Argument with daycare about BLW

[rachael07]

We've been doing some spoon feeding and some BLW at home. DS became interested in food at around 6 months. He definitely wants to eat and we offer him as much as he'll take. But his pincer grasp is terrible (!), and so we always give him things he can hold in his fist: steamed zucchini sticks, cucumber, slices of fruit, rice cakes, broccoli trees, etc. When we do give him small things, he has a tendency to try to swallow them right away and gag/choke (he actually did choke, really choke, on a puff). We've been quite cautious about small things. Plus he gets so frustrated because the pincer grasp isn't up to speed.

Starting at 7 months, our DCP was bugging us about food. I didn't want to deal with it, so I sent him in with a jar every day. Now at 8 months, they're wondering about finger foods. They told me to go ahead and bring what we feed him at home. So I brought some broccoli trees and boiled potato chunks.

And they freaked the heck out.

It was a very upsetting argument (for me). I felt so judged. The director of the center is great and she wants to work out a compromise. It was one of the teachers that made me feel so badly, and all of them are extremely resistant to the idea.

I figure I have three options:

1. Somehow convince my DCP that big chunks are OK

2. Send him in with more filling purees (like cereals, which I avoided like the plague) so that he's not staring at the other babies' food

3. Teach him how to manage tiny bits without gagging (no idea how to do this)

<sigh> Any suggestions?

[Knitting Mama]

If the director wants to work something out, is she willing to push the daycare teachers to allow the larger chunks? What exactly were their concerns and reasons for freaking out? Smaller pieces are a bigger choking hazard than big chunks are. When do they deem babies are ready for larger chunks?

[osker]

Why in the world did they not think that they were meant to cut up the pieces? If they're so big on tiny pieces... cut them...

 I would continue to send him big pieces, and suggest to them that they cut them into whatever size they deem appropriate.  I would then send along a puree that was filling enough and think of his meals at daycare as practice sessions for his pincer grasp.  He can't get better at it if he doesn't get the chance to practice, so let them give him the chance to try, you give him big pieces at home and everyone is happy.

[rachael07]

The head teacher has been out for two months (her husband was in the hospital) and she will be back next week. The director thought I should sit down with the head teacher and come up with a compromise, which is quite reasonable (the director is great), but the question becomes what the compromise will be!

The only concern is choking.

I definitely agree about the small chunks. How do I convince the other teachers? They just don't believe me. I kept trying to explain with the broccoli... how he can't fit it all in his mouth, so he has to CHEW and therefore there's no choking hazard, but the teacher just kept shaking her head and arguing and the other teachers were ignoring me or agreeing with her. She brought out other children's food to show me what the other parents were bringing in. And just kept saying "It has to be cut very small, see, for a long time"

Great idea about asking "when" they are ready for the larger chunks

Originally Posted by Cecilia's Mama 

If the director wants to work something out, is she willing to push the daycare teachers to allow the larger chunks? What exactly were their concerns and reasons for freaking out? Smaller pieces are a bigger choking hazard than big chunks are. When do they deem babies are ready for larger chunks?

[rachael07]

Oh that's a good idea. I could ask them to bottle feed him first, then offer the tiny pieces and to not spoon feed the tiny pieces. Then if he's hungry (which I doubt he will be -- he's drinking loads of milk) he can have the puree....
 

Originally Posted by osker 

Why in the world did they not think that they were meant to cut up the pieces? If they're so big on tiny pieces... cut them...

 I would continue to send him big pieces, and suggest to them that they cut them into whatever size they deem appropriate.  I would then send along a puree that was filling enough and think of his meals at daycare as practice sessions for his pincer grasp.  He can't get better at it if he doesn't get the chance to practice, so let them give him the chance to try, you give him big pieces at home and everyone is happy.

[P.J.]

How ridiculous! Maybe bring them the BLW book to look over? Or send them some links to BLW websites. I think if people aren't familiar with the idea they find it preposterous that a baby can actually *gasp!* feed themselves and eat normal food!

Other than that the other ideas here are good.

[tzs]

when dd was a babe we did blw so when i was with her at daycare (i worked there) i would give her chunks. the teachers were definately shocked and awed. when i wasn't there i'm sure they cut her food up in little pieces. that was fine with me. they are professionals (even if they don't know everything!) and do things in the way they know best. they weren't going to let dd starve or choke either way. i'm of the mindset that when with different caregivers, experiencing different ways of doing things is good for dd. (and yeah, i've had parents freak out on me in the other direction...because i wasn't cutting their 2 year-old's banana into thin strips. it's just a different mindset, we went about our business and the kids did great and didn;t notice a difference.) i guess i agree with a pp that if they cut up into little chunks then i'd chalk it up to great pincer grip practice. i wouldn't call tiny bits a dire choking hazard anymore than i'd say that about big chunks (i mean, they can for sure get chokable bites off that way too.)

but it does seem ridiculous that they've turned it into such a drama. when i worked preschool we'd accomodate pretty much anything and look into it if we felt we needed to for our own knowledge.