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Woman With A PhD In Child Development Shares 9 “Crazy” Things She Does As A Mom That Other Parents Might Find Useful
Parents may spend hours and hours discussing and often criticizing each other’s parenting practices. And who could judge them? Everyone wants what’s best for their child, which often gets confused with thinking that they know what’s best for their child.
But Dr. Kristyn Sommer, a social media influencer and mom to “a tiny adventurer,” has somewhat of a different take on raising her child. With a PhD in child development and many scientific studies made on the subject, Kristyn is an advocate of “evidence-based parenting,” according to her TikTok bio.
Speaking of which, she has a solid fan base of 104.6K followers tuning in for her useful advice, daily adventures, and informative resources. Recently, she has been posting a series of videos about all “the crazy things she does as a mom with a PhD in child development.”
From sharing how she talks to her child to never pushing her to eat, these are some of the ideas that Kristyn really swears by! So check out her videos right below, and make sure to tell us what parenting tips and tricks you use in the comment section!
More info: Linktr.ee/DrKristynSommer
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
I Don't Speak To My Daughter Like A Baby
I don't speak to my daughter like a baby. I don't say goo goo gaga, or whatever baby talk it is you want to do. That doesn't mean I don't do child-directed speech. I slow down my speech and highlight things. I point to objects, but I absolutely don't repeat the errors that she makes. If she calls something "bot bot," like a bottle, I don't say "bot bot" back. I repeat the correct word. I literally just say bottle in response to her after she says bot bot. Because she's attempting to say the word I'm saying, but if I say the wrong word back to her, the one that she was attempting to say, she's going to be reaffirmed and think that's the right word, whereas if I say bottle back to her, she gets another chance to hear how that sounds and potentially try it out as a word in her mouth.
Jenna Howe 4 years ago (edited)
Mine too. My mom figured it was hard enough to learn the language once. Why learn a bunch of stuff you'd just need to unlearn?
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Aldhissla VargTimmen 4 years ago
Bachelors Degree in Speech language therapy here. The correct thing to do is not to "correct" them but be affirmative. For example: If she calls something "bot bot" like a bottle, don't say "bot bot" back but also don't just say "bottle" back as if correcting. Instead say: "Yes, that's a bottle" so she will know she has the right word but will also hear the correct pronunciation from you; children with normal development know very well that they don't pronounce everything right!
JE Cummings 3 years ago
I never spoke to ANY baby in "goo goo gaga" b******t. It's like trying to learn Spanish while someone blabs Russian at you.
Malaynnah Reynolds 3 years ago
Thats a great way to teach your children to say words correctly
Lea S. 4 years ago
This isn't a crazy thing at all - people have known for more than a decade that 'baby talk' isn't necessary.
Koni Royval 3 years ago
Try over 7 decades. Perhaps longer considering even my grandparents didn't use baby talk.
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Monica Washington 3 years ago
Amen. I commend you our not using baby talk. My family did not use that baby talk either. My grandson is now 9 years old and he speaks well. No baby talk.
Julie Patel 3 years ago
I will ALWAYS do this when I have kids. No baby-talk because I hate it personally. Kids WILL learn how to talk, even without "baby-talk".
Bored Panda reached out to Kristyn Sommer, the author of these viral TikTok videos who gained a huge following on her social media, both TikTok and Instagram. The mum of an almost-2-year-old, Kristyn lives in Australia, where she teaches development psychology at a university.
“I actually started on TikTok posting videos about my experience with postnatal anxiety and my first-ever viral video was one of how my husband supported me during that time (he’s a pretty amazing human),” she recounted on starting out. “After that video went viral, I posted another one about crazy things I do as a mum in child development that I thought might surprise people because they surprised me when I decided to do them. And that went viral too and created a community of parents who parented like me!”
RELATED:
#2
I'm Super Super Lazy
I'm super super lazy. Now everyone's lazy is different. So this is my lazy. I subscribe to the term "lazy parenting" which @scienceminded has a great post on, so go look at that. Basically I sit back and observe my child while she's playing. I might set up an invitation or two, but that's it. I try not to get involved. And there's a Montessori philosophy that is "help as little as possible, but as much as necessary" and that really kind of works well with lazy parenting ideology. I don't want to have to constantly be entertaining my child. I'd like to observe her and help her when she needs it, but not all the time. I also don't interrupt her. And this is a really hard thing to do as a parent. You might be like "no, that isn't how you play with it, let me show you" but interrupting them stops their workflow. They're learning when they're failing. That's why I don't interrupt her, unless she asks for help and really needs it.
Stille20 4 years ago
That's not lazy, it's letting your child play. Some kids need more engagement than others.
Natalia Allen 3 years ago
They sure do, mine rarely played by herself no matter how much encouragement to do so.
Load More Replies... Ben Moss 4 years ago
This reminds me of something my mom told me: when I was real little I was playing with some little balls and a cup, putting a ball in the cup I was holding in my armpit, and leaning over to put the next ball in, the first ball would roll out. Mom couldn’t get me to understand that I needed to hold the cup upright so she gave up and just watched as I figured it out for myself. Idk why I remember that story until just now
Ani Ka 3 years ago (edited)
Anyone else find it a little annoying that suddenly all the stuff the rest of us have been doing this whole time out of survival necessity, is suddenly "Montessori"? Would love if I had more time and energy to *not* be a "lazy parent" but I just don't have all day every day to play with my kids.
Susan Egan 4 years ago
My M-I-L (parent of 9 ) told me "Leave her alone. She will know how to entertain herself. You don't need to be her entertainment." Best advise ever. Both my kids were able to find things to do and be content without help.
Carrie Divine 3 years ago
No, I totally get it. I felt so bad at first when my kids would be like, "play with me, entertain me 24/7 mom, where we going today mom?" And I'd get so annoyed and think, "I couldn't imagine asking my mom to entertain me as a child?! Ha! No, we ENTERTAINED OURSELVES!!! and my mom is the hardest working woman and the least lazy woman I know!!! Lol. So why do I feel so bad letting her play alone or learn to play make believe. I played with my kids, don't misunderstand. But it got to this level of like they expected me to fill that void when they were bored instead of thinking of something fun to do on their own. Or everyday, they expected me to have some new fun activity planned like going somewhere, spending money.
#3
I Don't Worry About How Much She Is Eating
I don't worry about how much she is eating. I don't panic that she's hasn't eaten enough today, therefore she's starving. And she's going to wake up a million times tonight. Science has proven that kids don't really do that. They don't wake up if they're hungry unless they're starving. Obviously. And if they do wake up in the middle of the night hungry? Is that so weird? Do you sometimes wake up in the middle of the night hungry? Probably. What I prefer to do is make sure that she listens to her body. If in that moment when I'm serving her food, she's not hungry, that's ok. Maybe 20 minutes later she's hungry, then that's ok too, I'll feed her food then. Think about how you feel when you're hungry, and when you want food. Your child is exactly the same but without the same kind of self-control mechanisms. And without the ability to actually go and get themselves a snack. So if you want my advice, stop stressing about what your child's eating and when, and just let them tell you.
Ozacoter 4 years ago
To be fair some might but its peobably due to health issues. My sister used to refuse to eat so my parents had trouble keeling her in a heakthy weight. But she had other issues
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ChickyChicky 4 years ago
This is fine for typical kids, but there are plenty of kids with sensory processing disorders who will actually not eat and fail to thrive.
Alli Vally 3 years ago
And if you want your kids to love vegetables, simply demonstrate your love of vegetables. If mom is thrilled to eat broccoli, and even better, calls broccoli stalks trees, and dad is making yum sounds while eating spinach, your kids will love them too. It will not occur to them not to love them. If there is a veg they do dislike, act surprised, exclaim how much you love it, eat it heartily and with genuine gusto, and tell them they will grow to love it too someday. Leave it at that. Do not force them to "try" it. Serve it again once every week or two and continue showing how much you love it. I swear if you do this, your kids will not have vegetable hang-ups. My brother and I were raised this way and we both love vegetables.
JE Cummings 3 years ago
My parents, children of the Great Depression, pushed me to eat even when I wasn't hungry. It resulted in a lifetime of fighting my weight.
Valentina Toloy 3 years ago
God yes! Personally i've been dealing with eating disorders since I was a teen so "eat now, eat everything" is something I have never done with my niece (I'm her guardian)
Finding that community of parents not only made Kristyn feel less alone, but it also “inspired me to do the same for them." "So I started posting content busting parenting myths that I know make parents feel guilty/insecure/uncomfortable with the goal of empowering them into taking charge of raising their own kids their own way (which was something I wished I had someone do for me in the early days of parenting). And now we’re here!”
Kristyn added that she serves up her opinions and things she does as a mum, and she also chucks in a bunch of fun facts about kids from the science of child development.
#4
I Trust Her Independence Of Little Bit More Than Most Would
I trust her independence a little bit more than most would. And I still did it safely. We don't have a baby gate on the stairs, but we used to. But there's still a baby gate at the top of the stairs because she sleeps in her own bed and can get out whenever she likes.
The highchair, we trust her with it. This is what we did. We took the front of the highchair so now it's just a normal chair. She actually climbs in it on her own. It's awesome because we don't have to lift her up all the time. And yes, she's 1 year old. To keep her from screaming at my feet when I cook dinner, we got a leaning tower. She loves it. She helps me cook.
Patrick J. 4 years ago
In fact it's a learning tower, like this one: Learning-T...le-1-1.png 
Board Pan, duh. 4 years ago
My daughter just pulls up a chair to stand on ! No room for a learning tower
Valentina Toloy 3 years ago
My niece has been helping me cook since she was about 2 I think, I even got her "child safe" knives. I believe it's important to involve kids in the kitchen so they are more willing to try "new food"... she is 9 and her favourite snack are "martian muffins" (spinach muffins) and orange stars (carrot cookies in star shape) yeah I feel proud of my success.
Patrick J. 4 years ago
It's a learning tower, like this one: Learning-T...-1-1-1.png 
It seems that there are many shops selling them online.
Cat Monaghan 3 years ago
It IS normal, common sense parenting. Common sense doesn't seem very prevalent now-a-days so I feel like those without it may listen better if someone has a Ph.D. Then you have those parents will ONLY listen to a Ph.D. of course you will always have those tentative parents who will be reassured if a Ph.D confirms their decisions. Parenting is sooo intricate! 🤪
Carrie Divine 3 years ago
Unfortunately, not every parent is as advanced or educated as you. There are some out there who are a little more on edge or a little more protective of their kiddos and can use this advice.
Frank Bushnell 3 years ago
What is a "leaning tower" in this context ? (I assume you don't live in Pisa.)
When asked what would be the main differences in how Kristyn parents her child and others, she said that “I don’t stress too much about how my kid is developing. I don’t worry whether she’s hitting milestones late or early. I don’t compare her to any other children and wonder why she isn’t doing the same thing.”
Kristyn added that her understanding of how children develop has taught her that there is huge variability between kids and there are a bunch of different ways of parenting that will all result in a happy, healthy child!“I am completely child-led and practice gentle discipline and positive parenting,” Kristyn explained.
“I think these concepts are fairly new but they’re definitely gaining a lot of traction now and spreading quickly across the social media platforms. So I think these approaches might be surprising to a lot of people but they’re becoming well-accepted and I’m stoked that I get to be a person to normalize these approaches for other parents.”
#5
I Give My Kid Screen Time
I give my kid screen time. Now we all know the AAP recommends no screen time for children under 2. But these recommendations aren't realistic. Multiple studies have proven that this just isn't being listened to because it’s not realistic for parents.
Kids are getting away. Kids are getting away with more screen time than the AAP recommends. That doesn't mean I think you should put your kid in front of the screen for 8 hours a day, but I do think there’s a time and place for it. My kid is a car screamer.
She screams her head off in the car. I pass her my phone with YouTube on it. And that’s it. She watches Coco Melon and Blippi. And she doesn't scream anymore. And I don't have a panic attack.
Nene Hughes 4 years ago
We used to watch Blippi.... Until he did an episode with "Sink or Float" IN THE POOL. 😡 My toddler then copied it and threw my husband's brand new Milwaukee drill into the pool, when he set it down for two seconds to readjust his grip.
Stille20 4 years ago
...a toddler with drill access... throwing it in the pool is not the worst thing they could do with it
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Flopsy 4 years ago
I disagree with this. I also give my child more screen time than I should but I am trying to reduce it and definitely not proudly promote it just because it happens. There are so many things a child can do that are better (reading, solving puzzles, building, being creative). She was screaming in the car as a baby but I never gave her screens and now she doesn't ask for it because she never thought it was an option. It's a lot about what habits you establish.
Carrie Divine 3 years ago
As you shouldn't. You'd be shocked to know what utube sends your kids to watch!
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Random Panda 4 years ago (edited)
Screen time for kids under 2 delays speech development and it can also overwork a child's nervous system, as they can't process all the stimuli the way an older kid can. This is bad advice.
Kim W 3 years ago (edited)
Really because my Niece have lots of screen time about to turn 2yrs in a month and is very much advanced in her speech and comprehension. I really think screen time actually helped with speech. I think it's not only an environmental thing but also not all kids are the same and they all learn at a different level. Oh BTW she just started school just so she can socialize with other kids.
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Sofie 4 years ago
So when the child screams their head off they get to watch youtube on the phone? My son gets to watch youtube from time to time too, especially if I'm really exhausted and need a moment of quiet or I need to make an important call. I don't know if that panic attack part is really serious, but I suffer from anxiety disorder which I get both medication and therapy for so I do understand the struggle dealing with that when parenting. It has helped me to pick my fights so it's best in the long run. I have found that rewarding my son when he's screaming or nagging just leads to more of that. You know your child better than anyone though and see what pattern your parenting leads to, so this might work for some but not for my family.
Rodger Davies 4 years ago
when is she going to say something people knew before generation x,y and z turned up.
joi 4 years ago
Wanna know a secret? If you don't own a screen, your kid will play with real stuff, read books, hang out in the yard and watch bugs or use up all the TP making doll dresses. If you need to sedate your kid so you can drive while she screams i think you're doing it wrong. opoor pabic-attacvk-=plagued snowflake. you're nt such hit stuff
Kim W 3 years ago
I have a few screens but I nearly never on any of them. My 4yrs old had a tab since 2urs and now a phone and as much screen time with set 15mins breaks but yet it's all left running with no one watching it so battery usually dies. and my 4yrs old outside playing ,riding her tricycle or reading a book /pictures playing with her imagination etc..and she always been this way.. not even when out for a drive she needs to see thing and tell a story. Punishment here is actually say if you don't finish or do XYZ no outdoors.. Gosh after typing this out I realized my kid is awesome.
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Vicky 3 years ago (edited)
My mom tried this with my little bro. Then he found the volume buttons and figured out how to turn it ALL THE WAY UP. Naturally, we both screamed. He got a kick out of our reactions and now he watches videos as loud as possible all the time. I don't know if he has hearing damage or he's just evil. (And he's more than a screamer. He will blatantly try to pick your pockets and steal your phone. Very awkward when you have no back pockets.)
Brian Bennett 3 years ago
Screen time was non existant in my day but my mom taught me to read when I was 3-4 and I still love books!
Carrie Divine 3 years ago
It should be! No kid under 2 should have screen time! Theyll get more than enough later on. Don't rush it!!!!!;
#6
I Let My Kid Get Messy
I let my kid get messy, like really really messy, but I'm so into her getting messy that I make her all these special sensory materials so she can get even messier again. Why messy sensory play is really good for children's development: it's great for cognitive development and helps develop and enhance memory and encourages language development, particularly abstract concepts. It really helps calm an agitated kid down. It enhances fine and gross motor skills and hand-eye coordination, amongst a whole host of other things. On top of that, it's also inclusive. Every single child can engage in messy sensory play. So I do a lot of sensory play with my daughter. I do it almost every day. So I know how hard it can be to think about what sensory activity to do next and to find recipes that are safe for babies to eat, because we all know babies are going to eat it for all ages.
Wednesday 4 years ago
She's got a PhD - I think I'll clean up after the 1 year old and not stress about forcing a child to do things. Like my mother did. I f*****g hate her for that to this day... :)
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Agnes Jekyll 4 years ago
could she give us an example of what she means? I'm not sure what she's describing
Brynne Nicolsen 4 years ago
right? if it weren't for the picture I'd have no idea. The picture makes it seem like "leave the playroom a mess and don't pick up toys", but she also says "recipes that are safe to eat", which makes it sound like playing in goo or something lol
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Dorothy Cloud 3 years ago
My kids could play with, not break, their toys but before bed, they had to pick it all up!!
Briana Landers 3 years ago
Oh a good favorite of mine is laying down a towel giving them a cup of water, a tub, and a bowl of cheerios and a spoon. I let the lil girl i babysit go wild she loves it and its easy clean up because shell eat the soggy water Cheerios after and drink the water idk why but she will and does 😭😂 she picks up cheeriod with the spoon and water with the spoon and pours the water in different containers and watched it get shorter or taller bc of the different sizes or her spilling it and tries to scoop cheerios out of water and moves them around to other containers it really is great
Frank Bushnell 3 years ago
What is "sensory play" ? Please leave out the jargon so that ordinary human beings can understand this article.
Limpi Skim 3 years ago
The picture has nothing to do with the writing below. Playing with messy things and leaving your room a mess is two different things.
Brian Bennett 3 years ago
I could get messy all I wanted but when I was old enough it was cleaned up before bed, I could get as dirty as I wanted!
#7
I Don't Give My Kid A Bedtime
I don't give my kid a bedtime. One: It doesn't work and it just made my mental health worse, because I was trying to put her to sleep and tearing my hair out and spending hours doing it, and two: she's clever. She knows when she needs to go to sleep. Just like you. Sometimes you're not tired at bedtime. These are just a couple of the crazy things I do and if you don't do them, that's okay too.
~hUmMuS vIbEs~ 4 years ago
I feel like a lot of people wouldn't do this raising a teenager, because they're like "oh they'll just stay up all night texing". No. I personally like to stay up late to read, and my parents don't understand I have a body clock and I'm not just gonna stay up all night.
Nene Hughes 4 years ago
I wish my parents would have given me a bedtime as a teenager. I would get lost in a book, a reading until I finished... Then be dead tired the next day.
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Connie Martin 4 years ago
No. Kids don't know their limits and get overtired and hysterical if they're not encouraged to wind down at a regular time and be in bed with the lights out at a regular time. I take it this is the PhD's first child.
Stille20 4 years ago
This is a personal choice and I'm glad it works for your one child, but it's different for different children and I think it is arrogant to base your advise off of one child
Margaret Buckley 4 years ago
Most parents work these days. I don't see how you could realistically let a 7 or 10 year-old choose their own bedtime. Or is this woman with a PhD a stay-at-home mom? Do her children not go to day-care, kindergarten, or other schools?
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Jennifer Norton 4 years ago
I think this works for some and not for others. My middle baby loves routine. She has always responded to a bedtime. The youngest.... well not so much. She needs a more flexible schedule like her father. You have to do what works for each kid.
Crazy Dog Lady 4 years ago
There's lots of science that disagree with this for most kids. My oldest will def. go to sleep when she is tired. My younger two? No way would they get in bed ever if I didn't tell them to. And kids thrive on schdules. I'll let them read in bed or whatever-but they are in bed.
Crazy Meerkat Lady 4 years ago
But what about the kids that get tired and then start crying over everything because they are tired but they still don't want to go to sleep
Kosh1k 4 years ago
Yep, except kids are really stubborn - So they might stay awake just to prove their point.
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Sina 4 years ago
To be fair, I think the bedtime situation is more like "calmtime for parents" rather than "necessary bedtime for kids". Parents have been on their feet the whole day, they need time for themselves, or get stuff done that couldn't otherwise, so they decide on an acceptable time for a kid to go to bed and there you go. However this isn't much the case when kids start school. Bedtime then becomes part of a routine. Because if they don't go to bed by x time, then they won't wake up by x time, they won't be ready by x time, they'll be cranky etc etc. In any case, people know when they feel tired, and there are signs to it. They can figure out when it's bed time no matter the age :p
Hilary James 4 years ago
I lived with my mom til I was 12 and my bed time was 8:30 for forever and then it was 9. At age 12 I moved in with my dad and kept my 9 o’clock bedtime. One night I wanted to watch a program that came on at 9 so I asked my dad if I could stay up til 9:30 and watch it. My dad was like “ I didn’t know you had a bedtime” 😂 I wish I had kept going to bed at 9 though now I stay up way too late.
Sofie 4 years ago
People and children are clearly different. Routines make both me and my son feel better mentally and physically. After bath time, he gets to choose one or two books that I read to him and it's a really nice part of our day. We talk a bit about today and tomorrow and he goes to sleep. Often he says that he is not tired and doesn't want to go to sleep only to fall asleep before I even finish the first book. Of course you can never force anyone to sleep, but we have this bedtime routine and we enjoy it. Even if he finds it harder some nights to go to sleep we still have a relaxing time together until he can sleep. The more we follow routines the less we struggle with fights. And as a bonus I get some me time before it's time for me to sleep. When we step away from the routine it's high life until the middle of the night and cranky child in the morning.
Lori T Wisconsin 3 years ago
Children do better with a routine, sorry lady. They require more sleep than adults, too. She must not work outside the home?
Kristyn’s TikTok bio mentions “evidence-based parenting,” so we asked her about that. Turns out it’s the idea that you use the current leading scientific thought to guide your parenting decisions. “This is actually really hard for normal parents to do because it involves being able to read and understand scientific literature (a lot of it) and translating it into practical parenting applications.”
She confessed that it’s honestly even difficult for her, “but I’m lucky because I’ve been teaching development psychology for many years now). There are some evidence-based parenting programs out there (like the positive parenting program) but in lieu of people doing courses like that, I thought I’d try and bring that content directly to the average parent's phone screen in 60-second clips (which is such a hard thing to do when I usually give 2 hour lectures!!)”
Kristyn concluded that she’s really enjoying doing this at the moment, and although she said “I’m not perfect and still learning, it’s been pretty amazing to hear from other parents who are feeling validated and inspired by the evidence-based parenting content I share. That’s my primary goal with TikTok!”
#8
My Baby Doesn't Sleep In A Cot
My baby doesn't sleep in a cot and never has. We had to sell it because she wouldn't let me put her in the cot. She hated it. Instead, she has a double bed.
Ani Ka 3 years ago (edited)
As if every one of us is in the position to buy a double bed for each child. I get that these are "just suggestions" but half these suggestions I feel like we're being talked down to for having a life that's less privileged hers. And my kids happen to prefer sleeping in a smaller space. When we lived in a 2 bedroom house, my daughter didn't feel safe till I put her bed inside of a 2 person tent.
GoddessOdd 3 years ago
Yes. A cot is what a crib is called in the UK. In the US, a cot is a camp bed.
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Wondering Alice 3 years ago
My mum was scared of cots - thought we would suddenly learn to climb out and have an accident or get stuck in it somehow. We had mattress on the floor until we were old enough for beds
Valentina Toloy 3 years ago
I did exactly that! It seemed the safer option.
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Kuba Uhlíř 4 years ago
My brother had a cot and he was doing flips out of it when he was around 1 :D
Limpi Skim 3 years ago
Sure. Make your children learn ASAP that they are in charge! SMH 1. Children could sleep anywhere. Even in a cot. 2. Some children don't sleep still, for them bed raise the risk of injuries by falling out of bed. 3. Why does a toddler have a word about where does she wants to sleep???
Julianne M 3 years ago
My Nana wouldn't let me sleep in the crib. She let me sleep in the queen sized bed with her
Frank Bushnell 3 years ago
"current leading scientific thought" . . . ( = the latest crackpot ideas.) Check the history of "science". Famous experts can (and do) (frequently) make famous mistakes !
#9
I Never Gave My Baby Purees Ever
I never gave my baby purees ever. I did baby-led weaning. Baby-led weaning is when you give your baby finger food from the start. You never give them mashed up food, the idea of baby-led weaning is that they learn to chew before they learn to swallow. Whereas with purees, they learn to swallow before they learn to chew. Apparently lots of people say that this teaches them food skills, good food hygiene, and makes them less picky, all of this sort of folk knowledge. You know what my subjective experience is? This is only anecdotal, not evidence-based. My kid didn't eat food properly until she was 14 months old. I did everything perfectly. I had the right gear. I had the Stokke Tripp Trapp highchair. All the right weaning tools. I prepared all the food perfectly and she still didn't start swallowing food for a really long time and then didn't take to food until she was 14 months old. So if you ask me, feed your baby how you like.
Just JoLynn 4 years ago
Funny, I thought babies learned to swallow before they learned to chew since they are breast/bottle fed until they're old enough to move on to more solid food.
Rissie 4 years ago
Yup, this is obnoxious bs. The swallowing reflex is quite the life saver for us mammals. And mashing things up and introducing new flavors has a lot of research backing it up to make introducing new foods easier.
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Nikki Sevven 4 years ago
BS. Babies can't eat finger food until they actually have teeth, and the first one pops at around 6 months. Yet they need more than just breast milk/formula between 6mo and 3yo, when they finally have all their baby teeth. Also, purées allow you to introduce new flavors without also introducing new textures...which allows you to determine the tastes they like, tolerate, and detest, independent of the textures they like, tolerate, and detest.
Rissie 4 years ago
If that was true, needing teeth to eat solids, I would bet on the molars being most necessary . But then we would not be eating until we got those at 13-19 months. Nah, you can chew with your gums just fine. Just the somewhat softer items and don't be counting on anything that needs some good chewing to pass.
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Drew Jib 4 years ago
But.... don't babies eat food before they get teeth? How on Earth does this work? Also, clearly every baby learns to swallow before they learn to chew, they start with breast milk.
Alli Vally 3 years ago (edited)
Swallowing breast milk may be a natural reflex action, since even newborns do it. Deliberately swallowing liquids or food is something a baby learns. Young babies drool a lot, which is probably because they're not swallowing their saliva.
Load More Replies... Ani Ka 3 years ago (edited)
Meanwhile, the rest of us who didn't have time to cook and puree special meals just for the babies: no duh it's unnecessary, what do you think the rest of us did who don't even own a blender? I'm sorry if this sounds self centered or whatever but I know I'm not the only person on this planet who was poor and far past burnout mode when the kids were babies. Giving food off your plate has been the rule rather than the exception for generations. It feels condescending to insinuate that it's normal for moms to have the time and the energy to make "mistakes" like making baby food, having bedtimes, and sleeping in a crib. There are far bigger fish to fry in the world of bad parenting.
Miriam Clarke 3 years ago
Baby leed weaning is a positive thing if you haven't heard of it i highly recommend looking into it. Purees are completely unnecessary just because if was the norm for a short period in history doesn't make it ecessary to continue doing.
Brian Bennett 3 years ago
No way to puree in my day but mashed up guess they never had baby food during the war. I remember having to eat fish horrible still hate it today!
Kristina Thomas 3 years ago
Yeah babies ate food before it was possible to make purees. No need. The baby food companies love to "educate" parents on the only supposedly safe way to feed babies but it's not true. It just gets them money.
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Customer Rep Protect 3 years ago
THIS COLLEGE KID SKIPPED WAY TOO MANY COMMON SENSE CLASSES! WTF!
Rodger Davies 4 years ago
Ok I can't believe this women had to get a Phd to know or learn any of this s**t. all she had to do, was ask someone parenting before the 70's. all her so called new ideas are a laughing stock she's fool and dumb to get a degree to know this s**t. and I'm a guy. people today are so dumb,
Laurie Ostergaard-Overbey 4 years ago
omg i cant read any more of these, no PHD, just COMMON SENSE!!
Joanne Hudson 4 years ago
Unfortunately that is a flower that does not bloom in everyone's garden.
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What do you think ?
Lily Mae Kitty 4 years ago
I had trouble getting past how filtered she looks. why oh why do people do this?!? Afraid people will know they have skin?
Miss Cris 4 years ago
Or worse, that people would be more or less interested in what she has to say depending on her skin?
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Stille20 4 years ago
Her advise does not appear to be based on her degree, rather it is based on her experience with one child...who is still a baby... that kind of advise is all over the internet.
keighterz 3 years ago
So true tho, there are way too many mommy bloggers who think they have it all figured out because they have one easy baby. Meanwhile those of us who have children with special needs get absolutely nothing from these parenting blogs.
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Kathleen van der Gryp 4 years ago
I think children need to routine. Allowing them to do what they want when they want is not realistic - she'll realize this when kiddo reaches school age.
Rissie 4 years ago
What you think might work for you, but what you think doesn't work for all. If you do have a kid with a strong will, not fighting everything becomes the way to go, so you can focus on what actually matters in raising your kids. And some kids fair very well with daily routines (although having certain freedoms everyday is a way of having a routine too), others are just easy going and follow first before asking questions.
Load More Replies... Victoria Wilson-Parry 4 years ago
I think these articles are really helpful to hear, I get too caught up on Instagram & social media where parents only put up all the good things & I constantly feel inadequate if I leave my kid to play by himself or if he only eats half a piece of toast for lunch. Sometimes you just need someone to say, this is what I do, you're not alone & it can make your day a bit better so thank you from a mum who is constantly feeling like she's failing.
Tristan J 4 years ago
Don't feel inadequate, or judge yourself against your perception of others. You know your kid, and what makes them happy. One of the best thing for kids is happy parents - parenting is stressful enough anyway, just try to minimise the pressure on yourself, and enjoy as much as you can.
Load More Replies...
Daphne Williams 4 years ago (edited)
One thing I learned from my daughter's daycare - asking if you can pick them up before doing so, even before they can understand the words. Telling them when you are going to do something with their body - (ie, okay, now I'm going to wipe the poop off your bottom with the wipe.) These things build the notions of bodily autonomy and consent into the adults and child's interactions right from the beginning and makes these things expected and normal. One of the best things I learned.
Laura Lawson 3 years ago
I think it's kind of sad that most of her 'crazy ideas' are simply common sense. Your child refuses to eat dinner? No big deal, they'll be hungry soon enough. Your child won't sleep at your allotted sleep time? Change the bedtime. Easy. But it seems that parents these day are so uptight about being the perfect parent to the perfect child that the common sense has left & it takes this woman to say it's all ok on TikTok to reassure them, which is nuts! It is absolutely ok to not sign your child up to every extracurricular activity possible. You don't have to be SuperMom. If your child's room is a mess, don't worry, it just means they are having fun! The house does not need to be perfect, it needs to be a home with imperfect people who make mistakes. Let your kids explore & get dirty, it will do them good & help their immune system! Go with your gut instinct. And maybe stay off of social media for a while, watching fake 'perfect people will kill your confidence every time.
Deborah Chapman 4 years ago
I was an older first time mom at 41. I did not read baby books...not one. I did everything this woman suggested except for the baby food thing. I did what was natural for my baby. I grew up in the country. We had lots of independence. We got dirty. My parents bought me toys but never told me what to do with them. Things got messy. We picked them up. I raised my son in much the same way. My son grew up to be a responsible man. He was ready to leave home at 18 and never looked back. He became a minister and then he got his BS with little or no assistance from me or his dad. Thanks for writing this. I often felt like a bad mom. Little did I realize that my way of parenting was preparing my son to be an independent adult. I thought that I was just lucky that he turned out that way.
Megan Contreras 4 years ago
I did most of these things..and I don't have a PHD. I just learned my kids and learned what worked best for US. I'm not trying to downplay her at all...if anything it validates me and that it is ok to do things "different". And funny thing...my kids are just fine. Smart. Independent and they are their own people and I love that about them. I'm also probably lazy...lol..so it all works out!
GenXandEarnedItAll 4 years ago
And you don't need to have a PhD to know these things. I'm not knocking her so don't start with the mean comments. I always tell new moms use your instinct your baby is yours and you have to do what works for the two of you (or three, four....)
Lily Mae Kitty 4 years ago
I had trouble getting past how filtered she looks. why oh why do people do this?!? Afraid people will know they have skin?
Miss Cris 4 years ago
Or worse, that people would be more or less interested in what she has to say depending on her skin?
Load More Replies... Stille20 4 years ago
Her advise does not appear to be based on her degree, rather it is based on her experience with one child...who is still a baby... that kind of advise is all over the internet.
keighterz 3 years ago
So true tho, there are way too many mommy bloggers who think they have it all figured out because they have one easy baby. Meanwhile those of us who have children with special needs get absolutely nothing from these parenting blogs.
Load More Replies... Kathleen van der Gryp 4 years ago
I think children need to routine. Allowing them to do what they want when they want is not realistic - she'll realize this when kiddo reaches school age.
Rissie 4 years ago
What you think might work for you, but what you think doesn't work for all. If you do have a kid with a strong will, not fighting everything becomes the way to go, so you can focus on what actually matters in raising your kids. And some kids fair very well with daily routines (although having certain freedoms everyday is a way of having a routine too), others are just easy going and follow first before asking questions.
Load More Replies... Victoria Wilson-Parry 4 years ago
I think these articles are really helpful to hear, I get too caught up on Instagram & social media where parents only put up all the good things & I constantly feel inadequate if I leave my kid to play by himself or if he only eats half a piece of toast for lunch. Sometimes you just need someone to say, this is what I do, you're not alone & it can make your day a bit better so thank you from a mum who is constantly feeling like she's failing.
Tristan J 4 years ago
Don't feel inadequate, or judge yourself against your perception of others. You know your kid, and what makes them happy. One of the best thing for kids is happy parents - parenting is stressful enough anyway, just try to minimise the pressure on yourself, and enjoy as much as you can.
Load More Replies... Daphne Williams 4 years ago (edited)
One thing I learned from my daughter's daycare - asking if you can pick them up before doing so, even before they can understand the words. Telling them when you are going to do something with their body - (ie, okay, now I'm going to wipe the poop off your bottom with the wipe.) These things build the notions of bodily autonomy and consent into the adults and child's interactions right from the beginning and makes these things expected and normal. One of the best things I learned.
Laura Lawson 3 years ago
I think it's kind of sad that most of her 'crazy ideas' are simply common sense. Your child refuses to eat dinner? No big deal, they'll be hungry soon enough. Your child won't sleep at your allotted sleep time? Change the bedtime. Easy. But it seems that parents these day are so uptight about being the perfect parent to the perfect child that the common sense has left & it takes this woman to say it's all ok on TikTok to reassure them, which is nuts! It is absolutely ok to not sign your child up to every extracurricular activity possible. You don't have to be SuperMom. If your child's room is a mess, don't worry, it just means they are having fun! The house does not need to be perfect, it needs to be a home with imperfect people who make mistakes. Let your kids explore & get dirty, it will do them good & help their immune system! Go with your gut instinct. And maybe stay off of social media for a while, watching fake 'perfect people will kill your confidence every time.
Deborah Chapman 4 years ago
I was an older first time mom at 41. I did not read baby books...not one. I did everything this woman suggested except for the baby food thing. I did what was natural for my baby. I grew up in the country. We had lots of independence. We got dirty. My parents bought me toys but never told me what to do with them. Things got messy. We picked them up. I raised my son in much the same way. My son grew up to be a responsible man. He was ready to leave home at 18 and never looked back. He became a minister and then he got his BS with little or no assistance from me or his dad. Thanks for writing this. I often felt like a bad mom. Little did I realize that my way of parenting was preparing my son to be an independent adult. I thought that I was just lucky that he turned out that way.
Megan Contreras 4 years ago
I did most of these things..and I don't have a PHD. I just learned my kids and learned what worked best for US. I'm not trying to downplay her at all...if anything it validates me and that it is ok to do things "different". And funny thing...my kids are just fine. Smart. Independent and they are their own people and I love that about them. I'm also probably lazy...lol..so it all works out!
GenXandEarnedItAll 4 years ago
And you don't need to have a PhD to know these things. I'm not knocking her so don't start with the mean comments. I always tell new moms use your instinct your baby is yours and you have to do what works for the two of you (or three, four....)
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