Hello again, Hivians! Thank you for reading the first part of Rediscovering the World Through My Daughter’s Eyes. As mentioned yesterday, I will be posting Part 2 today. If you haven’t read Part 1, this series is about my little one’s exploration of the world and how I get to see the world anew as I join her in her expeditions. Yesterday, I talked about how my daughter picks her toys and what I have learned from it. Today, I will share with you how she has been eating her food.
I Want a Taste of It
Perhaps, one of the most exciting milestones for a baby is transitioning into solid foods. My baby thankfully loves eating so it wasn’t hard for me to feed her. It may have helped that we decided to practice baby-led weaning (BLW) which made her enjoy meal time.
My baby enjoying her first ever meal
One thing though that got me frustrated was that she bites at all her food without finishing one. When handed with one pack of fries, she will ask for one in each hand, take bites at both pieces and ask for more even though she hasn't finished either one. She does that on nuggets too. She would bite at all the nuggets she could reach but would not finish a whole piece. Additionally, she would annoyingly reach onto my plate and eat my food. She does that to my husband too or anyone beside her at the dining table. The thing is, most of the time we all have the same food on our plate especially when she has turned one year old.
For months, I would berate her to no end every time she does that. I kept telling her angrily that she shouldn’t waste food and that she should not be greedy. However, one day, when she was nibbling at every piece of nugget she can get her hands on, our helper remarked:
“Ang galing! Tinitignan nya kung may iba ang lasa."
(Amazing! She’s checking out if they taste differently)
It then dawned on me why she keeps doing that seemingly bad habit. SHE WAS EXPLORING! I never saw it that way. I just chose to get mad at her immediately every time it happened thinking that my daughter was greedy. After that observation, every time she does that, I explain to her that each piece tastes the same. Miraculously, she would finish what she has in her hand.
As much as I wanted her to explore her food as it will satisfy her curiosity, I don’t want her to waste food. That is something I should at least teach her. Now, at least, I have learned to see things from her perspective. She is curious about the world and something as obvious as a box of nuggets tasting the same is something she wants to find about.
Our helper is actually a mother of three. Unsurprisingly, I get to understand my daughter more from other mothers. I used to stubbornly rely on what doctors say and what I read or watch online but usually the best advice on motherhood had come from my fellow mothers. What I see from my more experienced peers is that they have become more empathetic beings. My mom, for instance, can understand very well when my daughter is sleepy, curious or in need of attention. I do hope to develop that great motherly trait someday so I can better guide my curious little one in this world.
For parents out there, I hope you can share with me in the comments down below your children’s take on eating. Also, is there anything you have learned from your fellow parents?
That’s it for this weekend! I will be focusing more on the crypto market in the coming days so it may take a while for me to post Part 3 of this series. Thank you for reading this far and stay tuned for Part 3!