirely by now...) and jars and pouches are so convenient and expose him to foods I don't usually cook. Especially when we were over in the UK a couple of weeks ago and I saw the range of baby food there - foods from all different cuisines and so many interesting flavours, he ate pouches and jars every day and loved it. Did inspire me to make curry for him now we're home but I know I can't reproduce all the different things he tried there.

I'm not that interested in other people's children to notice. Or care.

I just had a taste throwback to farleys sunshine mix. My baby sister had it and it sneak dry spoonfuls, it was so sweet. Loved it!

I don't judge pouches or jars and they are often handy. I also don't judge blw but a purist approach on it isnt for me. I do think it's a shame that people lack the skill, confidence or ability to make their own food some of the time, because most of the parents I've met who are feeding exclusively ready made are doing it because they want to provide variety and perceive This to be the best way of doing that. For a whole host of reasons it isnt always easy to give them what you're having (my lo doesn't want my tuna subway and I don't want to share it plus it's full of salt) and on the other hand some people don't have freezer space for an array of pureed veg. So long as they are being fed a mostly decent diet I can't get excited about it. Children in this country are going to bed hungry because of poverty. That I care about. That I'm judging

I use them most mights for DS as i just don't have the time to cook every night for him. Where does every single mum who works 48+ hours a week find the time to cook real food. if i gave him my dinner every night he wouldn't have any until past his bedtime so what is the alternative?

However when i was off with him he had home cooked purees etc 24/7

No, I think it's a good idea to get babies used to cold jars and pouches in case of emergencies. I would never have been able to shop in Asda a bus ride away if DS2 hadn't taken a pouch.

I would only ever give the pureed fruit/veg pouches. Anything with meat/fish looks rank and to be avoided tbh.

I'm in the "whatever works for you camp". I only did jars and pouches out and about when desperate but mostly because I didn't like the taste or smell of them. I quite liked the fruit puree ones though, there was a nice apple & apricot one. The 'meal' ones smelt so rank that I couldn't feed them to my child. This was a few years ago though so I imagine they've got better.

Jars all the way for me! There weren’t pouches available then, but if they had been I would have used them.