It seems these days people are in a rush to move their children along the developmental milestone chart. It seems as though parents don’t want to hang about getting their babies onto solids and potty trained. This obsessive desire to get their kids as young as possible to move on doesn’t sit right but is there.

Regardless of the reasoning behind it, there are many reasons why starting solids too early is a bad idea.

First of all the World Health Organisation recommends that babies are breastfed exclusively for the first 6 months of their life. They believe it is best to wait until 6 months to start offering them. This is something that many health organisations agree with due to the research that has been done on it.

Generally, most babies will become physiologically and developmentally ready to handle solids between 6-9 months. So if your child shows no interest as soon as they hit the 6 month mark don’t worry about it. In some cases it may even be better to delay introducing solids until a baby is at least 12 months old. This is often recommended for families where there is a history of allergies.

There are many benefits and below is a list of just some of them:

Delaying Solids Gives A Baby’s Digestive System The Time It Needs To Mature

If a baby’s digestive system isn’t ready to handle solids but still a baby is fed them, it will result in poorly digested food. This can be unpleasant for a baby and a huge drain on their digestive system and it struggles to do its best immaturely. A baby may experience gas, digestive upset and constipation. The ability to digest fat and protein is incomplete before 6 months. Waiting a few months more is a good thing for the comfort of your baby.

Delaying Solids Gives Babies Better Immunity Against Illness

Although everyone knows that breastmilk is a great source of immunity, it is an even greater source when it is the sole provider of nutrients for a baby. The longer the baby is breastfed exclusively, without the inclusion of solids, the better it is for their immunity. This is why it is stressed that babies should be exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months. A few decades ago it wasn’t uncommon for mothers to breastfeed exclusively until their child was 1 year old! Breastmilk has been shown to contain over 50 immune factors at the very least.

Delaying Solids Decreases The Risk Of Allergies

Research has indicated that breastfeeding exclusively for 6 months and more results in lower incidences of food allergies. If a baby is fed solids before their digestive is fully mature it doesn’t really come as a surprise that they would develop food allergies or problems as a result. The digestive system is still in a fragile state, bombarding with food it isn’t ready to handle is going to cause problems.

Between 4 and 6 months of age, a baby’s digestive system is considered “open gut”. This means that whole proteins and pathogens can easily pass into the bloodstream from spaces between the cells of the small intestine. This lets antibodies from breastmilk pass straight into the bloodstream. These coat the digestive tract and provide passive immunity as well as reducing the likelihood of disease and allergies. Unfortunately though, if you choose to start your baby on solids too soon, this also means that large proteins from food can pass through too (as well as disease-causing pathogens).

At 6 months of age a baby’s open gut should be closed and this is also when babies start producing their only antibodies.

Delaying Solids Makes Life Easier

If you delay solids, you work with your child’s developmental milestones. In this way, when it comes to introducing solids you make your life much easier. First your child is likely able to feed themselves, second they will be able to eat and enjoy it and lastly they won’t just spit it out. They are also less likely to have any allergic reactions too.

Delaying Solids Protects Against Obesity

There is research to suggest that if you introduce solids very early, your child has an increased likelihood to have weight problems in childhood. Of course though there could be several others factors involved in this, but why add one to the pot.

Delaying Solids Helps Protect Your Baby Against Iron Deficiency

One of the myths surrounding the introduction to solids, is that baby doesn’t get enough iron from breastmilk and thus needs to be put on solids asap. It is true that breastmilk has less iron than formula, however it is more easily and readily absorbed by the body. In fact it is much more likely that your child will get more iron from breastmilk than formula in this respect. Introducing iron-fortified foods before 6 months can reduce how much your baby absorbs iron, not increase it.

Don’t be tempted to introduce solids early. If you are despite what you have read here maybe you need to address why you feel so strongly about it? It is not in the interests of your child to start early and it also will be a lot more hassle for you as a parent. Delay solids, follow your child’s lead and introducing solids will be an easy adventure.

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Starting baby on solids seems to be something that people rush into, as the age in which solids are introduced gets younger and younger. These days many people introduce solids to their child at 4 months and some even as young as 3 months.

This however is not what the World Health Organisation recommends. They recommend that babies be exclusively breastfed until at least 6 months of age. Before 6 months they do not recommend that children be given solids. This is simply too early and their digestive system is not ready to take on solids before 6 months old.

Sometimes it is even recommended delaying solids until a child is at least one year if there is a history of allergies and a few decades ago it was common for a woman to breastfeed their child exclusively until age one.

Of course though some babies are just not interested or ready at 6 months. Many babies don’t really have an interest for solids on a regular basis until their second year.

As stated above the digestive system needs to be ready in order for a child to be ok eating solids. Of course though we can’t observe this but research suggests that the 6-month mark and beyond is ok and the ideal time to avoid allergies.

What can be observed though is a baby’s developmental readiness. This is a good indication of when your baby is ready to handle food digestively as baby really does know best when it comes to their eating habits. Generally babies show developmental readiness between 6 and 8 months but don’t panic if your child does. All babies are different and this is evident in the fact some walk early, others don’t as well as the same when it comes to talking.

Developmental signs that baby is ready for solids

• Signs Your Baby Is Developmentally Ready

• Baby is eager to be a part of mealtime and may try to grab food from your plate to put in their mouth.

• Baby doesn’t automatically push solids out of their mouth with their tongue.

• Baby can sit up on their own without support.

• Baby is willing to chew and wants to.

• Baby is developing the ability to grasp things between his thumb and forefinger.

The most obvious sign here is the grabbing of food to try themselves. This is something my son did fairly early. He grabbed my banana out of my hand and started chomping on it.

Despite this eagerness, generally a child will try solids every so often but may have days when they are totally uninterested. Its unrealistic to expect a child to be on three meals a day overnight, although many parents tend to try to force this on their child. Increasing solids is something that is gradual and breastmilk is still usually the primary source of nutrition for the first year. Some babies will thrive on breastmilk well into the second year without too much solids and some babies may not even show very much interest in solids until well into their first year. My son’s interest really started to take off around 14 months old.

My 4-5 Month Old Seems Developmentally Ready For Solids – Should I Start Him Early?

Generally babies younger than 6 months will not be developmentally ready. They may however show an interest in food and mealtime but are not ready to eat solids. Babies are known for their love of shoving things into their mouths but this doesn’t mean they are ready to swallow/eat them.

If you are tempted to start early, consider the fact that research shows time and time again that it is beneficial for your child and will have health advantages if you delay solids until 6 months at the least. This means health benefits for all babies not just babies who have no interest in metal time yet.

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When it comes to starting solids with a baby, it can be quite a daunting task for a new mother. What we do know is that the World Health Organisation, as with many other national organisations, states that it is best that babies are exclusively breastfed until 6 months old (not 4-6 months) and then started on solid from this point.

This doesn’t mean that one stops breastfeeding and making solids the dominant nutrition source in the child’s life, it is that solids become a part of their nutritional source.

Generally children may not eat much in terms of solid foods until well into their second year. So if your child is only eating a few things and not really meals in their first year it is nothing to worry about. My son, for an example. Only really started being interested in solids when he was 14 months old. Before that he remained 99% breastfed still.

To help you learn more about solids, this article will go over some of the myths surrounding solid foods and introducing them.

Starting Solids Myth 1 – Your baby is big so you need to start solid.

I am not sure how this came about but many mothers are told that should start solids because their child is big. Some of the reasons behind this statement are the fact they don’t think that breastmilk alone will satisfy a child that is big and thus, from a nutritional perspective, solids need to be integrated now. This is simply untrue. In many countries, children can be exclusively breastfed well into their second year with no problems in regards to their health and nutrition. Mothers also have the ability to nurse twins and even triplets too, so having just one baby to nurse is obviously no issue at all! As long as you let your child nurse on demand, your body will make enough milk for your baby. If you have a particular big child, this just goes to show what your breastmilk is achieving, rather than no achieving!

Some mothers are told that their baby is eating too much and this is why they are big, so they need to start reducing/limiting nursing and introduce solids. I am not sure how this is suppose to make sense. Most children who are big as babies, will start shedding the weight as they start to crawl and walk. My son was very very fat when he was about 6 months to 9 months. Then he started walking and he is now very slim and trim! It doesn’t mean that your child isn’t able to regulate their need for food either. Trust your baby and their ability to know what their body requires through breastmilk and you and your child will be ok!

Starting Solids Myth 2 – Your baby is small so you need to start solids.

In a similar vein to the first, there is also many mothers being told that their baby is small and thus needs to be baby started on solids as soon as possible. Being small doesn’t mean that your child isn’t getting enough from breastmilk. In fact breastmilk has more calories than most solid foods anyway and has significantly more nutrients. Just because a child is small doesn’t mean there is something wrong, just like if they are big. Children, afterall, come in all shapes and sizes. Having said that, if there is a genuine concern for a child’s size, usually a mother is encouraged to nurse more and cut back on solids as a first point of call, rather than the other way around.

Starting Solids Myth 3 – Babies need solids so they can sleep longer at night.

This belief is one that is popular among parents and one that parents wish was a fact, but there is no basis to suggest this from being true. Even if it was true, is this a good thing? Generally, if a child’s digestive system is overburdened – when they haven’t built up their ability to consume solids over time – you are basically causing your child to need extra sleep in order to deal with the extra energy expended on dealing with digestion. I wouldn’t consider this a good thing.

Children do not need solids to sleep longer at night. Babies will sleep longer once their stomachs are able to take in more and they are nutritionally satisfied. Giving a child solids just to get them to sleep longer sooner is untrue and wrong.

Starting Solids Myth 4 – Your baby’s weight has reached a magic number that makes them ready to eat solids

Being a certain weight doesn’t mean your baby is ready for solids, especially if they are under 6 months old. The World Healthy Organisation recommends waiting until a child is at least 6 months before starting solids and there is no exception to this regarding weight. It is the maturity of your child’s digestive system and also their developmental readiness that makes the difference in regards to when your baby is ready. Studies done on baby readiness have shown that babies before 4 months do not have an interest in solids. They may chew on things, but their desire to taste and eat does not come before 6 months old. Some babies do not show a real interest in solids until well into their second year.

The best way to know when a child is ready is to keep offering things and let them guide you. Some days your baby might eat lots of solids and other days have no interest whatsoever. Nothing is set in gold and having regular meals is not a necessity when starting out as long as you are continuing to nurse.

Starting Solids Myth 5 – There is not enough iron in breastmilk so you should start solids.

Although breastmilk has less iron than formula, the iron that is found in breastmilk is more readily absorbed by your baby’s digestive system. The iron in formula has to be upped so that there is more chance your baby will absorb enough. There is also the fact that formula-fed babies will lose iron through fissures that develop in their #intestines. This is a result of damage from cow’s milk. (www.kellymom.com).

A lot of mothers, when they start solids, do not offer their children iron-rich foods anyway. However for the first 6 months, breastmilk is fine and once solids are introduced after 6 months this can add an additional source for iron if parents choose the right foods.

Starting Solids Myth 6 – If you don’t start solids by X amount of months then your baby will have problems eating solids foods.

Some people believe that there is a small window of opportunity to introduce solids and if one doesn’t do so they could be causing problems for their child. This idea is completely untrue. If you don’t feed your child solids at 6 months or 7 months or even 10 months, it doesn’t mean your child won’t be able to eat solids or will be fussy. My son showed no interest in solids for a long time and really only started eating them when he was a year old. He then only started to truly get into solids when he was 14 months. He isn’t fussy either. He enjoys a wide range of fruits and vegetables.
It seems to me that people try to find excuses for starting solids early and want to rush their child on to the next stage or phase of their lives. This is not going to be beneficial to your child and could result in damage whether physically or emotionally. It is best just to let your child lead you. Trust your child enough to know that they know when they are ready to eat solids and then your journey will be easier.

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Buying the perfect gift for every person in our family seems like an essential part of the Christmas holidays. Gift buying gets us stressed out as we try to beat the rush to get all our presents done and out of the way. We especially don’t want to let down the children and want to give them lots of presents to excitingly open from under the tree.

For me, presents at Christmas has always felt like a strain and drain on my resources financially and emotionally. I have always loved the holidays for the company of family, not because of presents. Material items mean very little to me and the idea of someone stressing over what to get me or trying to getting all their shopping done quickly makes me quite upset.

So for the past few years I have opted out of the Christmas present buying rush and instead just embraced Christmas as a time with family instead. The first year I did this I felt very guilty. But why should I feel guilty? Why should I feel bad for not giving material items to my family and friends? I am so much more than what I can buy. I also am very giving in other ways and feel now that I can give in other ways that don’t require me spending money. It gets easier every year.

Besides this I also have noticed that many people will just buy a present for the sake of buying a present – not much thought will go into it and whether the person will actually like it. I have received countless amounts of soap, perfume and deodorant that I never use and have had to giveaway. I would have found it more generous and loving if the person who bought these items just didn’t buy me anything.

Luckily though to day we have Amazon wish lists and the like so that we can provide our loved ones with gifts but if one is going to do that it shouldn’t feel compulsory. Giving and gift buying should be from the heart and because you want to, not because a holiday dictates it as the done thing.

So this Christmas, whether you buy presents or not, just remember that it is a great holiday that you get to spend with family and that what you get doesn’t mean much really.

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Most parents worry about nutrition and making sure that their child gets good healthy foods into them from the outset. The best food for babies to start with of course is breastmilk and this can remain a source of nutrition and comfort for many years, if a child self-weans.

Of course though there comes a time when a child will show an interest in what you are eating and you may opt to start them on solids at the traditional 6 month mark. You should take into consideration that not all children pick up the desire to start solids at this age and although they might eat some, they may not make a meal out of it until well into their second year. This is normal and natural so I wouldn’t worry if your child isn’t eating a lot of solid foods as long as they are still provided with mother’s milk.

Generally some great foods to start babies on are fruit and vegetables. Many people go straight to rice but rice isn’t very nutritious even fortified by manufacturers to give it some vitamins and minerals. The best start for babies is to give them various different types of fruits and vegetables.

For fruits there are so many different ones to give your baby. You can mash up bananas and melons and these are great starter foods. For some extra fat, mash up avocado. You can also mix avocado with banana to give it some sweetness. Other fruits that can be easy to give a baby are pears when soft, mangoes and peaches.

For vegetables, some boiled sweet potato mashed up is a great starting point. You can also do this with carrots as well.

You don’t have to introduce a new food every day, in fact you could start of on 1 or 2 for one week and see how that goes. Generally there is no rush to give your child fifty different tastes.

Starting on fruits and vegetables is a good thing for many reasons. Both fruits and vegetables are nutritious, moreso than any other foods and we are always told how we need to eat more of these everyday. If you start your child off on these foods and make them a part of their daily life, they will love them and continue this essential habit into their teenage and adult years. This is the approach I took with my son who is now 3. He went over to his cousins the other day and she was sitting eating a pile of biscuits. He went over to his bag, pulled out a banana and apple and sat by her and ate them. He chose those, because fruits and vegetables have been in his life everyday.

So if you want the best start for your child, start getting them used to fruits and vegetables. Fruits are naturally sweet for a kid’s natural sweet tooth anyway, so they should go down a treat.  So healthy foods for babies are fruits and vegetables, it is really is that simple.

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Discipline can be a sore subject for many parents. Some parents struggle with, others do it very well and others still don’t discipline at all. However the subject of discipline seems to be much straight forward with older children than toddlers and babies, as older children understand the concept.

However for toddlers, is it wise to discipline with their limited ability to understand? Is disciplining a 2 year old a good thing?

The short answer is that no, it isn’t a good idea to discipline a child so young. Discipline doesn’t work and all it does if give a child a sense of fear and confusion. If you tell a toddler to stop doing something, they seldom listen. If you try to tell them off or give them a time out they get confused and they don’t learn from the experience – not in the way you want them to anyway. The concept of discipline doesn’t work with them. A 2 year old will keep touching things you don’t want to because they have a natural curiosity. It isn’t because they are “bad”, it is because they are curious and love learning.

Also just because adults see particular behaviours as bad doesn’t mean they are. For an example, a child goes into the bathroom and unravels the toilet roll. Most parents would be angry and mad at their child for being naughty. But is that really naughty? To me it isn’t. A child was having fun and no one got hurt so where is the harm in it? If you don’t want them to unravel a toilet roll, why not give them something else to unravel? Giving them something to occupy their curiosity is the best approach for toddlers. If you don’t want them playing with something put it up high so they can’t reach.

So do you think disciplining a 2 year old is a good thing for your child or for you? Do you think screaming at them, putting them in time out will achieve the desired effect? It could result in a withdrawn child that does everything you tell them to and maybe that is what you want but is that fair or good for your child? A child isn’t going to understand what you are trying to achieve and will see your time-outs and discipline as a sign that you don’t love them, not unconditionally anyway.

Appreciate that they are only 2, that they are only just learning about the world and try to use this when it comes to their behaviours and actions. Instead of seeing your child as born bad, why not respect the fact that they are just reacting to their environment, exploring it. A child isn’t born bad, it is our interpretation of their behaviour that makes something wrong or right.

On top of this, it is worth noting that a child is much more than just their behaviour. You might be able to discipline them into behaving a particular way, but they will be acting that way out of fear and avoidance of punishment as opposed to choosing to do it because they want to. Disciplining a 2 year old will not get you anyway and just will cause suffering to both you and your child.

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