Grandparents Want to Give 6 1/2m.o. Other Foods Besides Breastmilk/babyfood

Hi S.

There is limits to what he should get at that young of age . But if he has teeth he could be able to chew some things like finger foods . Like cheerios and toast,puffs .
My thinking is if you do not try you will never know if he has allergies .The longer you wait to give different food the pickier he will be with eating .

S.,This is something that all breastfeeding moms go though.. I finally told everybody that my baby has shown signs of being VERY allergic to....the doc's just don't know..So I have been advised by the pediatric doc..to not feed the baby anything but breastmilk.. so please help me with this...don't feed him anything right now, but I will let everybody know when it's safe for him to have solid food..Thank you so much.. good luck.. I know it's hard, but it's worth it...D.

My childrens grandparents are always giving my kids stuff I don't approve of and it started when they were babies come to think of it. I used to try and control it..now I think..."good thing they don't eat like that all the time". I used to really get upset about it and that put me in the dog house. When I look into it all of their kids were overweight growing up..It seems like they really express love through sugar...It can get really unhealthy!
What I do now: is pick my battles. When It it is once in a while, I try to let it go. With my baby and ice cream...I was in the same situation and only feeding my baby breast milk..i let grandpa give her a taste and then said thanks and swooped her back.
I am glad that I am teaching my children how to eat healthy. When I get together with my husbands family I really notice we are doing well. I just try and go along...sometimes it is just too much and I put on the brakes in the kindest way I can. I also pull my husband aside and let him put a stop to the sugar or junk-a- thon so I am not always the bad guy. Good luck.

I think you need to stick to your guns, no matter what the gparents think. Your son needs to have a balanced diet in order to establish healthy eating habits. If he eats sweets early on he may not want to eat his baby food, which is bland. Keep him on the baby food as long as possible and start introducing table food around 9 months until he is solely eating table food by 12 months. Also, try to stay away from juice until he is older because it is sweet and he may not want his milk and water. That is what I did with both my kids (2.5 and 1.5 years) and they eat everything!!!

S.,

It's probably not a good idea to give a baby that small table food, especially rolls or other things they can choke on. The good news is, within the next few months your baby can switch over almost completely to table food, so you're almost out of the woods. You do still need to avoid giving them chunks of meat, raw vegetables, crunchy fruits, etc. so they don't choke. Sometimes grandparents forget or just lack good judgement. My children's grandparents have given them food they choked on, baths so cold they turned blue, and so many bananas in one day they were totally constipated for a week. They all survived; it's just a part of childhood.

Don't feel bad about your family thinking you are overprotective. Mine gave me a hard time because I insist my children always ride in car seats, and I made sure the straps were as tight as the police department said they needed to be. (Every time we got in the car with grandparents, they went on and on about how the straps were too tight and I was going to crush my children.) Just ignore them; smile and nod and just do things how you want to do them.

Good luck,
S.

I don't think you are over pertective because I'm the same way. My sister tried to give my daughter pretzels when she was 6 months old and didn't understand why I said no. I would be more concerned about choking than allergies. 6 months is a little young for things like bread and pretzels. Within the last few months, allergists are now finding that the older kids are when they get new foods the more likely they are to be allergic to it. They are now recommending starting peanut butter before the 1st birthday. I would also be concerned that baby-sitters would feed him something and not tell you. If he did react to something they gave him, it is important that you know what caused it.

My advise. Hold your ground. Preventing allergies was a good excuse for me because allergies run on both sides of the family. But really I wanted everything she ate to be healthy. At that age they eat so little that I feel it's inappropriate to start sweet, fatty and salty foods. If it were me I wouldn't let these people babysit until they can respect your parenting style.

If you and your husband have decided together that Breastmilk and baby food is all you want to give your child - then they need to adhear to your wishes. This is YOUR child - they already raised theirs. If you are worried about sneaking food explain to them or better yet have your husband explain what your wishes are and that they need to follow them. I do not believe it is bad for kids to get a few differant choices, but it is still YOUR choice. No one should feed your kids anything you don't approve of! Good luck.

first your the mom...second if you and your husband cannot agree the answer is no until you can agree...

allergies towards milk are pretty important ones, considering they cannot have real milk or dairy until after one year of age, otherwise giving it to them can develope the allergie.

if you don't fully trust someone to care for your child they way you would, then the answer is simple, they don't babysit...you wouldn't let a stranger do it, don't let your inlaws or other family members do it...

I think it is important for people to consider the child and not their own pleasures...in seeing what the baby will do if he/she eats this...it isn't in the best interest of the baby it is only their own selfishness...

be a protective mom...you have every right to be.

Hi S.,
You are absolutely NOT being too over protective, you are the mom, and I agree with the other mom that said if you and your husband can't agree, the answer is no until you can.
Food allergies are a real threat, we recently found out my daughter has a deadly peanut allergy, are your in-laws prepared to watch your child go into anaphalatic shock? I think not.
Also, you need to put your foot down with your in-laws NOW, if you don't they will think they can get away with anything when your children are concerned.
Good luck!

Grandparents are wonderful and annoying, aren't they? They aren't going to listen to your desires and are going to feed your child as they see fit when your child is with them. At least so it went with grandpa and my daughter (he fed her doritos and pop tarts when she was 5 months old). I think you might be a bit over protective. They'll put something in front of your child, he'll either eat it or not. Just relax and enjoy.

I would definately avoid the ice cream because of the milk, they shouldn't have milk until 12 months. I wouldn't worry to much about allergies. I would let your son decide if he wants to try other foods, if he seems interested in regular food, let him try a little. good luck

IMO he is old enough to start trying table food...be selective if you wish, but he should do fine with small pieces of food. if you have know allergies be careful of wheat, p-nut butter etc and follow the guidelines for honey, nuts, popcorn etc (too hard to swallow), but honestly ice cream and dinner rolls should not harm him.

you simply blame it on the doctor (even if the doctor hasnt said anything) and just say no! its so frustrating when grandparents dont listen and think they know best... grr..

Oh my gosh. Your husband and his parents are being inconsiderate of your feelings by wanting to feed your son food other than baby food. It is in his best interest to not have all the foods adults eat because your baby needs more nutrients right now. Also, this could set the stage for early allergies, If they continue to feed your son other foods, talk to your pediatrician. Then tell them our doctor says to feed baby only baby food and breast milk at this time. Good luck.

Hi S.! Your decisions SHOULD be abided by no matter what their our our opinions are. Plus, he does NOT need any sugar! Stand your ground on no sugar! At this age food allergies are also a concern so you are right!
If they sneak him food then they don't need to be around him. You have that right. My parents and my hubby's parents abide by our wishes and ALWAYS ask if the kids can have a treat. They have always honored us. Now our daughter has diabetes and I can trust them that they have her best interest in mind. That's the main issue here. Soon they can give him treats, with your consent.
People think that grandparents can do whatever they want. Why is it that when people get old they think they can do whatever they want and no one can tell them differently?
Stick to your guns and tell them that your expectation is that they honor your wishes, regardless of "if" you are overprotective! Good job mom!

I want to add that since our kids grandparents have honored our wishes that when they ask if the kids can have a treat or a toy I often agree, within reason. :)

Stick with your instincts! I think you are absolutely right in what you are doing. I went through the same thing with various family members. It's hard, but don't let them override your decisions for your child. One thing you can tell them about ice cream or cheese - even the smallest amount can trigger a dairy allergy. That's why the experts say no dairy until they are close to 12 months. Good luck!

Put your foot down NOW! I have major problems like that with my in-laws. What they are feeding him is not really a huge deal(to me, but it's your decision how protective to be with your own children) but the fact that they do it against your will IS a big deal. YOU ARE THE MOM!!! Remember that.

Sometimes the issue is with how things are handled rather than the actual choices. You didn't say whether they asked you or if they were going to do it and you stopped them. No one likes to be corrected or admonished, and especially if it's in-laws there can be problems. I've had to pull rank on my MIL several times (luckily my SIL usually backs me up) I think if you explain your reasons to them (food allergies, choking hazards, eating habits) and stick to those guidelines, while allowing them some other things (maybe soft fruit or mashed potatoes or something) they will see you as more reasonable. I know that my in-laws just had no concept of what were choking hazards and any info about food allergies. It's probably been a long time since they have been around kids, so you can approach it from the standpoint that this is the most recent recommendation, or even say that it's what your pediatrician recommends. That usually helps.

S.,
Reading your post and the many replies, one thing occurs to me is the importance of figuring out a healthy way to communicate with your in-laws about topics that you may not see eye-to-eye.

I have been married for 12 years, and my two girls are now 8 and 6. The issue that you are faced with today (feeding your baby table food) will pass, but it will be replaced by others (how you potty-train, how your kids are dressed, brushing teeth, bedtime, etc. etc, etc.)

Having gone through this (and learning the hard way), what has made the most difference is communicating with my MIL openly about how I see my parenting approach differing from hers. It was helpful to look at a situation and attempt to see it from her point of view. Then, I lead off the conversation with statements like "I imagine that there are a lot of differences between how you raised your kids and how you see people today raising kids." (The seatbelt example is a good one... as most kids weren't even buckled at all when they were parents)

I think working on the quality of the relationship with your in-laws will help, because you intend to have them in your life for a long long time.

Poor you! I completely sympathize. My in-laws were living with us at the time my little one was a baby so I totally understand the dilemna. In fact, they gave him raspberry chocolate ice cream when he was less than a year old after I had finished telling them not to. (They didn't want to tell me how much they had given him.) The effects were vomiting all night long. Needless to say, I was furious since I ended up cleaning up this HUGE mess in the nursery, crib, etc.

What ended up working for us was using the words, "His doctor says XXXX." and saying whatever it was I wanted them to follow. If they balked, I would say, "Yes, the dr said that there were many things people use to do years ago but it was simply do to ignorance (and give an example, such as people thought cancer was contagious, or people use to give babies meat to help with acid reflux but only ended up damaging their digestive systems. ) We're lucky because we have so much more scientific experience now. I know that you also want the best for xxxx. And then I'd always add, "yes, I'm a first time Mom and am very protective. Ask me again after the 8th one and I'll see if I'm still the same way."

I completely feel what you're going through. My in-laws were they same way. First things first, your husband has to be on board with you! That was my dilemia. Then I made him help speak up for our daughter and make the in-laws understand that none of us aren't perfect but if we want to be over-protective we can! It's our choice on how we want to raise our baby! We want to be able to trust them with watching our kids otherwise that will only cause tension. Hopefully they'll be understanding enough to respect you and your husbands' wishes. Good luck.

i was also strict about what my baby ate. she had absolutely nothing but breastmilk for 6 months. you are right to worry about food allergies. the earlier you introduce a food the more chance of an allergy. (mostly with nuts, milk, eggs, honey, etc.) when you do start baby foods, you do 1 at a time so if there is a reaction you'll know what caused it. my daughter is now 12 and will eat anything and doesn't have allergies to anything. stick to your guns-you are the mother. alot of people just can't wait to spoil kids that aren't theirs! it'll only be a few more months and then they can sneak a few more options.

S. m

Hi S., I have the same problem with my fiance's parents! My son is 13 months old and all they seem to do is feed him things I would never think of! I have to swallow it most of the time but when I am around them and see them feeding my son something that I don't think is appropriate, I say just a little comment. Since your son is 6 months though, he can start eating more babyfood and softer table foods. Giving him a roll is not going to hurt him and if he is teething, the roll will be nice on his gums. Like my fiance says, you just have to let them be grandparents, you may not like what they do but your child is with you more than them so a little bit of food or ice cream wont hurt him. :)

It doesn't matter if you are overprotective or not. If you don't want those foods to be given to your son then that is how it should be. Tell them no means no and they are free to think whatever they want.

I don't see a huge problem with it now personally. I had the same problem with my extended family with both of my girls. I even had my Dad give my first a huge bowl of popcorn while watching her when she was under one. I remember freaking out inside my head and being thankful she didn't choke on a kernel :) And our Christmas card one year was of my first eating a giant turkey leg bone at Thanksgiving (at 9-months-old) because I finally gave up and relaxed a little. I have to add that she is now 8 and eats anything and everything and always has, and is healthy and fit. She is known for turning down a cookie and asking for more broccoli. She loves muscles, shrimp and pretty much all fruits and vegies and has no allergies as of today.

I would never, ever tell another Mom how to feed or raise her baby though. Do what you feel comfortable with and leave it at that.

I would thank them when they ask you ahead of time if they can feed him a certain food, and reiterate that you always want to be asked first. One way you could indulge the grandparents and let them get this "feeding the baby" kick out of their system is to let them feed him a "new" food every now and then. I did that with my own parents, because yes, they too, wanted to feed my son everything under the sun. So when we visited I would say, "He hasn't had blueberries yet. Do you want to feed him these blueberries for the first time?". Remember that when your in-laws were raising their own babies, parents were feeding their kids everything and anything from early on. Food allergies weren't even on anyone's radar.

Sigh...I think so many of us have been there! My inlaws are the same way. Bottom line: THEY fed their kids that way, and THEIR children turned out fine; why are you criticizing what they did? At least, that's how MY inlaws see it. :) My mother has kindly read up on current child-rearing, and is super (sometimes too...) respectful of our choices. My inlaws, who raised four kids, frequently flaunt their "more children" status and use it against us. I have decided there are some things worth fighting and others not so much, since this is an issue we see frequently in various forms. Food, for me, was not worth it. We don't have food allergies in our family, my kids have both eaten and chewed very well, and things I WAS very concerned about (ice cream, for one, since it gave my kids bad diapers as it was too rich), I would just threaten diaper duty and that frequently did the trick. Other things, like bedtime, I enforce despite their efforts at keeping them up late. They will have my kids this week, and I know I'll have to do cleanup when my kids are home, but overall, my inlaws are good people and good parents--they just still think they're raising kids 30 years ago--and, for the most part, people 30 years ago DID survive just fine.

I would say that as soon as your baby is interested in what you are eating it is OK to give him/her a little of what you are eating. As long as it isn't a choking hazard! Our youngest is 10 months old with only 2 bottom teeth and the other day we were feeding her pizza! She really wanted it, and we just tore it up into really tiny pieces and she couldn't get enough of it! We were really surprised. When they are ready, you will know it and they will let you know what they want. You have a right to be "overprotective"....that is YOUR baby they are talking about. You need to do what works for you and your baby, no matter what anyone else says/thinks. Happy Eating!!!

I started my baby on solids at 4 months. my pediatrician agreed it was fine. by 7 months we had stopped waiting the required three days between trying something new and just let him try whatever he wants. by 8 months he was eating basically everything we ate with few exceptions. I think you could relax a little, but having said that, your baby is unique and only you know him best. Don't worry what anyone thinks. :)

I'm not going to beat the dead horse with "stick to your guns", but I am gong to say - how can some of you think that it's ok to be giving 6 and 7 month olds ANYTHING they can't choke on? Are you also the parents I will see at the MOA with kids sucking on suckers at 1 and 2 years old? You are prepping them for a lifetime of weigh problems, is that really the childhood you want to give them?

S. - with my first - I basically had a "Come to Jesus" with most of our parents. If they couldn't follow our food schedules (which were not that bad!) then we wouldn't be coming around until later. They looked hurt, but agreed. It was more work during visits, but I made sure I had enough for him to eat (precut fruit, appropriate crackers, wheat noodles, etc...) Now my son is 2 1/2, loves his fresh fruits and veggies, and although I'm more lax now (since i also have a 6 mth old) his junk choices are highly limited. I can totally see when he's had to much refined sugars/ syrups. And the GP's know now that they need to ask with the snack food.

When your son is older, if the GP's can't stock their house with the food you agree with, offer to supply it for them. I did that with one, and she totally sees the light!

You ARE doing the BEST thing for your child! I will pray that you're husband will come into agreement with you.

NO you are not over protective! Your little guy has the rest of his life to eat all that other stuff. Doctors wouldn't recommend that our children only have formula/breastmilk for the first year if it wasn't important. These beginning years will set the standard for the rest of his life. You are doing a great job! They (your family) would feel really bad if they snuck him something and he did have an allergic reaction. Then you are the one left dealing with it. You are doing the right thing! If it makes you feel any better I nursed all 3 of my children for more than a year and they never had anything other than breast milk or baby food in their first year. I liked the idea of their first birthday cake being their first junk food. Good Luck! Hang in there!

I did like a few others suggested "My doctor said ..." or "The APA recommends ..." Worked well. The APA does discourage wheat before one year so you could try that.

Well, overprotective or not its rude for them to go against your wishes... he's your child!

My boys started solids at 6mos (exclusively breastfed) and I never used jarred baby foods, the boys ate ground up table foods and did just fine. I wouldn't give htem sugar, of course, but regular table foods that are mashed is just fine.

But again, they should respect your wishes, he's your child.

I feel the same way as you. We have had to tell family members many times not to give our kids foods without asking us first. For some reason, people just like to feed kids. It seems like they are just curious at times. "let's see if he'll eat this" is what happens a lot. We just have to keep reinforcing that we only give our kids certain foods, especially when it comes to our one year old. Have you tried explaining your reasoning to them, such as the food allergies? Maybe they would be a little more understanding. The bottom line is that it's your decision and they should respect it. Good luck.

I feel your pain. I had the same worries with my first. First off, as the new studies suggest, a child is unlikely to get a food allergy unless there is a family history. It used to be that you couldn't give a child under a year peanuts (butter), but recently its been said that they can have it as young as 6 months if there is no family history. My kids (3) have been eating peanutbutter since they were 7 or 8 months old with no reaction. However, you really need to check your family history to see what runs in the family and what there is no sign of. There's nothing wrong with wanting to be protective and cautious with new foods and your child, just make sure you're being sane about it and not flipping out over every little thing. As far as the grandparents go, it's a losing battle. I have done the same with my husbands parents and other family members with all three, and it PISSES ME OFF when they give one of my kids something I have either said is not ok or haven't even considered giving them. For example, when my daughter (1st baby) was 6 weeks old, my husbands aunt was watching her and decided it would be funny to see the face she made when they gave her a few drops of diet mountain dew from a straw. Yeah. She actually did that. My babies were exclusively breastfed until 6 months and it was only then I started them on rice cereal. But, everyone (all the "expereinced" mothers with 3 or more kids) thought it was perfectaly fine to give any of my kids whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted. I told them I didn't want them having whatever it was because I was breatfeeding only, but that didn't stop them. I have learned that when you're dealing with mothers who are experienced with their own children (mostly who are grown and out of the house), the mothers think that they can do whatever they please because "they raised their kids just fine." Many are not up to date as to the new information about feeding and different foods. So, I went armed everytime I knew something was going to be in question. If one of them tried to give one of the kids something, I jumped in right away with a "The kids Pediatrician said......." and they couldn't argue that one. Sometimes I just had to get rude. But, this is your child, and you are the mom, so what you say goes, at least until you leave the room :) Some of the things are worth fighting over (things that can choke, develop allergic reactions, etc), but just like with your own children, with your husbands (and maybe your) parents, you have to pick your battles or everything will be one. Good luck, it's a sucky situation, especially when you don't want any ill will between anyone. Hope this helps!

Hi S., I understand your concerns but they may be a little over protective. I have a 6 and 5 year old and they were trying new things around that age, now they'll try anything once. A little mashed potoes or sweet potoes won't hurt any. Food allergies can not be avoided and you can't keep them from trying new foods. It's better to find out about the alleriges (if any) sooner rather then later and while your around.

S. - there's nothing wrong with being protective. However, I just read this article on Mercola.com about baby food. You might want to read it and stick to things that don't contain sugar, HFCS, and trans-fats. You'll be surprised what they've found in some baby food!
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/0...

Good luck

As the parent, you have every right to determine what your baby eats and when. I had a terrible time with my family sneaking food to my firstborn, thinking it was funny when they got away with it and gloating when he liked the donut they fed him. I was furious!!! I finally had to tell them that they would not spend time alone with my baby if I couldn't trust them to follow my wishes, and things got better. Now they ask before feeding my little ones anything, just to make sure.
That being said, by the time my first two were 6 1/2 months old, they were getting a variety of baby foods and safe table foods like bread/rolls, mashed potatoes, soft pasta, etc. My boys are little piggies with very few food sensitivities, so they started eating cereal at 4 months.
I think, as long as you're being smart about introducing new foods, there's nothing wrong with branching out and giving him more that breast milk. Just be sure to put your foot down and do things on YOUR terms.

I had this problem more with MY parents then my husbands. they took my son overnight when he was 3 1/2 months old and were joking htey were going to let him eat chocolate (actually a snickers bar). I told them no especially since Snickers has peanuts. Well, low and behold they did it and my nephews ratted them out. My mom said "that's a grandparents perogative". the next time they asked to take my son I told them no b/c they can't respect my wishes.

Sicne I did this it is going better with them with the 2nd grandbaby. We live 3 hours away so it isn't an all the time thing. Pick and choose your battles with them but if you are absolutely against them having soemthing at a certain age ask them why the child should have it? What is the problem with waiting to introduce the right foods as recommended by your pediatrician? If nothing else tell them when you are comfortable with them having the food, they will be the first to be able to give it to them.

I try to pick and choose my battles but ultimately I AM THE MOM- they are the grandparents. not the one who has to dealw ith the upset tummy, food allergies, worrying at every stage, etc. They need to respect you as a parent and your feelings also. I have no problem being the bad guy and standing up for it (if necessary- but you do need to give on some things). Talk with your husband and get him on board and reach an agreement there so that when you have problems you have someone in your corner.

parenting isn't easy especially when everyone sees you as the "overprotective, dramatic parent". For me being anal about things in the beginning is paying off more now b/c if I say no to something G&G are actually listening and not trying to sneak it to them later. Do what is best for you but you need to be comfortable with it also. When my husband used to say, let him/ her have it my first question would be Will you be up all night with the baby when there is an upset tummy or cleaning up vomit? if so then go ahead, if not then no.

Hopefully this helps! I just keep thinkign about my first year with my son and feeling like I was talking to a brick wall but finally the food allergies got everyone to stop. Good luck!

S.,
The G-pas really should respect your wishes, no matter what they are. I got teased for being overprotective too, but I didn't mind, since I was clearly the only one concerned about what my baby put into his body!!! Anyway, to make it easier on you, just blame it on the doctor. "The doctor says, no solid foods until he's at least 6 months old. And even then, we have to introduce one thing at a time to make sure there are no allergies or intolerances." This is acceptable, and plays the "danger" card that your baby's G-pas might pay attention to.
Good luck!
Amy K

My daughter is 7.5 mos old and we give her ANYTHING she won't choke on. She mostly stick with formula/baby food but she was knawing on chicken wings with barbeque sauce a few nights ago, has icecream-popsicles all the time. I will say though if I say she can't have something it's usually because I'm paranoid about choking or diarreha later on and everyone does respect my wishes. At 6.5 mos.old though alot of babies are eating table food or trying their parents foods so the grandparents might just remember this as normal.

Why is it that whenever we make a choice on behalf of our children that someone doesn't agree with, we are being overprotective? Taking control over your child's up-bringing is not overprotectedness. It is parenting. Thanks, anyway, Hilary, but I don't want the village to raise my child. While I would appreciate their help and support when I need it, I am the mom and my husband is the dad. And there is nothing wrong (and everything right) with that. As for your fear that the grandparents may sneak something in when you are not there, I don't know what to tell you. That is all about your relationship with the grandparents, and you will have to work it out. I guess I would find a way and a time to communicate as clearly as possible how I feel about it and why and ask that they support me in it. Then if they don't, I would remember that a good relationship with his grandparents is more important than a perfect diet and would react accordingly. Sorry this was not very well organized, I was kinda going off. I hope you got the point that you are making good choices with your baby and have every right to do so.

I think you should pick your battles! Unless there is a known allergy or a choking hazard, many babies eat table food at this age. I was raised on regular whole milk from birth with no ill effects! If this were a daily problem, it might be worth fighting, but I don't think an occasional taste is worth the hard feelings.

Our son was STRICTLY breastfed (no baby food/ table food/ formula/ NOTHING ELSE) for 9 months. I would do it again if I have the chance.

At 9 months he started baby food and within a week we started table food. So, once he started other food, he was ready because he was so flexible on what he would he then.

(I did continue breastfeeding to 18 months as well. But once he started food,it was less often than when he was strictly breastfed.-- There were still days at the beginning of switching him over that he would want only breastmilk for the day, and I was happy to comply!)

I would stick to your guns on this one. It is not healthy for a baby to have ice cream at such a young age..... As for bread, after 6 months, small amounts of that may not be as bad but I personally would still wait a few more months before trying it...... It's a choking hazard and babies can't digest real food at such a young age.

No, you are the mom, do it your way. Stick to your plan. Tell them, the baby will be old enough before you know it.

Ahhhh, the joys of Grandparents :) I agree, you should be able to have the ultimate say of yes or no as to what your baby eats. Realistically? Grandmas and Grandpas LOVE to feed our kids whatever they want. And then, when you call them on it, they say "Well, in my day, we fed our kids (whatever), and they turned out just fine."

Some things you just can't fight . . . or at least you need to pick your battles carefully. If you start getting too strict, your child will (when he is older) really try to manipulate the grandparents into getting treats and they won't see a darn thing wrong with it. This might be one of those things where you have to smile and shrug your shoulders - do things the way you want at home, make suggestions to the grandparents about your eating rules and limits, and know in your heart that they are going to do what they want as soon as you are out of sight. Remember, that is one of the reasons our children get SO excited to see Grandma and Grandpa - less rules :)

Hi S.,

I agree with Anne-Marie. It doesn't matter if you are being over protective or not. It's your baby. You decide how your child is raised. I was very firm that the first year my daughter could not have sugar. I started her on baby food at 4 months but because she would have diahrea and sometimes vommiting after I moved from baby rice to other cereal, I was very careful of what I introduced to her new and she didn't start eating table food until she was like 9 months when I got the okay from the pediatrician.

I don't regret my decisions because now people marvel how my daughter is not a big sweet eater and how she likes healthier choices like veggies and fruits. From all the reading I've done we teach our children to like unhealthy food so since I wasn't blessed with good genes that allow me to eat whatever I want, I have been making sure that my daughter eats a healthy, well-balanced diet with occassional indulgences so that she doesn't have to go on fad diets or have an eating disorder like I went through when I hit puberty.

So what I'm saying is the grandparents need to respect your decision like my parents did with me even though they may not agree with how I was raising my daughter at the time. Of course now that she is older and they see that she's not living off of candy like the other grandchildren or an extremely picky eater, they are now praising me for my wisdom so just trust your gut and realize sometimes you do know best. Good luck!

Angie