Starting Solids 2.1 - Going Bananas

I'm a huge fan of the Kerala banana. It's not a very squishy squishy banana. It has longer shelf life than other bananas and has loads of nutritional values too. A steamed Kerala banana is a healthy starter for a baby. Here are some things that will attract a new mommy to a Kerala banana ...

* Travelling mommies - this banana has longer shelf life compared to others. The fruit is a solid feed for a baby during travel.
* Feeding your baby one banana keeps them full for over four hours.
* Bananas are a great companion to mommies who are in a hurry. No stoves. No cleaning.
* Your baby's bowel movements are great when they eat bananas.
* Easy to feed - just peel, smash and feed.
* As your baby grows, you can feed them the banana raw without steaming. Fruit for the day - done.


There is another wonderful healthy banana - highly rich in iron. It's the Red Banana. For those babies who need their iron, do have the red banana.


Tip : Bananas : A banana fed baby's stool has black wormish looking things. Nothing to panic. (I did, big time). Don't call your doctor, don't freak out, don't go bananas. It's just the bananas. 

Starting Solids 2.0

As a continuation to the Starting Solids input event from friends.. Here is a new input from an aunt.

My aunt is one of those mothers who will feed you till you are stuffed and ready to burst. She suggested making an oats porridge. This oats porridge attracts toddler to it like they've seen ice cream. It's a simple procedure.. Grind together cashews, pistachios, almonds, raisins and walnuts (3 of each). Now grind half a cup oats along with that. Make a porridge out of this moisture. The child will have no idea where the amazing rich taste is coming from and will not fuss over eating nuts anymore.

I tried this on Baby G today. I made the porridge with cows milk and added sugar when it cooled down. I tasted it before I gave him the first bite and it was delicious. It tasted equal to a North Indian kheer, only better. To be on the safer side, I fed Baby G with ice cream spoons - and he bought it! He downed the entire cup and his evening snack was done.

Mommies, if you child isn't allergic to any nuts, after their ten month - try this amazing rich porridge from my aunt's kitchen. It's yummy.

Tip : Porridges : When you make porridges for your little one, be sure to start with a little water and then gradually add milk. Milk tends to burn on flame and changes the taste of the porridge. Add sugar at the end of cooking the porridge. Sweetening porridges can be done with brown sugar, palm sugar and organic sugar. 

Activity box Ideas

I've had a lot of trouble trying to engage Baby G in some activity or the other to keep him away from the iPad. It's exhausting sometimes. I came up with an idea about a couple of weeks ago. Four different types of activity sensory boxes to keep him busy for a while. I realised I had a big bunch if scrunching that I never really used so much. I threw them all in a basket for one. My clips and hairbands in another. A mix of toys and animal figurines in an another, just to see what he does when he has a mix of toys. The fourth was was the funnest to watch. A bunch of magnets in an iron biscuit tin. Every time he was bored or wanted to do something I would hand him one of these baskets and he would play with these items for over 45 minutes. The magnets were a super hit. He was so curious about the little round colourful things sticking to he tin that needed so much effort to get in his hands.

I intend to experiment a little more with sensory boxes. I have in mind an evening snack bowl that will be finger food items like carrots and biscuits. Baby G has this habit of pouring out contents from one basket to another which is why I haven't experimented with food yet. He so far has fun playing with the scrunchies and magnets. I'm hoping to come up with some more fun stuff for him.

Activities baby G does to improve his motor skills

* Putting coins into a piggy bank.
* Throwing balls into a basket
* Making his animal figurines stand
* Garlanding an empty deodorant bottle with scrunchies