Weaning can feel like a big milestone for parents. What should you give them? When should you start? What about the mess? And what happens when the food they happily ate last week suddenly becomes the food they absolutely refuse to touch?

In this episode of The Toddle About Show, Bill and Emily Clapson talk about their own experiences of weaning their children, including why they enjoyed baby-led weaning, how they dealt with the inevitable mess and why they think introducing children to lots of different flavours and textures can be so valuable.

They also talk about making food a social experience, eating together as a family, encouraging children to try new things without turning mealtimes into a battle, and their own idea of ”Try It Wednesdays”. The conversation moves beyond the baby years too, looking at fussy eating, children going through phases with food and why what they eat over a whole week can matter more than what happens on any one day.

Stay untill the end of the episode where we hear from Louise from Nourish(ed) Nest, a maternal and child nutritional therapist, who shares her advice for parents starting solids. She talks about building confidence around weaning, introducing different textures, letting babies explore their food and the importance of parents showing children that food and mealtimes can be enjoyable.

Whether you're just starting to think about introducing solids, dealing with a messy baby at the dinner table or trying to navigate a fussy eater, this episode is full of real family experiences, practical ideas and reassurance.

The Toddle About Show is hosted by Bill and Emily Clapson, with parenting conversations, advice and ideas for families with young children.

Find out more about Louise’s work at https://www.nourishednest.co.uk

Find out more about Toddle About and discover local activities, classes and groups for babies, toddlers and young children: https://www.toddleabout.co.uk/