Hi everyone, the lovely Kelly (Domestic Goddesque) is here with her weaning experience today and is kindly bringing us a giveaway too! Please make her feel welcome :O)
Weaning is simple if you invest in just one thing. Yes, you heard me, one. No need for expensive bibs or splash mats or other things designed to help keep your child clean. All you need is a large roll of cling film. Simply cover the entire room in cling film and weaning will be a breeze. I can also advise stripping your child down to their nappy before you start feeding them, thus making them wipe-clean too. Only then should you set to it.
This advice is based on weaning two of my own children and several others in my former incarnation as nanny-to-the-stars (OK, the stars bit I made up to give myself more credibility). I have spent hours pureeing and mashing food, soaking and scrubbing stains from clothes, cleaning walls, floors and children.
When you begin, weaning is a fairly simple, tidy process.
Stage 1: you make up a small amount of ‘goo’, as it has always been referred to at DG Manor, an even smaller amount of which will actually be consumed by the baby, who appears to lap it up ineffectually like a cat.
Stage 2: the baby gets the idea, starts eating like it’s going out of fashion and, because all the food vanishes into the baby from the spoon, there’s very little mess.
Stage 3: lumps. A bit messier but you still have control of the spoon, which is crucial. There’s some finger food too, along the way, but the clean-up process is still remarkably easy.
Up until this point things have run fairly smoothly over the months and you are thrilled that your precious baby is eating so well, trying so many flavours, enjoying eating in a variety of locations. It might even be said that you have been lulled into a false sense of security. And then, one day, you lose control: the baby will only feed herself. You may load the spoon, but she will put it into her own mouth, thank you very much. And that is why you need the cling-filmed room.
This is the stage I recently reached with Dimples, who is small but very determined and clearly just wants to be a big girl like her sister. In the past few days, I have cleaned pasta and beans, egg fried rice and yogurt, half-chewed grapes, banana custard and numerous other foodstuffs from the windows, walls, floors, furniture and child. I’ve given up washing my clothes: as they seem to get splattered within half an hour of me putting them on, it seems as though I am making unnecessary work for myself by putting clean clothes on every morning. I sometimes imagine that the Breakfast Room looks like a Crime Scene with food instead of blood. I can say with confidence that no amount of bib-wearing or splash-mat usage limited the spread of food around the room.
Neither of my girls read the books on weaning, or listened to the advice put forth by the Government that suggests babies should not be weaned until six months. The Threeva grabbed a spoonful of pear compote from me one day at 18 weeks and never looked back. Dimples was kindly fed chocolate by her older sister when she was 12 weeks old. A mere two weeks later she began screaming in anger whenever we were eating. We were on holiday at the time so I had to make do with what the Spanish supermarkets had to offer. She was on three meals per day before we came home. It’s been a food-based blur ever since. Which is why, when sorting out the kitchen cupboards I found some of the Tomy Momma range unused. A thoughtful gift to celebrate Dimples’ arrival, the warm plate and egg cooker remain untouched and I would like to give them to a reader.
How to Enter to win these 2 great items!!
You can do all of the actions below or just 1 of them but please make sure you leave a seperate comment for each action you take or your entries will not be valid & please make sure you leave a way of contacting you either email or twitter, Thank you x
- Follow my blog via Google Friends
- Follow Domestic Goddesque via Google Friends
- Follow me on Twitter @SoniaThorpe
- Follow Kelly On twitter @domesticgoddesq
- Tweet the following “I’m in to win Tomy Momma goodies with @domesticgoddesq and @SoniaThorpe at http://thismummyloves.blogspot.com“
Good luck! The winner will be drawn by random.org on February 14th 2011 x
74 Comments
Already following the blog on GFC
@ericahughes
Following DG on GFC
@ericahughes
I also already follow @SoniaThorpe
on twitter @catdoran
I already follow Kelly On twitter @catdoran
I just tweeted! @juliejesta
..
I’m in to win Tomy Momma goodies with @domesticgoddesq and @SoniaThorpe at http://thismummyloves.blogspot.com
Now following @domesticgoddesq
on twitter
@juliejesta
already follow you on Twitter… thats were i saw this competition. 😉
@JulieJesta
Followed DG on Google friend
I'm following the blog on google friends.
following your blog too!
I'm following Kelly on Twitter @lowie789
I've retweeted the competition @lowie789
I'm following you on Twitter @lowie789
I'm following your blog via Google friends
I'm following @domesticgoddesq on Twitter as @Blatherskite_MN
I'm following you on Twitter as @Blatherskite_MN
I tweeted as @marzutek
I follow @domesticgoddesq on Twitter as @marzutek
I already follow you on Twitter as @marzutek
I follow Domestic Goddesque via Google Friends as Marzena
@marzutek
I already follow your blog as Marzena
@marzutek
Tweeted @ericahughes
Following @domesticgoddesq on twitter
@ericahughes
Following you on twitter @ericahughes
Following Domestic Goddesque via Google Friends
@ericahughes
Following your blog
@ericahughes
& I have tweeted: http://twitter.com/#!/milkpetal/status/31090207872778240
Thanks to you both for the fab comp 🙂
Following Kelly on twitter (@milkpetal)
Following you on twitter (@milkpetal)
Am following Domestic Goddesque via google friend connect.
Am following you via google friend connect 🙂
I am following this blog via Google Friends 🙂
I am following Domestic Godd-esque via Google Friends
I tweeted this competition. @laurenawoodward
I am following @domesticgoddesq on Twitter (@laurenawoodward)
I am following @mummyloves on Twitter (@laurenawoodward)
I tweeted the competition @themodernmummy
I follow @domesticgoddesq on Twitter (@themodernmummy)
I follow @SoniaThorpe on Twitter (@themodernmummy)
I follow the blog
Tweeted the link @missielizzieb
Thank you x
Following @domesticgoddesq on twitter @missielizzieb
Following you on twitter @missielizzieb
Following Domestic Goddesque via Google Friends
Missielizzie
Following your blog – Missielizzie
I have tweeted about the giveaway ;D
Following @domesticgoddesq on twitter 🙂
Following @SoniaThorpe on twitter
Now following Domestic Goddesque as well 🙂
Following this great blog 🙂
@katylittlelady
and the Domestic Goddesque blog!
and following domesticgoddesq as @jumblyMummy
I'm following you on twitter as @jumblyMummy
and I have tweeted as @jumblyMummy
I'm following this blog
@jumblyMummy
Tweeted 🙂 thank you
I follow @domesticgoddesq @anna8301
I follow you on twitter @anna8301
I follow Domestic Goddesque via Google Friends
I am your follower via Google Friends
Following Kelly On twitter @cheekyd19
Following Domestic Goddesque via Google Friends
Have tweeted @cheekyd19
Following blog
i've tweeted too @ashlallan
i am following kelly on twitter @ashlallan
i already follow you on twitter
i already follow you with google friends
i am following domestic goddesque via google friends
Tweeted @mandy4baz
Following Kelly On twitter @domesticgoddesq
Following me on Twitter @SoniaThorpe
Following Domestic Goddesque via Google Friends
Amanda Moss
@mandy4baz
following blog! x
Amanda Moss
@mandy4baz