Weaning truly is an adventure for both parent and baby, and it’s by no means an easy feat!
When should weaning start? Which foods are best for weaning? What is green parenting?
Parenting is challenging enough without the extra eco-guilt…
So to celebrate Weaning Week 2021, Piccolo has teamed up with leading baby brand Nuby to offer clean, green weaning advice for families. Check out Nuby’s full weaning range here.
1. Grow your own
Gardening is a great way of sustainably sourcing your own fresh fruit and veggies and it offers lots of stimulation for your baby!
From an early age they can watch what you’re doing, and they can see, touch and smell everything that’s growing in the garden until they’re ready to get involved themselves.
As your little one grows, it also teaches valuable lessons in responsibility, patience and care, as well as learning the value of the food they eat, building their confidence and encouraging an interest in healthy eating very early on.
2. Weaning waste? Compost it!
If you are growing your own veggie garden, why not take it a step further and start your own compost heap?
Make the most of your food waste and let it become a fertiliser for your garden – it’s a fantastic way to make the most of the food that baby doesn’t end up eating!
And what’s great about Nuby’s new eco-tableware is that it’s 100% compostable too. Once your child has moved on from the weaning tableware, it can all be broken up and thrown in your compost heap to decompose back into the earth.
3. Have fun together
While it can feel like an uphill battle as you try to show your little one that spaghetti goes in their mouth and not on the floor, it makes such a positive difference to your baby if you stay happy and full of smiles throughout their mealtimes.
Mealtimes shouldn’t become a source of worry for them, and you’ll find it less stressful too if you’re able to have some fun with them!
Try making up little songs or games together about eating certain foods. Even just chatting away to your baby, asking them questions or telling them about the food, will help them feel relaxed and comfortable – even if they don’t understand you!
4. Introduce baby to beakers and cups
From around six months, babies will be able to drink tap water with their meals. This can help your baby ease any constipation they may experience as they adjust to solid foods.
Introduce your baby to drinking from a cup or beaker at mealtimes by offering them sips of water with their food. Just a couple of inches of tap water should be fine to start off with.
Sippy cup, juice cup, beaker, free-flow feeder – it seems like there are a lot of options to choose from! We recommend trying a few to see which your baby likes best.
5. Prepare for the mess, and embrace it!
Eating solid food and drinking from cups are two entirely new experiences for your baby – so let them get stuck in and explore these new textures, tastes and tablewear!
That’s not to say you can’t take a few extra steps to keep things under control, such as looking for an easy-clean highchair or even a splash mat to save your floors. But in some cases, such as teaching your little ones to drink from an open cup, simply embrace the mess as part of the learning process.
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