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Why my child is wearing green
Week 2 of “new and interesting” things for Eva to taste. After a few days of loving rice cereal, I started in on the peas. No good. They didn’t even get to her mouth before she was squirming and sputtering. Carrots were tough since they didn’t puree down after steaming but she seemed to like them so the next day I boiled the heck out of those orange buggers until they were mush. They received a total of 4/10 on the “Eva’s Exacting Taste” scale. Apple, however, that ranks a 6, unless it is mixed in cereal when it becomes an 11. But today was avocado day and I’m sorry to report that Princess Eva is no fan of guacamole.
Little People, Big Ears
I learned yesterday that my best friend from residency has breast cancer. This makes my current diatribe on the value of peas versus carrots seem silly, doesn’t it? She found out 2 days ago. She has two little girls, 4 1/2 years and almost 2. It’s early and we don’t know yet the exact staging and what needs to be done, but being doctors, it’s easy to over think the situation and assume the worst. So we had a good long chat on Saturday. Her biggest worry is obviously her children and what to tell them. It got me thinking and I gave her some advice (solicited, for once!) that I think I’ll share with you because it applies whether we are talking about cancer or about the neighbor’s new hair-do.
Peel, chop, steam, puree, spit
Okay, so now that I’ve heard from a few of you about the joys of making your own baby food, I’m going to dig my heels in and say that yes, I know it’s easy, but still, I really wanted to use stuff right from the store. Just to show you that it’s perfectly fine. But cottage pie never was, nor never will be, an appropriate starter food. At least not to a kid with an American passport. So today I spent a few hours cleaning my new baby food maker. Then I did a bunch of peas and a sweet potato and carefully spooned little individual portions into freezer trays, all except the one tiny scoop I kept out for Eva’s afternoon snack. Then I woke my sweet baby girl, smoothed her little cheeks, lovingly placed her bib around her neck and gently offered her a tiny bite of what must be sweet, green heaven. She hated it.
Okay, so I know and I know you know (because I’ve told you) that little kids might need as many as 15 tries at a new food before they will willingly put it in their mouth and actually swallow it. Just because she hates it the first day doesn’t mean that she’ll hate it the second time. I really believe that the dinner table should not be a battleground nor should Mommy be a short-order cook. Therefore, my plan has been (and remains to be) to offer a variety of foods without comment and let my kids eat what they want without making a big fuss about it. Not to point where they only consume ice cream, mind you. But not to care if one week they only eat purple food. They’re kids. They have no power in life. Big people tell them when to get up, what to wear, where to go and when to sleep. If you were 2 and the only place you had any say was at the table, then you’d probably assert a little independence too.
But it still pained me a little when Eva showed such obvious and flagrant disdain for my little bowl of peas. Doesn’t she know that I am just trying to protect her and love her? I’m swallowing the hurt and we’ll try it again tomorrow. And the day after. She’s loving rice cereal, so at least I know it’s a taste issue and not all solids. If after 3 days, she still hates it, we’re on to carrots. And the peas will find their way into a nice minty broad bean puree on toast with a little goat cheese. Because at least one of us has taste.
Basil Baby Food?!?
I could dedicate 6 weeks to the topic of how and what to feed your kid. I will say right now that for the most part, I have stuck to my guns and done with my kids exactly what I’ve been advising others to do for years. Even to the point of making breast milk without being pregnant. (Moderately insane) I’ve been a real stickler about not starting solids until 6 months because that is truly what is beaten into our heads as American pediatricians. To do otherwise is utter sacrilege. Of course, you know I’m not completely rigid so I’ve always said that 6 months to the day is not the point. If it’s a week or 2 on either side, that’s okay. (My next note is going to be about why I’m going to be a sinner with Zoe and start earlier…not the reasons you think, so stay tuned!) The most important thing is that you recognize that baby food and cereal are not the mainstays of a baby’s nutrition and that the point of feeding them is not to get vitamin C into them, but rather teach them how to take something that looks and feels and tastes funny into their mouths, roll it around and swallow it down.
Q. Can I stick Motrin in my kid’s bottle?
Dr. Zibners' Answer:
This is a good one that showed up this week. One fine mom out there wants to know if it is okay to mix the baby’s dose of pain and fever reducer into the milk. I don’t know why a baby would turn up its nose at yummy orange syrup, but apparently this kid isn’t into it. What I will say is that it is still going to work but the baby has to finish the whole bottle or else he won’t get the whole dose. If you are absolutely sure he will, then fine. But I can’t ever guarantee that my kids are going to drink every drop and if he leaves any behind, you won’t know how much he got. So instead, if he’s picky, try putting a little milk in the nipple, then squirting in the medicine when he’s drinking, the quickly pouring a little milk topper in. Once it’s gone, he can finish the rest of his bottle.
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