I once had utopian dreams of what I would feed my future children. I recall a pretty lengthy list of foods I would never, ever feed my kids, too. There were also the parenting and feeding experts* who regularly chimed in to say what age babies should be fed solids and purees, and which foods they should be eating and in which order. Then I actually had a baby, and another one, and another one. And my views on lots of things, baby food included, shifted. I think after having kids my parenting view overall has morphed to the following: if it works for you, your child, and your child’s pediatrician … then keep on rocking! 

 

My three sons have each experienced different eating journeys. My first son enjoyed puréed organic fruits and veggies mixed with freshly expressed breast milk on the exact day he turned 6 months. But before I could break out my blender and ice cube tray to make baby food for my second son, he stole oyster crackers from his big brother. When I saw him happily chowing down on crackers, I knew he would be a good candidate for baby led weaning, so we offered him small bites of meatballs (his favorite back then), fruit, and whatever else we happened to be eating. Baby #3 has always been on the smaller end of the growth chart, so his pediatrician recommended adding cereal to his diet around 5 months. I also bought sweet potatoes with every intention of baking, and blending them to feed to baby … but … life happened and I never got around to that task. Jarred foods and breast milk made up his diet until 6 months, when he too became a food scavenger, stealing his older brothers goldfish, and consistently having his hand in my dinner plate. He has proved to be my most adventurous eater, eating anything I give him (with the exception of bananas, he gets that from me). Whatever you choose to feed your baby, whatever your journey is — fed is best! 

 

Whether it’s purees or tiny bites, introducing new foods to your toddler is an exciting experience. Hearing them say “mmmmm” happily, or even sticking their tongue out in disgust is somehow adorable. But feeding time can easily turn into clean-up time with one flip of your toddler’s plate. I can recall a time when squash was flung across the table, and my walls were splattered like a Jackson Pollock. Not a good look. I recently discovered a great child product line, BB Lüv, that sells my favorite baby suction plates- which means no more abstract baby food art on my walls! The Miäm plates attach to any table, and have a silicon spoon that baby can use to feed themselves (or attempt to feed themselves! Ha!). The Platö has a compartment for warm water, which keeps food warm throughout the entire feeding! And I feel like the Döse was made just for my family! The Döse is a stackable storage container with 3 compartments. It is easy to throw into my bag wherever we are going, so none of my kids end up hangry. Hangriness is the #1 cause of meltdowns in my household, followed by sleepiness. With the Döse each of my kids gets their own 4oz. snack container to keep the hangriness at bay… because of course we cannot agree on one snack to share! I’d definitely recommend trying the line out at www.bbluvgroup.com, regardless of what you are feeding your child! The suction bases on the plates are a lifesaver, and the silicone material is microwave and dishwasher safe! Enjoy your child’s eating adventures, and be sure to take lots of messy faced photos! 

Join the conversation! 

-Are your kids adventurous or picky eaters? 

-What is your favorite snack on the go? 

And finally…

-What is the most “out there” parenting advice you have ever received? 

*I don’t actually mean experts here. I mean anyone who has ever fed a child, and wants to tell you their anecdotal tales of what worked for them and will definitely work for you. I also mean anyone. Anyone at all. Because people love to butt in and tell you how you should be parenting. Haha! I swear they mostly mean well. Just smile and say thanks for the advice:) Do what works best for you 😉