I thought weaning my child from formula to cow’s milk was tough. Nothing prepared me for the tears and tantrums, that would occur, with the introduction of solid foods. Oh the tears I have cried. I’m surprised I still have teeth left, considering the amount of time, I grind and grit them every day.
‘And even though a cookie may seem like the perfect reward for a job well done, it’s better to offer a high-five or fist bump instead.’
Said no real parent ever!
The transition to solid food has 4 stages:
Pureed Foods
The first stage. Some folk prepare, batch cook and blend from scratch. Others purchase a selection of pre prepared pouches and jars. Every road leads to the same destination eventually. First few weeks are a hazy mess of spitting, gagging and OH MY GOD! SHE’S CHOKING! Interesting nappies too.
Chunky Foods
Similar meals, with roughly chopped and mashed pieces, for your little tot to chew. Cue more spitting, gagging and OH MY GOD! SHE’S CHOKING! I have lost count of how many times, I have dropped everything during a meal time, ripped open the high chair to flap into first aid mode. It’s horrible. The interesting nappies are now just plain vile.
Finger Foods
Carrot and cucumber sticks, fruit, chunks of cheese, toast, crackers, dried cereal. Whatever fits in their little fist for independent chomping. My daughter likes this option. It gives her the freedom, to shovel food into her mouth or throw it across the kitchen. The latter happens daily.
Altogether Foods
They eat what and when you do. All eating together family style. Same food at the same time. Lovely.
We are fast approaching the 18 month mark and I am definitely fucking it all up. I feel like a failure everyday. My daughter will eat dry cereal only, unless I give her baby porridge. The comments I get from mums when I tell them she still has that. “Really? In-te-resting!”. It’s really not, it’s infuriating and expensive so please keep your eye rolling to yourself!
What she eats one day, she won’t eat the next. She hates fruit and veg and anything wet. She manages yoghurts and the occasional smoothie but that’s it. She has now mastered the word No. I get that alot, together with her little hand in my face. Charming.
Feeding herself is way off. Spoons are drumsticks and bowls are frisbees in my house. I’m trying to make light of all this but this battle 3 times a day is hard.
I research a lot and ask others but at the end of the day, my child eats what she eats. I would love her to be chomping on cucumber sticks and hummus. Maybe some scrambled egg on wholemeal toast. A stuffed pepper with rice but it just ain’t happening. I can’t even interest her in a Dairylea triangle! Today I gave her a chicken nugget. Desperate times call for desperate measures and all that. She threw it on the floor. Yoghurt it is then.
When my child eventually settles down and enjoys a more varied diet, I will be so relieved and proud. I will be happy that she is getting all her nourishment from her food.
Giving her a high five or a bloody fist bump however…er no. High fiving children or anyone for that matter makes me cringe. It’s like the ‘super cool’ dad trying too hard to impress a teenager or the mum who wants her kids friends to like her. Just stop it. Stop it right now or I will get my daughter to throw nuggets at you!