Diet Of A 1 Yr Old.

[Smowball]

Morning everybody : )

I just thought I would ask re the above as I visited my teenage son and his (ex) to see their baby(my 1st grandchild) last week to deliver birthday presents for this week. Maybe I'm out of touch but I was a bit shocked by what she was being fed. Before I took baby,mum,my son and I out for lunch(son had to go bk to work) I asked her what baby was eating these days. " Anything and everything". " Everything??". " Yep she has exactly what I have." "
Fast forward to lunch.Mum is just about to order proper lasagne - for the baby - when I gently pointed out that they did rosy posy pasta for 10 months plus, so she ordered that, but still proceeded to feed baby with constant mouthfuls of her own meal which was -garlic doughballs,chips,burger,cheese,and full fat coke, which she sucked up into a straw and then dribbled into babys mouth. I was pretty shocked at this point, but didnt want to spoil a nice day and get told " Its not your child".

On dropping them home she asked if i could sit with baby whilst she nipped to corner shop, she then returned with a few bits - and unwrapped a whole Milky Way and gave it to the baby in her babywalker - a whole one!

Now I dont want to cause a row but surely she shouldnt be eating all of this? The salt? the sugar?

Any thoughts??

[murraymints]

Agree smow....maybe quiet word with the dad is in order ?

[Smowball]

Its a toughie isnt it?

[murraymints]

Not doing the child any favours is she....doesn't she have a mother that could advise her ? Might take it from own mum....do you know her mum...? A wee word there maybe ?

[B00]

I think she's doing fine.

In day gone by, there was none of this "especially for toddlers" type food. Children ate what the adult did, or did without! As long as the child's diet includes things which are considered healthy for everyone and everything in moderation, i fail to see the harm.

[Smowball]

Its just that the baby seems to already be starting to be heavier than she should,and she suffers from constipation..
I dont know her mother,Ive only met her twice and she doesnt seem that approachable. Maybe a chat with dad then.....

[yogasun]

Just off to work Smow but just to say it's so difficult not to say anything!
I am so lucky, my grandchild is now 20 months and D I L is as 'perfect' (is such a thing?) a mum as I could imagine. She has fed her daughter exactly as I would, breast fed for a year nearly and introduced foods as per 'the book' Prepared own meals and gave small portions to little one. Avoiding salty and sugary foods, etc. It's how I fed my sons more or less.
Only thing I had to bite my tongue over was that I thought she gave finger foods a little early and I worried about the size of the pieces (paranoid about choking!!) but everything's fine and I'm sure your grand child will be fine. Maybe we worry too much! xx

[murraymints]

Boo....sugary drinks...sweets...fast food muck ?? No no no....give them what you eat by all means as long as it's not this junk....home made soups..stews..pureed veggies....mashed fish etc etc...not big Mac and coke !!!

[B00]

"Maybe a chat with dad then....."

Don't get involved!

You chat to him, he'll mention it to mum, they've both fallen out with you.

[B00]

MM- who's to say the child has these types of food all the time? I read the OP as they'd gone out to lunch, hence eating foods you wouldn't normally eat at home.

As for a Milky Way as a treat, again, i might be the worlds worst mum but i fail to see the harm in that either.

[Smowball]

Its difficult, though I do see your point about potentially falling out with both of them which I dont want to do.

[Anngel]

A whole Milky Way does sound a bit excessive. Maybe you could buy some specific baby treats? They have some nice fruit based bars which would help with the constipation as well. I suspect actually getting involved and criticizing would only irritate Mum and not achieve what you hope. As for feeding baby adult food...no harm in this, although you are right there does tend to be more sugar and salt. But I think you are being naive to think that the "child" version in the restaurant is any better.

[bednobs]

as you know, little 'nobs is the same age (just turned one) As regards to what they "can" eat, by about 1 anything goes except peanuts and (i think) unpastuerised cheeses. babies are all different in what they can physically manage to chew at that age (i am still spoon feeding her and things are still quite mushy - she doesn't have any teeth yet)
As to what they "should" eat, well who can say. I would like to give my baby a good start to healthy eating (that i never had), so she has always had either the food i've cooked especially for her, or if we are out or for convenience, one of those pouches you get. Poor little love has never had chocolate, and has only ever drunk water or milk (or for a brief spell last week, diaoralyte!).
as an example, today she's had porridge for brekkie, and i sent her to nursery with home made salmon and corn chowder, a yoghurt and some bread and butter plud breadsticks. When she comes home tonight she'll have home made chicken curry. We are just starting to introduce her to family foods (i made a shepherd's pie the other night and did a mini one for her, but used baby stock in the mince (less salty). TBH i wouldn't giver her that food you described, but who is to say i'm right and she's wrong? At the end of the day, they are her parents and it's up to them i suppose. i don't think it's all that helpful to talk to them, it seems unlikely they'll change. The good thing about giving them a varied diet (IMO) is that they'll be much less fussy. Phoebe has never rejected anything (yet)

[Smowball]

Think its maybe just the 'new nanny' in me worrying. Mum did say she gives baby chocolate all the time but I guess she isnt my child. I wont say anything, maybe if and when baby starts to really put on weight then mum may have a re-think.

[bednobs]

it's tricky though cause bythat time, it'll be ingrained and difficult to change. Babies at that age often look podgy - when she starts running around it might well change. How much does she weigh? p is about 18 pounds, but she's small for her age, having been born so early

[Sqad]

\\\" Anything and everything". " Everything??". " Yep she has exactly what I have." \\\

Quite correct."

[daisya]

IMHO sounds like a recipe for hyperactivity as your grandchild gets older. The rubbish in processed food nowadays (again in my opinion) can be very bad for us let alone children. I know today's society is totally different and brought up on a lot of "junk food" so probably don't know what is good and what isn't. Just a shame that it's happened this way because some children don't even get to taste real food as in fresh veg and fruit and a home cooked dinner. I know what I'd be saying to my son if I had experienced what you did Smow, though I realise it's not always possible to do the right thing with it being a difficult decision. Best of luck and more so for your grandchild.

[Ratty2E]

I agree that babies should be eating as far as possible th same food as the parents but that is assuming the parents eat a healthy diet. If the parents live on macD then I think the kids would be better off on Heinz jars. I do see things all the time with the little uns around me that make me wince. But if my opinion hasn't been asked for then it's not likely to be well received in my experience.

[tamborine]

Changing babe after adult & curry feed needs a gas mask. Chocs would keep bowels moving; glad mums use disposables.

My gkids were reared on plain, bland pasta & now only eat KFC :(

[Sharingan]

All of my younger siblings eat exactly what the adults do by that age, and apparently we did too. We're all healthy and happy ( except me, I have diabetes type 1), no rotten teeth or obesity and are fit and well. I can't see she's doing anything wrong to be honest and I'd be very annoyed if I were her if you had a 'quiet word' with either me or my partner, so I'd tread carefully, it might not be well recieved. xx

[Smowball]

Hi Sharingan, is your school still on holidays ?