Boots parenting magazine - dodgy advice?

[Wallace]

I've just received my Boots Parenting club magazine which is from 9 to 18 months.

It has an article about "advanced weaning". All about how now is the right time to "move on from mush and get to grips with bits"

It says "As your baby's first teeth emerge, it's time for chew, chew training" AFAIK first teeth have nothing to do with a baby being able to chew! My almost 9 month old has no teeth, but can eat almost any thing!

It also says 9 months is the right time to introduce finger food. Surely it is 6 months? I'm sure when I had my first two children and was advised to wean at 4 months, it was advised to start finger food at 6 months. So why, now the weaning age is 6 months, are we told to wait until 9 months until introducing finger food
(also in the same magazine is an advert for Heinz Biscotti which says at this age "he won't have enough teeth to chew properly yet" and says for babies between 6 and 9 months "always crush Heinz Biscotti up with milk" )

The same weaning article also says at this age your baby will need 2 to 3 snacks inbetween meals to keep up her energy. So no milk feeds then?

[fibernie]

What?!!
Good job I never pay attention to any of that stuff. My 16month old (who is only just now getting her first teeth!) would have been still eating puree instead of the spag bol she tucked into for dinner tonight. Strings of spaghetti everywhere!
Where do they get their info from?

[dressedupnowheretogo]

i know i threw it away what a load of crap

just remember blw makes them no money you need no bowls no spoons no jarred mush

[Arriety]

And my DD2 who got two teeth at 5 months would have been on finger foods before she even started weaning!

[Wallace]

I think I should maybe email them.

They also have an article about helping your baby learn to talk. One of the ideas is to watch television with your baby I am not against television in small doses, but I think there are many other things tht would be better to help babies learn language...

[redbeki]

This is bad advice,that unfortunately some people will follow!

[fibernie]

what ever happened to reading books together???? Surely they have books to sell as well as dvds!
I didn't read my mag for that age, never use the vouchers. May flounce out of boots parenting club!

[Wallace]

Oh yes, don't get me started on the vouchers. I think they were for:

baby food - I don't use jars or packets

disposable nappies - I use cloth

TixyLix - I don't like to use cough medicines

[fibernie]

Me neither, wasn't going to get suckered into buying stuff I don't need or want. Baby marketing is scary... now that DD is older I can see how much tat I was suckered into buying.

[Wallace]

I know what you mean, I have friends who have just had their first baby, and the amount of stuff their is available is scary compared to when I had my first 8 years ago.

[whomovedmychocolate]

I had a wunderstrop at Boots actually - when I first started weaning DD I got some first stage cereal from them, suitable from '4 months' apparently and when I got home it had in it gluten AND wheat! They said 'we don't have to stick to goverment guidelines, it's up to parents to control what their children eat'

I've not shopped there since, but they still send me the fecking leaflets!

[charliegal]

Bad advice from Boots? Fancy that.

[Tigana]

Boots advice is only aimed at getting you to buy stuff. IMHO.

Agree the vouchers are rubbish, Huggies and jars of baby goo....rrrrrubbish.

[MadamePlatypus]

And ofcourse you have to BUY special finger food from Heinz. Can you imagine the people at the meeting: "Well our target audience probably spends alot of time in Costa or Starbucks so she will want her baby to share the Biscotti experience".