From The Wise Baby: Introducing Solid Food to Baby

This is a sponsored post. 
The chair featured in this article was sent to me free of charge. 
The wise baby and his thoughts are all mine

Hello, fellow babies! I’d like to discuss something important with you – food! Talking from the experience – you have to know this stuff to keep your tummies and mommies happy! Are you tired of the same food? No disrespect to milk, but it’s time to move onto the next stage of eating. My mom calls it “Introducing Solid Food to Baby”, but for me it’s an “Ultimate Baby’s Crash Course to Kitchen Preparedness.”  I am 7 months old, but I am no newbie to a family dinner and if you want to join the rest of your family at the big table, listen up:

I have to tell you – this baby doesn’t skip breakfasts (lunches, dinners or midnight snacks). However, the first time I heard my mom saying “It’s time to start introducing solid food to the baby,” I wasn’t sure what she was talking about. Here is what I did know: anytime I am in the kitchen, I see my brother and sister stuffing their faces with different things. Who wants to drink same old milk if the are people next to you enjoy their mac-n-cheese?  I tried crying while my siblings chewed their burgers, but still got nothing. I got two teeth; I can probably chew… GIVE.ME.FOOD!

I am here to help you take baby steps to the family dinner table! I promise it will be well worth it as you swap your formula for the food of many flavors.

Step 1: Are you ready for the Big T?

Believe it or not, at your young age, you have to pass an exam to sit with the big dogs (aka your brother and sister) at the dinner table. Practice these every day:

• Hold Your Head up baby: if you can keep your head steady upright, you might be getting closer to the kitchen dinner hour
• Lose the “extrusion reflex” baby: stop pushing food out of his mouth and start swallowing it. This one might take some practice
• Sit up baby: Dude, you can’t eat if you don’t sit upright.
• Chew baby: This might take some time, but your parents and older siblings chew food and swallow it too. You don’t see them drooling and spitting up their food, do you? If you like what you have in your mouth, move it to the back of your mouth and swallow it.
• Big baby: You have to be at least four months old and about 15 lbs to start.
• Bring Your Appetite, honey: You need to want to eat. Keep getting hungry and your mommy will get the cue.
• What’s up, baby? Care about your food. You know your mom won’t be happy when you knock a spoon full of carrots out of her hands, but somewhere dip down she knows that you do it out of love! You are growing up and trying to take over the process of eating.

Step 2 Go Shopping

Hey, babe, if you are ready for the big table, that means your mommy gets to go shopping for a high chair, and all moms love shopping! We have a small kitchen, and my mom hates bulky things there (or so she says when she stumbles across things).

Note from the wise baby’s mom: There is just not enough room in the kitchen for everything. The solution I used for the older of the kids was a space saving chair that gets strapped to the grown-up chair. However, it completely ruined the upholstery of the seat over time (with a help of leftover food my babies managed to spread everywhere), and now I am very tempted to buy a brand new dining set. My new favorite solution Abiie Beyond Junior Y High Chair – sleek and functional, yet not bulky.

My mom says that this chair is designed to grow with me, because it can change as is I grow older. She thinks that she can even sit on it, but I am not sure if that’s ok with me – get your own place to seat!

It has a footrest, cushy seat, and is easy to clean. Mom also seems to care about the high-quality European cultivated beech wood, recyclable & biodegradable; the wood has been carefully selected to keep the forests healthy and sustainably productive.

Step 3: Let’s Talk Food!

Babies, I might be bold, but I am not a newbie – I have been observing my family for many months now, and I know what they eat and how much they like it. I was jealous of the burgers they chewed and colorful drinks they drank. I did it, and now it’s our time to put the foot down – we want the same! Sure, we agree to take it slow, but we expect to see changes on out trays. I am talking fruits, vegetables, meat and not necessarily in this order. Go for the variety! Ask to mix things up! Four days between the new foods we can handle, but do challenge your parents’ cooking and shopping techniques ( I am not sure yet where my food comes from).

I love to play a little game with my folks: I like it – I eat it! I don’t like it – I spit it right in your face, and I will do it in style! Deal?

And before I go, I’d like to leave you with this handy list:

The Best 10 Foods for Babies 

Blueberries
Yogurt
Squash
Lentils
Dark leafy greens
Broccoli
Avocados
Meat
Prunes
Mandarin oranges