Pouches of food for your 4-, 5-, and 6-year-olds, are the newest craze in “baby” food. Funny, I thought it was called baby food because it was meant for babies. But some food manufacturers think that kids shouldn't actually have to actually chew their fruits and veggies anymore, but rather should just sit back and suck veggie or fruit mush out of a pouch. They attribute the popularity of "food pouches" to free-range parenting.
Psst ... free-range parenting isn't about throwing pouches of astronaut food at kids so they can suck at will.
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If anything, free-range parenting is old school parenting, the way our parents parented us. They put food on the table and if we ate it we weren't hungry, if we didn't we were free to eat the remainder of it at the next meal. It was anti-helicopter parenting. It was turning us loose to make choices that had consequences. It taught us independence not that the world would bend at our will. These pouches are not teaching independence, it’s teaching kids that the world revolves around them.
Do these people think 4-year-olds can’t chew these days? Are we trying to brain wash all the kids into thinking they are astronauts? Or perhaps we are afraid they will chip a tooth or put some wear and tear on those teeth? What’s next, putting kids in bubbles so that they don’t risk scrapes and bruises? I don’t know about you but my daughter could chew up a steak and bite through her sibling at the age of four.
I think the ideal of food in a pouch is ridiculous. Have we become so lazy that we no longer have time to parent our children or even spend the time supervising them when they eat so that they don’t choke? Take a minute and teach them how to chew up their food and swallow. Have we decided to pass on lazy as an ethic and entitlement as a virtue by giving our kids food that will not require any chewing on their behalf? Or are we simply trying to convey the message that we don’t think our children are capable of doing the most menial of tasks? Can’t we all just spend a little more time with our children and sit still for a moment while they chew their fruit with their actual teeth?
I promise, your child’s teeth will not break on impact from the apple against their teeth.
What do you think of giving your six-year-old pouches of mashed food on the go? Would you give it to your child?
Image via nutrilover/Flickr
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Comments 96
Actually, I saw these when I worked in the preschool room of a daycare and they are AWESOME. Not many 3-year-olds can open their own cup of applesauce or bite into a whole apple, not to mention the mess usually made by both. The kids who had these loved being able to open their own containers and I loved it because I didn't have a dozen 3-year-olds covered in applesauce that I'd have to clean up before sending them in for nap time.
My three year old used to be the best little eater. About a year and a half ago, however, she slowly but surely fell into the "picky eater" category. It has gotten to the point where I am very concerned about her calorie intake and general nutrition. Something like this could be a really great thing for her.
A friend of mine has a toddler who was recently diagnosed with autism, and she is very wary of certain textures. This makes it difficult to persuade her to eat many foods. Such a product would be helpful to children like her as well.
My sons would love to eat a real apple right now - but between the loose and missing teeth, it's not going to happen. One refuses to eat browned cut up apples (and frankly I am not a fan of the presliced ones that stay "fresh" for days and taste off). The other would take 20 of the 25 minutes of lunch to eat one.
Seriously? You want to pick this battle? Would you rather I sent my child in with Cheetos at snack time or an applesauce pouch. I have two sons with multiple food allergies - this is one of the few products that resemble what other kids are eating. You are probably the same cupcake queen that insists on sending in junk weekly to celebrate the fact that someone had a BM. Gimme a break.
and rants like yours merely perpetuate
them and breed intolerance, particularly for kids legitimately struggling with something you take for granted.
Oh my God. Both sides of this issue are rediculous. They sound interesting to me. Definately great for long car rides, lunch boxes, and kids with disablities. Kind of lazy for every day, at home use. I'm going to check into them for my daycare kids, park days. Those would be much easier to pack, and much more portable for the park, than tupperware with cut up fruit.
Oh, the person who was upset with Pull-Ups for up to 65 lbs, these are great for kids with special needs. Think outside the box.
I agree with a lot of the other comments, if you have a toddler (or two, like I do) those little packets are heaven in a pouch when we are at the store shopping or running some errands. They are way healthier than chips or crackers, they are actual fruit and veggies. No need for a spoon or sticky little fingers. There are plenty of other things that people could be complaining about other than this... Like horrible parenting, lol, or people leaving their kids in car... and the list goes on...