The ONCDC Blog
Sometimes Food
We recommend introducing the concept of ‘sometimes food’. These are the treats, snacks, dessert etc, that you don’t want your children to become dependent on or accustomed to having every day. When a child asks you for a candy bar you simply say, “That’s a ‘sometimes food’. It tastes good but it doesn’t help our…
Establishing a Family Mealtime
By about 9 months you can encourage different types of finger foods and begin to think about prioritizing family mealtimes. We recommend allowing children to try to feed themselves and assisting as necessary. Once children are eating well on their own, then you no longer need to feed them. We want children to learn to…
Tips for Discerning Eaters
If your child is a particular eater, you are not alone. Young children’s tastes are just developing. We recommend reading through the establishing a family mealtime and involving children in the planning sections as they are foundational habits to supporting children who have very particular taste. If you have started bad habits we recommend a…
Introducing Solid Foods
There are many different practices and theories regarding table food. Like most things in parenting, there is not a right or wrong way. We recommend introducing table food at around six months of age. We recommend real food for young children. Many pediatricians prefer families start with cereal and it can be a good option…
Transitioning from the Bottle to A Cup
Shortly after introducing table food we recommend introducing a cup with water. While giving children an open cup is ideal, it’s simply not practical for most situations. Most families choose to use a sippy cup that cannot spill for convenience. Many different brands of sippy cups are available. Usually a cup with a soft plastic…
Helping Your Infant Accept a Bottle
There are many bottles and nipples available. Many parents have different bottle preferences and each bottle has many claims. We do not have a bottle preference. Many different bottles work for children. We do recommend always using the same bottle and nipple when possible. If you frequently switch the type of bottles or nipples, children…
Nutrition for Young Infants
Right from the start our goal as parents is to set up a healthy relationship with food. Bottles and breastfeeding are forms of nutrition and comfort for young children but we want children to develop healthy habits from the start. These practical tips will help you start off on the right foot with your baby’s…
3 Things that are Undermining Your Family’s Healthy Eating
You’re stressed: Children are affected by your stress around food. For many families stress surrounding what and how much their children eat starts very early. Families that vigilantly track and time infant feeding then fret over what and how much their toddlers eat are more likely to have a challenge with food. Our world is…