it gets all over them and their clothes too

That’s gonna happen, I’m afraid. The alternative is spoon feeding them yourself, which means they don’t learn themselves.

Kids need sugar. Why Wheetabix without sugar, it’s Yck, they need complex and simple sugars. Cherios are ok but porridge with sugar/syrup/honey is a good start to the day, you don’t have to shovel it on. Or try stewed fruit in porridge or my troops like homemade rice pudding for brekkie. Don’t stress about mess, just take lots of photo’s. You got kids, you will never have a tidy home again 😀

We’ve always made a point of having breakfast together. It does mean I have to get up at 5:30 to go for a run before my wife gets up at 6:15 to walk the dogs, so we can all sit down together for breakfast at 7. Writing it down, it’s clear that it’s a silly thing to do

Really don’t see how that could work for us as we are both flying in different directions in the mornings getting ready for work/playgroups etc. Saying that, I don’t know how anyone ever finds time to sit down for more than 10 seconds when children are around!

Kids need sugar.

Yeah I know, and they get plenty of it in their diets – I am just not keen on sugar-coated type cereals that are really high in sugar.

Not really wanting this post to be an argument about what is/isn’t good for them though – I just wanted ideas for easy to eat cereals so they can learn to feed themselves.

Have you tried the Cheerios with a (children’s) fork? That helped us with mess. Also you might try some cereal bars or breads (homemade ones) too.

Really the days will pass very quickly and soon you’ll find that things ease with the mess. Their co-ordination increases rapidly from this point on. Just hold on a little longer and this too shall pass.

Really don’t see how that could work for us as we are both flying in different directions in the mornings getting ready for work/playgroups etc. Saying that, I don’t know how anyone ever finds time to sit down for more than 10 seconds when children are around!

That’s both of use getting ready for work, plus getting two kids (4 and 7) ready to school. Plus walking and feeding a labrador and a greyhound, and watering/feeding seven chicken.

It’s easier now both girls are at the same school and are older, but we’ve always done it. It’s also much easier now we’re in the habit of making packed lunches the day before.

That’s both of use getting ready for work, plus getting two kids (4 and 7) ready to school. Plus walking and feeding a labrador and a greyhound, and watering/feeding seven chicken.

It’s easier now both girls are at the same school and are older, but we’ve always done it. It’s also much easier now we’re in the habit of making packed lunches the day before.
Glad it works for you – I just don’t see it working for us just yet. And as I said – I don’t know how anyone manages it really.

But saying that, a year ago I had people on here telling me to get a bedtime routine in place with baths etc and I couldn’t see that ever working but we have it down to a tee now.

Have you tried the Cheerios with a (children’s) fork? That helped us with mess. Also you might try some cereal bars or breads (homemade ones) too.

Yeah they both use spoons, forks and even chopsticks (well I give them to them to distract them) 🙂

MF that’s the US page – US cheerios are different.

LOL… the figues being bandied around here are pretty silly..

Of course US cereals have less sugar.. have you never tasted lucky charms..? 🙄 😆

shreddies are 94.9% wholewheat so fitting in 20 something percent of refined sugars is going to be a dramatic defiance of the laws of maths and physics..

Of course US cereals have less sugar.. have you never tasted lucky charms..?

Lol.. that link WAS a US link. Mine was a UK link:

Carbohydrate of which sugars 21.3g

So you can see, 21.3g sugar per 100g.

I did say though that it’s not clear how much of that is ADDED sugar.

So lol all you like 🙂 Just because there ARE nasty sugary cereals around in the US, doesn’t mean that every cereal is like that.

Bitesize weetabix/oatibix- not too much milk and they can eat them with their hands if necessary. If you want sweeter, there are ones with fruity bits and choccy bits too!

Carbohydrate of which sugars 21.3g

So you can see, 21.3g sugar per 100g.

I did say though that it’s not clear how much of that is ADDED sugar.

So lol all you like Just because there ARE nasty sugary cereals around in the US, doesn’t mean that every cereal is like that.

so at least a couple of grams less than an average apple then..?

Marmite on toast.

As a parent you should be more responsible for your childrens health. You should be making them spinach & salami omlettes

And just like M-F, they’re happiest eating whatever I’m eating.

Hence my littlest, who has always been a nightmare to get something into before school, now demands ‘one of those yellow things’ most mornings. Ham, cheese, spinach and mushroom is the favourite currently.

Glad it works for you – I just don’t see it working for us just yet. And as I said – I don’t know how anyone manages it really.

If we had twin 1-year-olds, we’d have been gibbering in the corner 🙂

Our little fella loves toast, bagels, fruit, dry rice krispies as finger food, weetabix, whatever I’m having and porridge.

Also, full-body bibs are the way of the future!

so at least a couple of grams less than an average apple then..?

Fructose vs sucrose vs whatever else.. Like I keep saying, the ‘sugars’ figure on nutritional info listings is far from conclusive. It’s there mainly for diabetics I think.

Apples have a lot of ‘sugar’ but low GI since the fructose is only processed in the liver.. as I am sure someone with a keen eye for nutritional details such as yourself would know.

some pious **** in this thread

I am sure someone with a keen eye for nutritional details such as yourself would know.

no no no.. I couldnae really give a ****..

We make a bit of an effort to ensure our little bundle of joy gets a fairly healthy start in life.. good fresh food and a balanced diet.. and any mass produced processed crap is kept to a minimum and kept plain and bland and hopefully healthy.. he eats the same stuff as I am happy to eat basically..

Your post about shreddies just made me sit up and take notice.. and then dismiss it as a bit alarmist..

I really don’t need shreddies anxst on top of dealing with our first baby.. 8)

If we had twin 1-year-olds, we’d have been gibbering in the corner

Yeah – lots of parents of singletons think that. My wife’s cousin came round a few weeks ago and watched the full bedtime routine. He has a little girl who is about 4 months older than our two yet he was stood, open-jawed, in the corner wondering how we cope.

But some people have singletons AND twins on top.

Someone we know has two kids and wanted a third. They ended up with triplets :-O We often se the granddad pushing the pram around the local area to give the mum (a very well-earned) break.

Also, full-body bibs are the way of the future!

Yeah they have those bibs with arms in AND Tommy Tippee plastic ones over the top but it still gets everywhere sometimes.

🙂

One baby with a 2-year-old was bad enough. Triplets plus two older ones would have me signing up for the Foreign Legion 🙂

Yeah me too – I honestly don’t know how they cope – we don’t know them well (friends of an old neighbour) so don’t know what outside help they get, but I do believe that most local authorities do offer helper services to parents of triplets and above.

Why Wheetabix without sugar, it’s Yck,

Just noticed this – they seem to really enjoy it and can eat a full one each so why add sugar?

I only add a 1/2 teaspoon of sugar to my four Wheetabix. If they’re on full fat milk (I can’t remember when kids start on cow milk), that tastes a bit sweeter than semi-skimmed anyway.

no no no.. I couldnae really give a ****..

F*ck off then. All I did was correct someone else.

Our kid eats cheerios. No angst from me!

Yeah they are on full fat cow’s milk but I don’t think I should add sugar if they will eat them without it.

They will soon-enough turn their noses up at anything unless it comes in a spangly box with free toys in it…

F*ck off then. All I did was correct someone else.

pleasant..

I wasn’t having a go at you poppet.. just tossing some ideas around and trying to understand a bit better.. no need for language 🙄

jeeez

All that refined sugar and all the salt in cereal is not good for them – especially in the sugary cereals that are 20+ % sugar.

You corrupt their palate so nothing tastes nice to them unless it is piled with sugar and or salt.

its best to be very wary of the refined sugar / salt content.

Yeah that seems to make total sense in my own non-scientific mind TJ.

We make sure that any treats they get are away from the table and away from meal times – even then it is just the odd chocolate button or two, yoghurt-coated raisins, organic corn puffs etc.

As above – as soon as they become more aware of stuff around them, we’ll have a hard-enough fight as it is to stop them drinking/eating crap. And I have already had to tell my mother-in-law not to put sugar on cereals.

I couldnae really give a ****..

I was being just as pleasant as you were.

Tis true about ones palette becoming used to sugar and particularly salt, but these things are almost unavoidable in the modern world. Given that, I think the moderation approach is best. My Mum tried to stop us from eating sweets, and we both ended up with sweet tooths*

* non scientific study sample size of 2.

Yeah I am not gonna stop my girls having sweets or anything, but at this stage we want to try our best to ensure they like a variety of things.

I was being just as pleasant as you were.

🙂

TRH jnr (pink edition) will eat anything infront of her. She started at four mouths and three months on has her own finger food before the main course. Brekky could be a whole slightly mashed up na-na follwed by yoghurt and a biscotti biccy or it could be cereal….followed by na-na etc. If they’ve got teeth, get them on toast and bagels. We were advised against too much Weetabix by a paedonurse who nick names them weetabricks for their bunging up properties. Try hashbrowns if you think they can handle it. Play the long game and see if you can get Mrs.Mastiles to cook you a full English…just so as the kids can try some 🙂

Our 6 month old is off baby porride (so bloody expensive!)

Now we give him Ready Brek or normal Porridge and add in banana, berries or strawberries. Can see it will be fun once he tries to feed himself, but I would rather he eat some thing thats going to fill him up and therefore keep him going than some thing thats easy to feed him but means he is asking for more food 1hr later.

FunkyDunc – when he does start grabbing stuff try warm chunky mccain chips. They’re not as messy as you’d think and it takes them a while, allowing that all important vital time to stick some food in your own gob.

I thought it would be a good idea to show my girls I was happy to eat their food at mealtimes so dutifully started to eat various things from their plates.

Then they thought ‘let’s feed daddy’ would be a good game and tried to feed me instead 🙂

At little over a year we discovered my eldest liked mussels. Went out for brunch one day and the cafe had mussels on the lunch menu, so we asked and yes they would do them now. The result was one very happy little chap tucking into a huge bowl of mussels and an amazed restaurant. We have some photo’s somewhere and for a few years the cafe had a picture on the wall.

The resultant nappies were not such a high point of my parenting experience.

Now four he still likes mussles but prefers squid, especially if he helps gut and prepare them… but his absolute favourite is Lobster, especially the claw meat which he likes to get himself. Won’t touch oysters…

I’d have been nervous about filter-feeding seafood at that age.

I suppose if you know it’s the highest quality, freshest seafood, from an area of zero heavy metal pollution, (no, not Black Sabbath) etc etc…