• SELF LOVE & BODY IMAGE
  • MOTHERHOOD
    • Pregnancy
    • Babies
    • Kids
  • ADVENTURE
  • STYLE
    • Interiors
    • Fashion
    • Beauty
  • FOOD

Mother's Always Right

Mum life, body image, style

  • ABOUT
  • PRESS
  • Podcast
  • Public Speaking
  • YOUTUBE
  • WORK WITH ME
  • #FreeFromDiets campaign
You are here: Home / MOTHERHOOD / Babies / Why a baby is better than Laurence Llewelyn Bowen

Why a baby is better than Laurence Llewelyn Bowen

July 22, 2011 by Molly 17 Comments

We’ve taken a fresh approach to interior design this week.

Gone are the old, boring, white walls. Hidden are the original timber beams. And camouflaged are the dull beige carpet and cream rug. In their place are spots of tomato sauce, layered with smudges of mashed potato, accompanied with a fine dusting of rice crispies and crusty sausage.

Frog has taken to decorating like a true pro. She’s really gunning for Laurence Llewelyn Bowen’s job.

Now, everyone knows baby-led weaning is messy. Hideously messy. You need a crate of newspaper to cover the floors, at least two bibs for the baby and ten tonnes of overalls for yourself. Either that, or everyone gets naked and you all jump in the bath at the end of every mealtime. Not that we do that. Honest.

So, just as Frog was starting to get rather adept at using her hands to shovel food into her mouth (with only around 45 percent of it making it to the floor) we decided to up the ante. Not content with the fact our baby clearly loves her food and will eat anything (I mean this in the literal sense – we’ve caught her trying to lick a nugget of poo in the past)  we thought it would be a good idea to introduce a spoon.

Idiots.

I’ve admitted in the past I have a tendency towards the competitive side. I’m ashamed to say it, but despite all my promises to leave the baby race etc etc, I’ve jumped straight back in. My nearly-13-month-old daughter will NOT be left behind. Oh no. She will learn how to use a spoon and will, in less than 2 weeks time, be cutting up her own meat and veg in a manner more lady-like than the queen.

Or not….

 

[slideshow]

 

Filed Under: Babies, MOTHERHOOD Tagged With: babies, baby-led weaning, cutlery, eating, food, mess, Parenting, spoon

« The little red shirt
Silent Sunday »

Comments

  1. mum2babyinsomniac says

    July 26, 2011 at 10:10 pm

    Wow, I really need to let Iyla do that! I am so bad though, I really struggle with letting her make mess. I know it’s how they learn but she’s still at the stage where more goes on the floor than in her mouth and I can barely find the time to mop the floor once a day let alone 3! Eating outside is a good idea though!

    Reply
    • mothersalwaysright says

      July 26, 2011 at 10:14 pm

      It’s certainly not for the faint-hearted! We put newspaper down on the floor, but F still seems to manage to miss it at every meal time. Seeing the fun and enjoyment she gets out of food makes it worth it though. Most of the time. (Also helps that I’m not house proud!).

      Reply
  2. lovelifeandpugs says

    July 23, 2011 at 7:07 pm

    Oh this is hilarious! That poor bib! Is there an outline of the bib on her shirts? It looks like she has got wide range with her mess skills! 🙂 I love these pictures!!

    Reply
    • mothersalwaysright says

      July 24, 2011 at 8:58 pm

      She’s terrifyingly good at creating huge amounts of mess. And the bibs are pretty pointless really, as she’s recently learned how to deposit bits of food down the top of her bib and into her nappy. You’ve got to love weaning. No, really. You’ve got to. *sigh*

      Reply
  3. Boatwife says

    July 22, 2011 at 10:07 pm

    I bought a splash mat but my babe quickly delighted in throwing food beyond the perimeter of the splash mat EVERY mealtime.

    Reply
    • mothersalwaysright says

      July 24, 2011 at 8:55 pm

      We have newspaper on the floor. Complete waste of time. She seems to know exactly the spot of carpet which isn’t covered. Clever child.

      Reply
  4. janeblackmore says

    July 22, 2011 at 9:27 pm

    I dont know if I am more impressed with Forg’s ability to spoon feed or you to do a slide show!

    Reply
    • mothersalwaysright says

      July 24, 2011 at 8:56 pm

      I wouldn’t be impressed at F’s ability to spoon feed. She’s rubbish at it!

      Reply
  5. Anna says

    July 22, 2011 at 9:25 pm

    This makes me nervous. Very, very nervous. Our two are already scarily similar, I just can’t imagine ever giving The Baby free reign with a spoon like this!
    Beeeyoootiful pictures of Frog, by the way. I like the feeding in the garden idea, if only I had a garden…
    x

    Reply
    • mothersalwaysright says

      July 24, 2011 at 8:56 pm

      You should be afraid. Very afraid. It’s probably the messiest thing you’ll ever see in your life. Even messier than childbirth (in our house anyway).

      Reply
  6. Hellie says

    July 22, 2011 at 8:54 pm

    Oh my lord. I thought Livvy was messy, but Frog has taken it to the next level.

    Reply
    • mothersalwaysright says

      July 22, 2011 at 9:06 pm

      She takes her mess very seriously. Much to the NLM’s disgust.

      Reply
  7. Beky says

    July 22, 2011 at 8:03 pm

    Those picks are awesome. I’m glad we are past the massively messy stage. Now my son just looks at me with an evil glint in his eye and purposefully tips his dinner on the floor when he isn’t hungry (which is very often!). 🙂

    Reply
    • mothersalwaysright says

      July 22, 2011 at 8:06 pm

      So much to look forward to! Yay! (or not). x

      Reply
  8. Mammasaurus says

    July 22, 2011 at 8:01 pm

    Those are some great photos ! And worryingly they are making me feel hungry …

    Reply
    • mothersalwaysright says

      July 22, 2011 at 8:06 pm

      What’s more worrying is that I actually picked some of the stray food off the floor this evening and ate it. I’ve stooped to new lows…

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Cinderella shall go to the ball | Mother's Always Right says:
    July 26, 2011 at 7:27 pm

    […] As sponsors go, Brother Max couldn’t be a more perfect fit for Frog and I. Not only are they really rather lovely people (honestly – they’re not even paying me to say that), but they make some pretty amazing stuff. Take their combi bibs for example, perfect for messy eaters like Frog. […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Hello and welcome! I'm Molly Forbes - podcaster, presenter and blogger with a passion for positivity, confidence and body image chat. Regularly writing and vlogging about empowering female issues from a motherhood angle, I also cover lifestyle and fashion topics for like-minded mums who want to rediscover themselves after having children. Thanks for stopping by! Read More…

  • Bloglovin
  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

YOUTUBE

INSTAGRAM

Just popping in to bring some sexy realness to you Just popping in to bring some sexy realness to your feed and remind you not to compare your life to an edited highlights reel. Here I am on my swanky holiday in a five star hotel freshly woken after a refreshing eight hours’ sleep in silken sheets wearing my designer nightwear. #LifestyleGoals
It’s important to distinguish between doctors an It’s important to distinguish between doctors and dieticians, and to remember that GPs and doctors are NOT dieticians. People go to university for four years and then often do Masters or PhD’s before they start practising in dietetics. Doctors are great (my sister is one!) but they are not dieticians. Being a doctor does not automatically give you the expertise to give nutrition advice. Remember this if you are referred to Slimming World or Weight Watchers by your GP, or if you watched a certain TV show last night (hosted, btw, by a medical psychiatrist, not a GP - see @drjoshuawolrich post for more on that). 
.
I think it’s concerning when doctors write diet books, particularly when they are well known celeb doctors. Not only does it drive a weight-focused health agenda (side note: doctors! Read Health At Every Size by Lindo Bacon PhD!), but it perpetuates anti-fat bias in the medical community. 
.
And this matters why? Because weight stigma and health are not compatible. Research shows many of the health outcomes blamed on weight can be attributed to the effect of weight stigma rather than the weight itself, but ALSO weight stigma means many people put off going to see a doctor due to past upsetting experiences in the GP surgery OR they are not properly diagnosed because their weight is the focus of the consultation. 
.
Look, I’m not coming for doctors. I appreciate you and know you’ve done an exceptional job in the pandemic. Again, my sister is a doctor. BUT doctors are a product of society just like you and me. They are human with their own internalised biases. It’s important we remember this, particularly if their prescription involves nutrition advice which many dieticians would condemn as being actively bad for health.

#BodyImage
Re-sharing this vid from January to show, despite Re-sharing this vid from January to show, despite what fatphobic attitudes would have you believe, body acceptance does NOT mean “giving up”. It IS possible to enjoy moving your body without weight loss being the ultimate goal. 
.
Diet culture has messed up our relationship with exercise just like it’s messed up our relationship with food. And the government’s Better Health campaign just continues to perpetuate the myth that exercise is a weight loss tool, and that those in bigger bodies can’t be fit. WRONG! 
.
⚡️Did you know research shows people who are fat and fit live longer than those who are thin and unfit? ⚡️Did you know weight stigma and anti-fat attitudes are a massive barrier for many people who want to work out? ⚡️Did you know that exercising for intrinsic reasons (how it makes you feel) over extrinsic ones (how it makes you look) is a better long term motivator for consistent exercise? ⚡️And did you know that a study in 2007 showed people who are motivated to exercise for health and enjoyment reasons had a lower pulse, systolic blood pressure and salivary stress hormone levels while those motivated by weight loss had none of these physical measures? Fitness through a diet culture lens is NOT the one! 
.
If you want kids to enjoy movement then teaching them that all bodies are good bodies is absolutely KEY to a lifelong healthy relationship with exercise. 
.
But also: other people’s bodies and health habits are none of your business! People have the right to respect and dignity REGARDLESS of their health status. 
.
And finally (I’ll put my megaphone down in a sec) ALL movement is valid, despite what the “go hard or go home” crew tell you. It’s YOUR body, move it however you want, however it feels good, and not to “atone” for the “syns” you ate at your last meal ❤️❤️❤️
#BodyHappy #BodyImage
CELEBRATE YOUR BODY This book by @sonyarene CELEBRATE YOUR BODY ❤️ This book by @sonyareneetaylor is just the most joyful book to help girls understand and embrace their changing bodies. My eldest is 10 and she read it cover to cover, and it’s sparked so many gorgeous, open, curious conversations about puberty and periods and hormones and emotions and all the things. 
.
@thebodyisnotanapology
.
[ID: Celebrate Your Body book by Sonya Renee Taylor]
Tonight should be our first night on holiday in Sp Tonight should be our first night on holiday in Spain. Made up for it with a meal outside at the village pub and a “late” bedtime (any evening out past 8pm is late for us!). Devon is heaven ❤️ #mumlife
ALL children have the right to feel good about the ALL children have the right to feel good about themselves and their body - not just the ones who “look healthy”. Children are being taught at a younger and younger age that their body is a problem that needs to be fixed. 
.
The current climate of intense body shaming disguised as health concern is creating policies which actively damage the relationship children have with their bodies. There is a huge amount of evidence showing that the better kids feel about their body, the more likely they are to make choices that make their body feel good - like taking part in movement or eating in a happy, intuitive way. 
.
Making health all about weight not only damages kids’ body image, making them either feel like their body is “wrong” or fear it becoming “wrong”, it also gives a free pass to the diet industry to aggressively market their products at children, under the guise of health. Ironically, encouraging kids to engage in dieting and habits which are actively bad for their health. This culture affects ALL children.
. 
And of course this version of health, and this focus on making kids’ bodies the problem, lets the politicians off the hook. Easier to put the nation on a diet instead of investing in policies which will reduce inequality and give everyone access to the things needed to live a full and healthy life.
.
There is a silver lining though, because we can choose to be part of the solution. We can say no to diet culture at home and challenge it when it pops up in the spaces kids should be safest.
.
If you’re a teacher our Body Happy Kids workshop is an intro to this subject with tools for creating body happy spaces for the children in your care. Find out more and sign up via my bio. ❤️ #BodyHappyKids
Follow on Instagram

Copyright © 2020 · Mothers Always Right. Design by Stacey Corrin

This site uses cookies: Find out more.