Should Baby Skip the Thanksgiving Feast?
Author: Heather Slee
Besides family, friends, parades on TV, and looking at all the ads in the newspaper for Black Friday deals, there is of course the pièce de résistance: dinner. So you may be wondering if your baby has to miss out on all the great traditional (or non-traditional) fare while everyone else chows down. Well, it depends.
Most experts recommend that babies stay away from solid foods until they are at least four months old. And at four months, usually the solid food of choice is a soupy rice cereal. Once a baby gets used to eating using their tongue and not sucking from a breast or bottle, they usually move on to other mild solids, like oatmeal or other cereals especially for baby, and then to squash, carrots, applesauce, and other first-stage baby foods. This generally starts around six months of age.
While some parents choose to start their babies on finger food earlier (if their child has mastered the pincher grasp), many choose to wait until eight to nine months. Baby’s hand-eye coordination has greatly improved, they can hold bits of food between their thumb and pointer finger (pincher grasp), and they can mash down soft food with their jaws. Usually finger foods begin with Cheerios, those flavored puffs, yogurt drops, and bits of soft fruit, like banana and pear.
So, it depends. For babies six months and younger? I’d wait until next year for their Thanksgiving treats. If your baby is fairly comfortable with finger foods, feel free to cut up tiny pieces of turkey, a little mashed potato, and whatever else you feel comfortable with. If your baby is new to finger foods, I wouldn’t necessarily start him or her on a smorgasbord of options. Maybe choose one or two types of food to offer them. You don’t want your baby to be frustrated during mealtimes—so give them a hand with new foods if you need to, and if they are not into it, don’t force it. Just keep smiling and enjoy your own meal. There’s always Christmas dinner!
