2 1/2 year old still on baby food??

[jazmic]

If you are afraid of confrontation, then just bring it to the mom's attention in a friendly manner. Say "*** is still hungry even after eating all the food that you bring for her, so I'll need you to provide some more food for her." Then just say something like, " I'm sure you don't want **** to be hungry during the day so here are some suggestions of food that will fill her up better." You could print out the information on this link and give it to her: http://www.babycenter.ca/a9149/solid...4-to-36-months. It doesn't matter that she is a nurse. She obviously doesn't know any better and should be given the information.

[bright sparks]

While I fully agree that a 2.5 year old should not be eating only baby food and what she is sent for the day is clearly not enough nourishment...I do take issue with the statement that a child should be in his/her own room at some specified point. I don't think it has anything to do with being babied...many people choose to share a room or even a bed with their children. It can be personal values and beliefs or cultural practices...there is nothing wrong with this. Obviously the parents are struggling if they have to lie down and pretend to sleep...but that is for them to work out. Again, I find myself saying, we don't fit all into the same box as parents and as families. Personally, I don't want my children to turn out like many of the individualistic, spoiled, egocentric children that I see in our society...they have no sense of family, no sense of caring for one another...every one is in it for themselves...and personally I see it starting right from day one. each child has their own room, their own toys, their own material goods and they are taught not to share them....that nobody has the right to enter their space, touch their things, etc. I am just trying to show another point of view on why some parents may choose to share a room or bed with their children. Not saying that is why these parents are doing it...but I just hate all the judegment and parents telling other parents how to raise their kids.

Thankyou for your perspective on this. In a forum post it is so hard to give every single tiny bit of information surrounding a subject so its really easy for the poster to miss a vital piece of info out or for the reader to take it the wrong way.

In my way of telling the parents to put their child in their own room, I advised them and I backed it up with information as to way I was advising it. We had a discussion about it and I was kind and considerate of their feelings and parenting style. Obviously in the post the tone shows that I was shocked and gobsmacked of the situation but I was respectful about it and did not order them to move their child or tell them that they were doing anything wrong. Simply that it may be beneficial to transition her into her own room as it was them who expressed their difficulties to me and asked me for advice.

Everyone judges, its a natural human reaction.It's just what you do as a responce to this. I have known the family long enough and know enough of the consistant issues they have through the lack of support, to be able to know why their child is sharing a room with them. I was also very delicate in approaching the subject as I know they have some financial issues and wasn't sure if it was a case of not having a room for their child. I am a very kind and compassionate person, so please don't hate on me for advising parent's who asked me in the first place how they should deal with this. I am all good with people and their choices on how to parent, but if it effects me directly in my daycare because they have a socially delayed child, then hell yes I'm going to speak up. It doesn't make me a hardass. Theres just a way of doing it without stepping over the line, respecting the parents choices while also advocating number one for the childrens needs and best interests. Not in my opinion or experience in parenting but based on facts surrounding child development.

I also have issues with people telling parent's how to parent(believe me I know first hand being a teenage mother to 2 kids), but how many children get screwed up because nobody speaks up for them when a situation becomes detrimental to their very wellbeing?? I may not make a difference immediatly or get brownie points for speaking up, but maybe it will make the parent's think a little differently about what they are doing and make better judgement calls. And of course, maybe it wont.

[monkeymama]

Wow! Is all I have to say lol....I dont do jarred foods, but thats not really the point. As other posters have stated, at 2 1/2 this child should be self-feeding what everyone else is eating! This is stunting her development, I am sure....how does the child react when she sees other kids eating all kinds of great foods and she is stuck with that jarred crap? I would be having a serious conversation with mom and dad.....on the same note, I had a dcb start in the summer who at 3 still had a soother. I point blank asked the parents why, and that it needed to be gone. I hope Im not coming across as too harsh because thats really not my nature...I think I am just in shock from reading this point, I almost cant believe it!

[Manue]

So the little girl is in my care today, her grandma dropped her off so i couldnt talk to the mother. Out of curiosity at snack time i DIDNT give her the jarred food, i offered her a nutrigrain bar, cheese, and cherios just to see if it was her gag reflex or just laziness. The little girl ate it ALL!!!! She is a very quiet and easy little girl so i didnt think it was because she was stubborn either. I have her again next week before the Christmas holidays so i will talk to the mother and try to explain to her that this poor little girl needs more nourishment, and for today i will offer her a healthy and nutritious lunch! Thanks for all the support and advice

[Crayola kiddies]

I had a family that had a 3 yr old that came everyday with 6 soothers .... One in his mouth and the other 5 on his fingers like rings .... Yuk .... Anyway he knew he was not allowed them here and he put them in his bag and it really wasn't an issue but they are gone now and I have a new family also with a 3 yr old and lo and behold after being here for about two months he walks in with a soother in his mouth .... Well I'm sure my jaw dropped because the mom turned around and said oh I forgot to leave that in the car ..... About a week later the dad picked up and I heard the dad saying to the kid "if you give up your soother I'll buy you a four wheeler" ..... Are you freaking kidding me..... So I chimed in abd asked the dad if he knew about the "soother fairy". Dad said no so I told him the boy puts his soother in a big gift bag and they put it on the front porch and thru the night the soother fairy comes and takes the soother and leaves a nice toy however she doesn't have four wheelers but I'm sure she has a nice tonka truck or something" .... Dad was so happy to learn of the soother fairy and said she would be visiting soon and she did!!!!!

[Crayola kiddies]

So the little girl is in my care today, her grandma dropped her off so i couldnt talk to the mother. Out of curiosity at snack time i DIDNT give her the jarred food, i offered her a nutrigrain bar, cheese, and cherios just to see if it was her gag reflex or just laziness. The little girl ate it ALL!!!! She is a very quiet and easy little girl so i didnt think it was because she was stubborn either. I have her again next week before the Christmas holidays so i will talk to the mother and try to explain to her that this poor little girl needs more nourishment, and for today i will offer her a healthy and nutritious lunch! Thanks for all the support and advice

Glad to hear she will eat regular food ..... It's important to start good eating habits when they are young.... Surprised the mom being a nurse doesn't get this even if it is her "baby"

[momof2cuties]

Formula and baby food... 2.5 years old? That's not enough nutrients for a child that age. As for the soother thing, I haven't had to deal with that, but constantly having to handle a object that's been in a childs mouth all day, yeah don't want those germs!!

[sunnydays]

Bright Sparks: I didn't mean to attack you...I certainly don't think that you are being disrepectful toward the parents and I am sorry if that was how it sounded. If they asked you for advice, then you did the right thing by giving it and hopefully it helped them. I think I just get tired of a certain tone that I see here on the forum (not pointing to you directly at all) whereby everyone seems to know what is best. I guess my point was that "normal" is quite relative and varies from culture to culture and from family to family and also changed through time. Doctor's used to advocate bottles only and now they advocate breatfeeding..etc etc. While I do agree that if something is affecting the child negatively, then we can offer some support, I think it is the extreme "this is they way to raise a child" tone that I was reacting to (again not you specifically, but somethign I see from many on here). I guess I was just trying to offer another perspective on things...but in no way meant to attack you for giving advice!

[bright sparks]

Bright Sparks: I didn't mean to attack you...I certainly don't think that you are being disrepectful toward the parents and I am sorry if that was how it sounded. If they asked you for advice, then you did the right thing by giving it and hopefully it helped them. I think I just get tired of a certain tone that I see here on the forum (not pointing to you directly at all) whereby everyone seems to know what is best. I guess my point was that "normal" is quite relative and varies from culture to culture and from family to family and also changed through time. Doctor's used to advocate bottles only and now they advocate breatfeeding..etc etc. While I do agree that if something is affecting the child negatively, then we can offer some support, I think it is the extreme "this is they way to raise a child" tone that I was reacting to (again not you specifically, but somethign I see from many on here). I guess I was just trying to offer another perspective on things...but in no way meant to attack you for giving advice!

Your response is appreciated. I would have to say I generally agree with what you say about the forum. It is so easy that things get lost in translation when it comes to online communication, and then all hell breaks loose with strong personalities coliding. I am all about communication and I generally, if it's put in the right way, appreciate feedback to my comments. It can really make a person stop and process things from a different perspective. This can force change when it is needed but also reinforce our own beliefs. Thank you

[gcj]

That is just shocking! Poor kid. I almost see that as failure to provide.....that's not right. And a nurse! Like she doesn't know....what about the Dad...he must think his wife is nuts!

I'm just shocked. I've never EVER heard of that!