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Weaning

Find weaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Weaning forum. Use our child development calendar for more information.

Original poster

BLW - foods like shepherd's pie with their fingers. Really? I mean REALLY?!

165 replies

Tinkjon · 17/06/2008 23:16

I know, I know, you can all chorus "it's messy - deal with it!" at me in unison... But I am just [shudder emoticon] at the thought!!

OP posts:
SmugColditz · 17/06/2008 23:17

I spoon fed that bit and let him BLW the veg!

sushistar · 17/06/2008 23:19

Yes, I'm a half-hearted blweaner - finger foods at every meal, but spoon feed the really mushy stuff. It was the porridge incident which made me sacrifice my idealised views of parenting to a tomee tipee spoon set.

TinkerbellesMum · 18/06/2008 00:22

I never spoon fed Tink but we also tried to keep our food to things she could eat. Actually you would be surprised by how well they can manage things! If there's anything that really can't be done on their own, then I don't see that it is important enough to get into them before they can.

A messy baby is a happy baby and it helps them to develop healthy attitudes towards food.

Actually, I'm spoon feeding now more than I ever did, but I think that's because she is more competent with cutlery and not getting it in as quick as she would like so gets me to help.

S1ur · 18/06/2008 00:30

Blardy children of mine only eat mash with their fingers despite me providing forks, spoons and them being over 18months. pah. Children really are messy things in my home. D'ya reckon I can bill some prominent BLWer cleaning bills, hmm Aitch?

AitchTwoCiao · 18/06/2008 01:10

i really, really loathe shepherd's pie so i'm taking a pass on this as i never tried dd with it. in fact, i hate all that mooshy food, even to the extent of not enjoying blended soups. i've previously speculated that this is why i found the idea of BLW so attractive.

nappyaddict · 18/06/2008 02:33

yep and spag bol and yoghurt!!

twentypence · 18/06/2008 03:47

Ds is 5 and would still eat Shepherds pie with his fingers if not reminded!

UnderRated · 18/06/2008 04:08

Don't all children want to eat everything with their fingers? Is it really just mine who would prefer to eat quinoa and couscous with his hands?

Original poster
Tinkjon · 18/06/2008 10:46

nappyaddict, ewwwww on yoghurt with fingers! DS loves to do that and I let him for a minute or two and then I can't bear it any more

Underrated, yes I think all kids love to eat with their fingers - mine certainly does. I wasn't querying whether he was capable, he'd eat like that all the time if I let him, I just can't see how parents can cope with the horror I probably wouldn't mind as much if he didn't have so much hair - I can't wash his hair 3 times a day after every meal! And also if I found a bib which actually worked - he has 2 bibs (a full-sleeve plastic one and a pelican one) and a teatowel across his legs but he still gets it all in his clothes and the poor washing machine can't cope with any more tomato stains!

OP posts:
Piffle · 18/06/2008 10:49

I cook chunky dry stuff mainly. Ds2 adores spag bol and to my shame I help him use a spoon. He is 15mths and happy to have help with that and yoghurt.
but nothing else. So weetabix is OFF the menu sadly!

PerkinWarbeck · 18/06/2008 10:49

actually, my 15 mo DD is now quite adept at mushy food like curry and shepherd's pie with fingers, and there really is very little mess.

the strong-willed one will not countenance spoon feeding at all at the moment, and won't even pick up one herself. yoghurt and dips are the only things that lead to chaos.

cmotdibbler · 18/06/2008 10:51

Yup. You'd be amazed what you can eat off your fingers if you try

ZoeC · 18/06/2008 10:52

Dd1 used to eat yoghurt by shoving her hand into the pot then licking whatever stuck off her hand

SheherazadetheGoat · 18/06/2008 10:55

i like the principle behind blw but i think it is crazy to expect an 8 month old to feed themselves the whole time. dd loved soup was i supposed to wait until she could handle a spoon? do abit of both.

Zeeky · 18/06/2008 10:56

Tinkjon - I know what you mean about the mess. DS also has a lot of hair, and likes to wipe his hands in it if I'm not quick enough with a cloth! ALso use the double bib system, but still the food gets everywhere! Why are there SOOOOO many crevices on a highchair that food can get into????

Are there any bibs on the market that combine both sleeves and the pelican scoop bit?

With mushy food, Ds seems to just like to play with it rather than try and get it in his mouth, which means I am then loathed to let him do it. I'd be a bit happier about the mess if I thought he was actually eating some of the food in the process.

ZoeC · 18/06/2008 10:57

I didn't get a choice, didn't blw, hadn't even heard of it, but dd1 flat refused to let me feed her by 8 months so I abandoned it and left her to it after that.

littleboyblue · 18/06/2008 11:00

Oh, so I'm supposed to just let him pick at mash and stuff like that? Ok. I normally spoon feed him and give fruit and veg as finger foods.
So just put a portion of shepherds pie on the tray and leave him to it?

Piffle · 18/06/2008 11:04

tray? How very sophisticated! Lol
ds gets his plonked straight on the table as he prefers to hurl plates and bowls in a highly athletically commendable fashion, a frisbee throw if you will.
while I'm keen on conceptual and abstract art, I draw the line at food spatter patterns.

cmotdibbler · 18/06/2008 11:11

Strip child. Plonk in high chair. Dispense food onto flat surface, or fight with them over your plate. Strew cutlery around as you like.

DS is 2, and quite capable of using knife,fork, spoon, childrens chopsticks. He also likes to pretend to be a cat and lick jelly out of a pot, or that he's a horse eating salad with no hands.

He could put a loaded spoon in his mouth at 7 months old, so soup wasn't a problem.

Zeeky · 18/06/2008 11:12

Piffle - I think littleboyblue means the tray of the highchair?

ROFL at the mental image of 10mo sitting with a tray on his lap in front of the telly!!!

castille · 18/06/2008 11:17

Sheherezade - agree. I liked the idea of BLW but I lost patience when it meant leaving so many things off the menu (porridge, fish pie, yoghurt, soup etc) or on the walls

I decided that spoon where necessary + finger food was a whole lot less faff.

ChukkyPig · 18/06/2008 11:18

I am in the bit of both camp as well. I think it depends whether you have anywhere to feed which isn't carpeted!

Weetabix, mash etc spoon fed. Everything else she eats herself. Usually she is only spoon fed her breakfast, lunch and supper she manages herself.

Personally I wouldn't want her throwing shepherds pie all over the carpet!

However, at 11 mo now she really wants to have a try with her spoon. So when it is warm I am taking her highchair into the garden and she can make a right mess out there!

littleboyblue · 18/06/2008 11:19

Hahaha, you lot are funny! I did mean the tray to the highchair. That's really made me laugh!
cmotdibbler My ds (10m) can't get spoon into his mouth. Is this really bad? Should I be letting him do more of this now? I thought it was a bit early?

AitchTwoCiao · 18/06/2008 11:21

dd ate fish pie no problem, and chunky soups are easy-peasy. blended ones make me heave but i think that many people let their kids dip bread in it and suck it off. porridge not a problem at all, you just cook it a bit longer and it stickies up.

littleboyblue · 18/06/2008 11:25

I'm sorry to go on, but just so I'm clear on this....
If I wanted to give ds, lets say, fishfingers, mash potato, broccoli and carrots for dinner, I just put it all down and let him pick? No mashing together with beans or anything and no spoon feed?
Although he i used to spoon feeding, maybe I could half and half the meal?

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