A survey of 500 parents who have introduced solids to their child in the past five years revealed that three in 10 parents were anxious that their baby was ‘lagging behind’ during weaning – due to behaviours such as spitting out food, throwing it or refusing to self-feed. The study found that 32 per cent of parents couldn’t resist comparing their baby’s weaning progress with others. Nearly half were worried their baby was falling behind because they would cry when given food or would seldom swallow it.
Other concerns included their baby outrightly refusing to put solids in their mouth (46 per cent), showing a preference for milk (42 per cent) and being unwilling to try new things (40 per cent). The research, commissioned by Aldi, discovered that while almost half of parents found the overall weaning experience thrilling, a similar amount described it as stressful.
Leading children’s dietitian, Lucy Upton, said: “Weaning can be overwhelming and stressful for lots of parents. But the truth is, most of the pressure they feel comes from external factors, like comparing ourselves with others or trying to take on lots of conflicting advice – and it’s rarely anything to do with our children.”
“The best thing parents can do is keep it simple – trust your instincts and focus on what works best for you and your baby, not anyone else.”
Lucy has teamed up with the supermarket to help parents on their weaning journey with straightforward tips and low-cost recipes.
A quarter of parents didn’t feel confident when they were weaning, and regularly questioned if what they were doing was right.
Meanwhile, 63 per cent said they relished watching their baby develop and sampling new foods (62 per cent), though 40 per cent felt under pressure to adhere to a rigid feeding timetable.
A third also believed they had to introduce their baby to a specific number of new foods, with the typical parent presenting four ingredients each week. To help monitor this many parents created weekly meal plans or printed off a checklist of foods to work through.
Other frequent challenges included understanding how much to feed their little one (41 per cent) and finding appropriate recipes (38 per cent).
Lucy added: “The weaning journey can be both exciting and intimidating for parents.
“We’re hoping to show how, with a handful of simple, affordable ingredients, you can create a variety of healthy, balanced dishes that help little ones explore new flavours, textures and experiences at their own pace.”
Looking back, four in ten parents wished they had been more relaxed about the weaning process, even though, at the time, for a third they felt very unprepared for it.
Julie Ashfield, chief commercial officer at Aldi UK, said: “Weaning is an exciting milestone, but for many, it can also feel overwhelming – especially with the pressure of getting it ‘right’.
“That’s why we’ll always do what we can to support parents every step of the way.
“By partnering with Lucy to offer expert-backed recipes, we hope to make it simpler for families to feed their little ones with confidence – without compromising on great value and quality.”