These lessons have informed the choices our
family makes about how to feed our Henry. I hope I can remember them as we delve
into this journey.
1. There is no one right way to raise a child.
There are few absolutes when it comes to raising
a child. This means we have lots of choices and decisions to make about Henry’s
upbringing, which is both freeing and terrifying. Many of the supposedly
standard child-rearing practices are actually based on cultural norms. I found
the book “How
Eskimos Keep Their Babies Warm: And Other Adventures in Parenting” by Mei-Ling Hopgood to be a very
inspiring look at parenting in other cultures.
Food traditions are no different. In North
America, we tend to think of rice cereal followed by several stages of puree as
the standard first foods for babies. Before these products were mass marketed
and produced, babies tended to eat what their parents ate. In many cultures
around the world, they still do. And most children will develop normally and
grow up to be healthy adults. In the end it probably doesn’t matter whether you
begin with rice cereal, pureed fruits or steamed veggies.
2. Trust yourself and your child.
Even the experts seem to disagree on just about
everything, so follow your intuition and use common sense. It seems like no two
people have the same parenting recommendations, and the spectrum of advice on
how to feed your child is no different. It really is up to you to decide when,
what, how and how much to feed your child. Every family has their own food
traditions, eating habits and allergy histories. Every child has their own
personality traits, quirks and opinions. You have to pay attention, do your
research, and make decisions about what works best for your family.
3. Be flexible and willing to adapt.
Don’t expect Plan A to go smoothly. Don’t even
expect Plan B to succeed as intended. Often the best of intentions just do not
work out as planned so try not to get too attached to your initial ideas. Before Henry arrived, I said I would never use
disposal diapers, but now we use them for overnights and traveling. I said I
would never use baby formula, but when Henry was born early at only four pounds
four ounces he had to stay in the NICU. Supplementing breast milk with formula
was our best option for helping him gain weight so he could come home quickly. Circumstances
change and what was unacceptable in concept may become acceptable in reality.
As I research like crazy tonight one last time before we get started...this is a great post to read! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteGood luck! Just take a deep breath and dive right in. In a few months, you'll wonder why you were so worried about getting started.
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