WATER AND CHILDREN: FIRST STEPS TOWARDS INDEPENDENCE AND AUTONOMY

In collaboration with Chicco

Sara and Alessandra share their experiences as a mother with us: Sara begins with Filippo and Olivia.

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Let's talk about autonomy and small achievements!
I have two nice fun experiences about it that are worth telling and sharing with you.
Filippo was born over 4 kg, a real bull, and the first few times we started putting him at the table with us it was really fun. We wanted to let him taste a bit of everything to find out what his tastes were. We stumbled upon very funny scenes, especially when he tasted the ragù for the first time, as a true Bolognese he wanted nothing more than that! It was wonderful to notice his change, noticing how proud he felt to eat and drink with his little hands, he felt older and seeing that I encouraged him by just clapping his hands or telling him how good he was flattered him a lot, he showed me some exciting toothless smiles.

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Towards autonomy and beyond!

At 10-11 months we started with solid foods, handing them to him in the saucer and Filippo was self-managing, that is, with his little hands he took his baby food and brought it to his mouth, completely autonomous, I still remember the first time he brought the piece of pasta with cheese in the mouth, spectacular! From then on he gained autonomy with food, it was fun to see him eat proud, less so for the grandparents, because when he ate with them they found the floor dirty and they were not particularly used to this type of management.
I was proud of him, of those small steps that began to make him more independent, once I started kindergarten I noticed the difference even more because he emulated other children and felt older ...

Olivia and her conquests

With Olivia it was even easier in some ways because by now I felt Cracco, and I had developed several recipes of baby food, baby food, baby food but not those tasteless "slops" (pass me the term), which not even an adult would touch, elaborate baby food , that if she did not finish they would be brushed by me or my husband in half a second with great taste.
When it comes to children and food, we often focus on foods: which ones are more suitable, in what quantities, how to understand the tastes of children ... But, we are all focused on eating, yes, but ... and drinking? When, how much, but above all how?

A special help for children who are learning to drink: cups

A few years ago, with Filippo, I always had a Chicco spout, now that is vintage, but today we still use it, because you know our children eventually get attached to their things! Now, with Olivia, I have discovered the new Chicco cups, Active Cups, which accompany children in the evolution of their skills, all colored and designed as a game, I recommend them, my children have always been using them for a few months! They have a thin spout that looks a lot like the edge of a glass, in this way they learn to close their lips well and become familiar with the glass of adults. Initially you can use the anti-drop valve, which allows you to drink while sucking; once more autonomy is acquired, the valve is removed and the child learns to manage the flow of water. What's more, it is also thermal, so doubly comfortable!
How nice it was to see the children at the table with us, eating and drinking satisfied and proud of their achievements!

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And Alessandra instead? How do you manage the little conquests of your baby Francesco?

It is from 5 months that Francesco has started to show interest in food on the table, and despite some small tastes, after having turned 6 months we have begun to get serious with weaning. It was, and still is, a gradual journey between him and the food, we went from small tastings to slightly more consistent portions. I can't say it was really easy, I knew this step could prove difficult, but my little man has started to show a particular and fun interest in his baby food.

Mom's new discoveries

I learned to understand what his tastes and preferences are. There is no lack of a day in which together we make new discoveries. As a mother I am living this passage with serenity, I do not force it in any way, I respect its times and in this way the time of lunch has become a pleasure that we all share together. I am very satisfied especially with how he is reacting to this new approach to food. Every day I discover new things, what he loves madly, like fruit and chicken, what he doesn't like at all (potatoes) and what is his favorite gourmet dish: pasta with courgettes !!!
Francesco is still small but he has already made clear some sides of his character, he is a very stubborn one !! He pretends to eat alone trying to bring the spoon closer when I myself try to feed it even if he does not particularly love it and I am amazed again every time I see him grasping, approaching his mouth and enjoying what I have cooked for him.

Weaning and water: the conquest of autonomy

With the arrival of weaning we have also introduced the water that I offer him from time to time in his Chicco cup. Specifically, I chose Chicco's training cup for my Francesco, which is recommended for children of six months or a little older, therefore perfect for my little man. It has (removable) handles so as to benefit the grip, and given Francesco's stubbornness in wanting to be almost autonomous I thought it was suitable for him. It has an anti-drop valve which for the initial approach is fundamental, because it allows it to drink while sucking, without effort and avoiding too abundant sips and because we do not need a swimming pool at home.

When he is older I will be able to remove this valve instead so Francesco will learn to drink by gravity, checking the flow of water that comes out of the reducer spout, before swallowing. It is very light, but equally resistant to all falls: I have already said that my son is very stubborn and always wants to do everything by himself, right?!? The training cup is already teaching him to drink "like the grown-ups", and I still find it hard to believe in the face of these continuous and new changes: my baby is already growing up.
I can only be proud of each new achievement, and step by step share these achievements with him.