Spoiled already.
October 5th, 2007
Yesterday we got some salmon to try with Avery. The guy behind the counter looked at us a little weird when we asked for a 1/5 lb tail piece. We said it was for the kiddo and he said everything he got when he was a kid came out of a jar. Tonight for dinner, Avery had 1 or 2 ounces of salmon (wild-caught pacific), some mango puree mixed with mashed banana, and a few cubes of cheese and potatos.
What did I have? A bowl of cereal with the rest of the banana.
3 Responses to “Spoiled already.”
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October 6th, 2007 at 06:22 AM
I have a theory on that…….. Others sometimes will mistake your willingness and your desire to have Avery not ingest preservatives and sugary substances, etc. for spoiling. (Trust me this is not the end of it) Don’t worry, they are just lazy. They have to make it look like you are doing to much, cause they are doing too little. Ignore them and go with your heart and your gut.
How do you resist those eyes? He has the most beautiful eyes. So full of expression. He looks like a happy baby.
October 10th, 2007 at 02:46 PM
Hmmm…
Do you only put Avery in Organic Cotton? How extreme do you think a parent should be when trying to rid their baby’s surroundings of dyes, chemicals, etc.
What are your thoughts on the idea that children who are not exposed do not build proper immunity and will have a harder time later in life?
Just curious.
October 11th, 2007 at 11:35 PM
We don’t only put Avery in organic cotton. In fact, we get a lot of clothes used from a local consignment shop. It would be nice, but we’re realistic that its expensive.
As far as dyes, chemicals, etc: we use dye/fragrance, phosphate/chlorine free products, avoid food with artificial dyes, eat a lot of local and organic foods, don’t drink soda. I just don’t think its necessary to have blue dyed soap or cloud white papertowels. We’re spoiled though because we live in an area that supports this kind of lifestyle. We’re also fortunate to be financially able to do things like this. Poorer families have it the worst, because you get more bang for your buck buying 3/$5 potato chips than you do buying potatoes. You do the best you can with what you’ve got and we’re fortunate. Plus, I trust local farmers and small socially conscious companies more than I’d trust Conagra. Besides, we don’t eat much processed foods anyway, so it’s mostly raw ingredients that we make. Besides, it’s all on a case-by-case basis. Like, tomatoes (which you eat the skins) I prefer to buy organic but bananas (which you don’t) I’m less militant about. I make most of Avery’s food for 2 reasons. One, I want him to eat the foods that we eat. Jarred babyfood only comes in a limited variety of flavors. Most fruits are apple based (even organic apples are cheap for filler). I just made him some blueberries and cherries, avocados with bananas, and pumpkin with chicken. We couldn’t find flavors like that, and as you can see from my previous post, everything is not always what the label says. Second, it’s cheaper (well, except the avocados.. those are expensive!). If I buy a couple of mangos, I can make 12 servings of puree for $3-$5 depending on the season. At $0.70-1.30/per jar, it’s cheaper (and very easy) to make my own and I control what goes in it, and how big to make the portions.
We just generally try to be informed consumers, so everything is considered on a case by case basis. But we’re far from perfect.
As far as germs, again, it depends. I think the theory is that less exposure to germs early in life is raising asthma and allergy rates. I think it’s perfectly normal for kids to get sick. It’s a pain in the ass for the parents, but it does help build immunity. I don’t believe in super sterilizing everything the kid interacts with. I think teaching good hygiene (hand-washing) is important, but I’m not going to get all crazy with the purell or shopping cart covers or playing in the dirt. It was different when he was a preemie and a very new newborn, but now hes got an immune system that needs to be challenged (gently) every once in a while. I think any parent would agree, that you just try and do what you think is best for your family. I try not to be too judgmental about other parents, but I do cringe when I see a 3 year old drinking a coke and eating a mcdonalds happy meal.