solid food, multiple languages and more!

Dear BabyCenter: 

Thank you for this week's update topic "Is your child ready for solid foods?"  According to your article, I can introduce solids to my baby anytime between4 and 6 months even though the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends exclusive breastfeeding for at least 6 months.  A few questions for you. 1) if you say between 4 and 6 months does that mean I can't introduce solids after 6 months? What will happen?  2) If the AAP recommends waiting at least 6 months to introduce solids, why are you still telling moms that they can start solids earlier?  Is it because a bulk of your advertising (ie income revenue) comes from Gerber?  BTW - you know very well that DS is 9 months old, why are you just now sending me solid food articles?  According to your advice we should have started solids at least 3 months ago.


Dear People magazine:

Thank you for your recent blurb on celebrity babies who speak multiple languages.  It was so nice of you to not only show that celebrity's babies are smart, but that they are 'better' than 'average' babies because they are multi-lingual.  It was also very responsible of you to not explain why these babies are multi-lingual.  All research shows that if you speak several languages to your child from birth they will naturally grow up being able to speak each language they are exposed to.  So no, it does not shock me that Heidi Klum's kids speak German or that Selma Hayek's daughter speaks Spanish or that Celine Dion's son speaks French (he is Canadian after all and most Canadians speak both English and French).


Sister-to-Sister

Knoxville has an 'attachment parenting' group.  A place where you can get together and discuss the advantages and challenges to loving your kids.  Can't go on that overnight party weekend with your friends because you can't leave your exclusively breastfed 9 month old behind with a stranger and he isn't welcome in the hot tub?  That's ok.  Come and have fellowship with people who are like minded - baby wearing and breastfeeding encouraged.  Sounds like I need to line up the next meeting time!