I think unless you follow the family with kids all day etc then you can't be sure how to judge tbh. Not everything is as it seems. I had 2 woman giving me funny looks bcoz my daughter was feeding herself breadsticks and rice cakes when we last went out for lunch. Their reasons - because shes small. So the fact that she's been finger feeding since 6mths now 13mths. Only thing shes ever choked on is puree, didn't come into - no because they took everything at face value. (this was 2months ago)
My dd is a fussy eater. She wouldn't take a spoon for till she was 8/9mths, and saw finger food veg and fruit only as something to play with. She has no chocolate or crisps, but whatever she eats I'm grateful for, because shes small/slightly under weight.
You can't please everyone, and I'm not saying anyone is forcing anything (like ideas etc) on any one. But as long as the people that offend you in whatever way aren't trying to go against your feelings (ie offers your los something you don't want them to have) I don't see the problem. For example, What I believe and how I put things to others is different. I'm a veggie, but dd eats meat (loves it) that'll be a choice for her when she's older not mine. x
[Modified by: hayls on September 10, 2008 02:44 PM]
oh calm down! as soon as somebody has an oppinion on this website theres always somebody getting upset. i thought it might start a "healthy debate" not somebody getting their sniper rifle out at me.
we all judge other people at some time or other lets not pretend we're all 24/7 "dont judge a book by its cover" believers. i do think covers say a lot actually.....
sick of people getting upset if people chuck in something a bit controversial.
i havent offended anybody actually, its pretty obvious that everybody who replied couldnt give a toss what anybody else thinks of them - and rightly so! nothing i can say on this sight is guna make somebody feel bad about the way they bring up their little one.
i could say people are making me feel bad because i DONT feed evie crap as treats. lol.
I'm going to completely sit on the fence and agree with everyone lol! My 11 year old loves sweets and junk food and I've only myself to blame, I would love to break her habits (eg expecting something sweet after dinner everytime - when I was young pudding was a once a month treat!), but my oh loves junk food and while he has it, she'll have it. I'm hoping to instil healthy eating in Nathan by encouraging healthy treats, and like you said if they have never had junk then he wont crave it. But, I think I'll have a weak moment and give him quavers at some stage!
I went to parenting classes when I had Lauren and was really surprised when one of the other mums said she "has" to give her (overweight) son bacon sarnies everyday for breakfast as he dosen't like cereal. I think this is so similar to the dosen't like fruit excuse. There are so many cereals I cant believe he can dislike them all, and even though they are banned in my house even coco pops would have been better than a dripping bacon sarnie everyday!
Lily is 16 months now and I give her the organix crisps with her lunch a few times a week but she doesn't eat choc unless I am (I usually wait til she's in bed cos I don't like sharing it lol!)
I personally don't like seeing kids in pushchairs eating greggs sausage rolls...partly because I'm thinking of all the pastry going everywhere and making the buggy all gungy and gross! I wouldn't let my kids have the ready made pasties, only cos the meat is prob stuff that's been scraped off the floor and the pastry is so salty.
I did think I wouldn't let Lily have any junk food until she was old enough to ask for it...but as mym mum pointed out if I'm happy to give her a jam sarnie than why not the odd biccy? There's prob less sugar in the biccy!
I don't feel guilty for letting her have the odd crisp or taste of cake or choc because she has a balanced diet.
Wouldn't give quavers purely because they make me wanna throw up!
D'you know what happened to me once on Greggs? I went in and got my uaual cheese salad sandwich (yes im that wild) and I saw all the sweet treats and though mmmmmm ill have a flake cake. Well, I got back to work and the dosy woman had given me a steak bake...nothing like a flake cake luckily I saw the funny side!
Anyway, Joshua is 15 months old and has tried choc buttons but he was a complete so in so afterwards so hasnt had them since! The main treats that Joshua has is anything from the organix range, fruit or homemade organic muffins.
If were out in town and its lunch time we usually go to m&s and he has a child box which has a sandwhich, raisins, banana etc If he is having dinner at my mum's he usually has sauasage and beans from a tin with toast so its all about balance IMO.
He only drinks water or full fat organic cows milk, he's never had juice cos I think untill he can ask for it what's the point.
My diet isnt the best and I deffo enjoy the odd treat but as an adult I understand the effects naughty treats have on my body and its my decision to eat those foods, at the moment Joshua is too young to make those decsions so its my responsibility to mke sure he eats healthily untill he can understand and make his own decisons.
Lea I cant even tell you how gutted I was, my oh still teases me now and says it could only happen to me...luckily I dont live near a greggs now but I went into the bakers on monday (im not addicted by the way!) and wanted a flake cake and was relieved to see that down in Plymouth their called chocolate boxes so no confusion and just as nice x
I am also having a treat now, of a lovely chilled glass of white wine.
I may get naughty mum of the year award for this but when we have parties (not often, once or twice a year including xmas), we will buy Lauren Ame (sparkling fruit drink). It is the only thing that does make her a bit hyper and silly and we say if we're getting drunk then she ought to be able too as well. She is 11 but probably shouldnt encourage "under age drinking" lol.
I actually think this is quite an interesting debate that no one should get offended by.
MumDonna, if you think thats bad.... I remember being on holiday when I was about 12 having a bbq and my dad gave my brother - who was TWO at the time - a sip of his beer!!!!!! My bro's face was hilarious. He was not impressed. I would never give a 2 year old beer. Maybe when you have 5 children like my dad you get more relaxed...but not that relaxed!
The beer thing is one I've seen a lot actually and it is sooo bad (no offence meant to your dad tigerlily, mine did the same with his 5 lol!). I've had friends who've given it to their kids, strangely babies seem to love the taste but I think not only is it awful for the kids but it looks so bad to other people too but they think its so funny! Why would you do it? (I love guiness now and am sure its an addiction started when I was one year old lol).
Looking back...I'm remembering now...my dad used to give me brandy as well if I was poorly...probably to shut me up! I think he used to mix it with honey & sugar to make it sweet. And cos I was about 7 it was a big novelty to have grown up drinks!
And they wonder why kids are all getting drunk so young these days!!!
My mum and step dad had a nasty row when I was about 10 and I was sent to stay at my Aunties overnight. She is a nurse and gave me a small coke with a big brandy in it. It was so lovely, my 1st experience of real alcohol and I can still remember the warm feeling as it went down. I would probably say that it was the best thing she could have done as it calmed me down and I slept like a baby (although I she had a chamber pot under her bed to use overnight and I hated the thought of using it which kept me awake a bit lol).
A bit off the topic but I suppose it shows that sometimes a bit of something naughty does you the world of good.
When I took MAx to visit my work when he was 4 months someone had bought him milky bar buttons and was outraged when I ate them instead of giving them to him - he wasn't even weaned at that point Bloody idiot!
Anyway he has had his first taste of cake today (he is now 9 months) as one of the others at nursery was having his birthday so they sent a taste of cake home with each of them and I mean a taste!
But basically at the moment he is far more interested in carrot sticks to munch on than crisps etc so that's fine but I am sure I will give them to him within reason etc etc.
My LO is only 10wks, so got a little way to go before solids, but i'm quite keen that Dylan is given a diet of "healthy" foods...i'd much rather him go for a piece of fruit than crisps etc as a snack. I'm prob on my own here, but i can't stand McD's, BK, KFC etc and would much rather make my own burgers & chips I think it is important that children get to try a variety of foods, just perhaps not junk! Otherwise they end up like my BIL & won't try anything & hates certain foods that he's never even tasted (i've managed to train my DH to try diff stuff - lol)!!! Sarah xx
It doesnt bother me what others do with their children but I can see why some peole would be bothered as I think its in our nature to judge and have opinions on what people do.
Were always being told by hv and drs etc that babies should have a healthy diet and how bad junk food is so when you see a baby who doesnt undertsnad the effects unhealthy food has on its body but is being fed that type of food by a person who is responsible for the well being of that child I think its only natural that some people may think its wrong and even get upset over it, maybe even more so when your a parent? Just an idea x
tbh i think if i saw someones kid eating a packet of crisps i wouldnt think about it twice it just goes to show the difference of opinions.
my neice lives on tinned meatballs and yoghurts -LITERALLY nothing else!! oh and ICEPOLES!!! how bad is that!! She wont even eat a cheese sandwich and her mum just dosnt give a crap! Now thats a bad diet!!
I wouldn't give Daisy a pastie but she does have crisps and milky button i'd say one bag of each a week, she dnt have the full bag at a time. She has a wonderful appetite, eats fish meat veg pasta etc anythi an everythin, shes has a healthy varied diet and "junk" in moderation. My perosnal opinion is that if i keep junk away from daisy the first things she will want is crisps chocolate etc, it wont be sometimes then it'll be all the time. I'd just like to say that i don't judge people on what there child is eating i will be honest though and say that i judge on like the state of the pram, dirty child etc....no excuse when u can buy prams and clothes soo cheap. Those things like being clean and well looked after are more importan than a pastie!!
Wow, who would have thought a bag of quavers could cause so much controversy!!
I love reading all these posts and all the veried opinions, I think it is exactly what these forums are made for. Life would be no fun if everyone agreed on everything!
As for the topic in question, I'm afraid I will have to sit on the fence. Whilst I try to give my lo a healthy balanced diet, I know that sometimes they catch you out and you find yourself out in public with a starving, irritable child and nothing to feed them. I can understand in this case that convenience food may be an option and whilst it isn't nutritionally beneficial to them, it will do them no harm and will at least fill their little tums. I have learnt this lesson the hard way and now carry a stash of rice cakes with me wherever I go!!
The general consensus seems to be everything in moderation, and I agree whole heartedly with this.
I totally agree with Sarah_88 on this, a bag of milkybar buttons or quavers a week is fine!
I'll have no qualms about giving Gabe a taste of junk food - my reasoning is, if he sees it as part of a BALANCED diet and not something "naughty", he will want it less when he grows up.
My mum did the whole never feeding me or my sister junk food, we were the healthiest kids ever but a pack of quavers every so often wouldnt have compromised that or made us fat, and it might have made us realise that crisps etc aren't something you only get once a year and then scoff down...
I think most importantly children need to be encouraged to eat until they're full and not past that. I know that sounds really obvious but if you eat until you're full and not eat more then whatever you eat, you wont be fat.
I was always made to finish every last mouthful of my food and I have 2 stone to lose now because of it! I'm still conditioned to think that food left on the plate is bad.
Firstly, I agree it's judgemental and narrow minded to judge somone on 2 minutes of seeing them but I think we've all done it at times.
What I think is more important is teaching your kids about healthy food from an early age. My 6 year old drinks his milk because it contains calcium which he thinks will make his bones strong so he can run faster than his friends in the playground.
It's ok to say your babies only have fruit or rice cakes as snacks but what happens when you're not there? When they go to nursery or school they'll come across it eventually. I'm not saying that's a reason to shovel loads of crap down your kids now but you're in for a disappointment if you think kids will never eat junk because they never had it when they were little. If they know WHY fruit helps them grow and be healthy then they might bear that in mind when making choices as they are older but at the end of the day it's up to them, you can only do so much.
Also we're conned into thinking some things are better for us and it's about looking at the ingredients and making a choice. Tinned pasta aimed at children with lower salt has more salt than other brands! (Crosse and Blackwell is best) Fruit Flakes (and yes mine have had them!) are FULL of sugar. There's nothing wrong with older babies having baby crisps (they don't rot their teeth or give them a sugar rush for starters) as long as you choose carefully...maize, oil, cheese or onion powder....that's all some of them have in them. It's the MSG that can be harmful (Pom-Bear crisps don't have it in). Also Milky Bar buttons have all natural ingredients compared to Cadbury ones. My son loves his fruit over chocolate and I encouraged a healthy diet and as a result once he started walking his weight fell and he's now underweight, children need fat and calories when they are on the move. What they don't need is salt and additives.
My son is 16 months and will have the edge of the pastry from a sausage roll (the meat I agree is rank though) and that's because he's underweight and needs the extra calories on top of his healthy dinner. He'll also have a scallop from the chippie once or twice a week for the same reasons and because it only really contains potato and batter. I don't care what people think about that and if someone was tut tutting at me over that I'd tell them where to shove their opinions
I'll tell you what does drive me mad though......2 or 3 year olds with cold tea in bottles :evil:
Replies
I think unless you follow the family with kids all day etc then you can't be sure how to judge tbh. Not everything is as it seems. I had 2 woman giving me funny looks bcoz my daughter was feeding herself breadsticks and rice cakes when we last went out for lunch. Their reasons - because shes small. So the fact that she's been finger feeding since 6mths now 13mths. Only thing shes ever choked on is puree, didn't come into - no because they took everything at face value. (this was 2months ago)
My dd is a fussy eater. She wouldn't take a spoon for till she was 8/9mths, and saw finger food veg and fruit only as something to play with. She has no chocolate or crisps, but whatever she eats I'm grateful for, because shes small/slightly under weight.
You can't please everyone, and I'm not saying anyone is forcing anything (like ideas etc) on any one. But as long as the people that offend you in whatever way aren't trying to go against your feelings (ie offers your los something you don't want them to have) I don't see the problem. For example, What I believe and how I put things to others is different. I'm a veggie, but dd eats meat (loves it) that'll be a choice for her when she's older not mine. x
[Modified by: hayls on September 10, 2008 02:44 PM]
we all judge other people at some time or other lets not pretend we're all 24/7 "dont judge a book by its cover" believers. i do think covers say a lot actually.....
sick of people getting upset if people chuck in something a bit controversial.
i havent offended anybody actually, its pretty obvious that everybody who replied couldnt give a toss what anybody else thinks of them - and rightly so! nothing i can say on this sight is guna make somebody feel bad about the way they bring up their little one.
i could say people are making me feel bad because i DONT feed evie crap as treats. lol.
My 11 year old loves sweets and junk food and I've only myself to blame, I would love to break her habits (eg expecting something sweet after dinner everytime - when I was young pudding was a once a month treat!), but my oh loves junk food and while he has it, she'll have it.
I'm hoping to instil healthy eating in Nathan by encouraging healthy treats, and like you said if they have never had junk then he wont crave it. But, I think I'll have a weak moment and give him quavers at some stage!
I went to parenting classes when I had Lauren and was really surprised when one of the other mums said she "has" to give her (overweight) son bacon sarnies everyday for breakfast as he dosen't like cereal. I think this is so similar to the dosen't like fruit excuse. There are so many cereals I cant believe he can dislike them all, and even though they are banned in my house even coco pops would have been better than a dripping bacon sarnie everyday!
I personally don't like seeing kids in pushchairs eating greggs sausage rolls...partly because I'm thinking of all the pastry going everywhere and making the buggy all gungy and gross! I wouldn't let my kids have the ready made pasties, only cos the meat is prob stuff that's been scraped off the floor and the pastry is so salty.
I did think I wouldn't let Lily have any junk food until she was old enough to ask for it...but as mym mum pointed out if I'm happy to give her a jam sarnie than why not the odd biccy? There's prob less sugar in the biccy!
I don't feel guilty for letting her have the odd crisp or taste of cake or choc because she has a balanced diet.
Wouldn't give quavers purely because they make me wanna throw up!
xxx
Anyway, Joshua is 15 months old and has tried choc buttons but he was a complete so in so afterwards so hasnt had them since! The main treats that Joshua has is anything from the organix range, fruit or homemade organic muffins.
If were out in town and its lunch time we usually go to m&s and he has a child box which has a sandwhich, raisins, banana etc If he is having dinner at my mum's he usually has sauasage and beans from a tin with toast so its all about balance IMO.
He only drinks water or full fat organic cows milk, he's never had juice cos I think untill he can ask for it what's the point.
My diet isnt the best and I deffo enjoy the odd treat but as an adult I understand the effects naughty treats have on my body and its my decision to eat those foods, at the moment Joshua is too young to make those decsions so its my responsibility to mke sure he eats healthily untill he can understand and make his own decisons.
Anyway im off to eat my cream cake
xxx
I may get naughty mum of the year award for this but when we have parties (not often, once or twice a year including xmas), we will buy Lauren Ame (sparkling fruit drink). It is the only thing that does make her a bit hyper and silly and we say if we're getting drunk then she ought to be able too as well. She is 11 but probably shouldnt encourage "under age drinking" lol.
I actually think this is quite an interesting debate that no one should get offended by.
I've had friends who've given it to their kids, strangely babies seem to love the taste but I think not only is it awful for the kids but it looks so bad to other people too but they think its so funny!
Why would you do it?
(I love guiness now and am sure its an addiction started when I was one year old lol).
And they wonder why kids are all getting drunk so young these days!!!
I would probably say that it was the best thing she could have done as it calmed me down and I slept like a baby (although I she had a chamber pot under her bed to use overnight and I hated the thought of using it which kept me awake a bit lol).
A bit off the topic but I suppose it shows that sometimes a bit of something naughty does you the world of good.
When I took MAx to visit my work when he was 4 months someone had bought him milky bar buttons and was outraged when I ate them instead of giving them to him - he wasn't even weaned at that point
Anyway he has had his first taste of cake today (he is now 9 months) as one of the others at nursery was having his birthday so they sent a taste of cake home with each of them and I mean a taste!
But basically at the moment he is far more interested in carrot sticks to munch on than crisps etc so that's fine but I am sure I will give them to him within reason etc etc.
Everything in moderation!
AND YES GREAT TOPIC TO READ EVERYONE'S VIEWS ON!
I'm prob on my own here, but i can't stand McD's, BK, KFC etc and would much rather make my own burgers & chips
I think it is important that children get to try a variety of foods, just perhaps not junk! Otherwise they end up like my BIL & won't try anything & hates certain foods that he's never even tasted (i've managed to train my DH to try diff stuff - lol)!!!
Sarah xx
Were always being told by hv and drs etc that babies should have a healthy diet and how bad junk food is so when you see a baby who doesnt undertsnad the effects unhealthy food has on its body but is being fed that type of food by a person who is responsible for the well being of that child I think its only natural that some people may think its wrong and even get upset over it, maybe even more so when your a parent? Just an idea x
my neice lives on tinned meatballs and yoghurts -LITERALLY nothing else!!
My perosnal opinion is that if i keep junk away from daisy the first things she will want is crisps chocolate etc, it wont be sometimes then it'll be all the time.
I'd just like to say that i don't judge people on what there child is eating i will be honest though and say that i judge on like the state of the pram, dirty child etc....no excuse when u can buy prams and clothes soo cheap. Those things like being clean and well looked after are more importan than a pastie!!
Sarah
mum to daisy..11 months and 19+1
I love reading all these posts and all the veried opinions, I think it is exactly what these forums are made for. Life would be no fun if everyone agreed on everything!
As for the topic in question, I'm afraid I will have to sit on the fence. Whilst I try to give my lo a healthy balanced diet, I know that sometimes they catch you out and you find yourself out in public with a starving, irritable child and nothing to feed them. I can understand in this case that convenience food may be an option and whilst it isn't nutritionally beneficial to them, it will do them no harm and will at least fill their little tums. I have learnt this lesson the hard way and now carry a stash of rice cakes with me wherever I go!!
The general consensus seems to be everything in moderation, and I agree whole heartedly with this.
I'll have no qualms about giving Gabe a taste of junk food - my reasoning is, if he sees it as part of a BALANCED diet and not something "naughty", he will want it less when he grows up.
My mum did the whole never feeding me or my sister junk food, we were the healthiest kids ever but a pack of quavers every so often wouldnt have compromised that or made us fat, and it might have made us realise that crisps etc aren't something you only get once a year and then scoff down...
I think most importantly children need to be encouraged to eat until they're full and not past that. I know that sounds really obvious but if you eat until you're full and not eat more then whatever you eat, you wont be fat.
I was always made to finish every last mouthful of my food and I have 2 stone to lose now because of it! I'm still conditioned to think that food left on the plate is bad.
What I think is more important is teaching your kids about healthy food from an early age. My 6 year old drinks his milk because it contains calcium which he thinks will make his bones strong so he can run faster than his friends in the playground.
It's ok to say your babies only have fruit or rice cakes as snacks but what happens when you're not there? When they go to nursery or school they'll come across it eventually. I'm not saying that's a reason to shovel loads of crap down your kids now but you're in for a disappointment if you think kids will never eat junk because they never had it when they were little. If they know WHY fruit helps them grow and be healthy then they might bear that in mind when making choices as they are older but at the end of the day it's up to them, you can only do so much.
Also we're conned into thinking some things are better for us and it's about looking at the ingredients and making a choice. Tinned pasta aimed at children with lower salt has more salt than other brands! (Crosse and Blackwell is best)
Fruit Flakes (and yes mine have had them!) are FULL of sugar. There's nothing wrong with older babies having baby crisps (they don't rot their teeth or give them a sugar rush for starters) as long as you choose carefully...maize, oil, cheese or onion powder....that's all some of them have in them. It's the MSG that can be harmful (Pom-Bear crisps don't have it in). Also Milky Bar buttons have all natural ingredients compared to Cadbury ones. My son loves his fruit over chocolate and I encouraged a healthy diet and as a result once he started walking his weight fell and he's now underweight, children need fat and calories when they are on the move. What they don't need is salt and additives.
My son is 16 months and will have the edge of the pastry from a sausage roll (the meat I agree is rank though) and that's because he's underweight and needs the extra calories on top of his healthy dinner. He'll also have a scallop from the chippie once or twice a week for the same reasons and because it only really contains potato and batter. I don't care what people think about that and if someone was tut tutting at me over that I'd tell them where to shove their opinions
I'll tell you what does drive me mad though......2 or 3 year olds with cold tea in bottles :evil: