Everything I did with and for Coco during his infant years were what I think was best for him. I breastfed him. I used cloth diapers instead of disposables. I did baby wearing him. I didn’t let him used gadgets. I am all for free and active playing. But until now, what I regret is that I did baby lead weaning (BLW) with him for mealtime. Don’t get me wrong about this. I am quite so sure that there were lots of babies that was successful with this. It’s just that I felt that it was one of the reasons why he became a picky eater. I had to make him separate food that he won’t even really eat.

I remember reading before, those infants that does BLW, has less chance of being a picky eater. I believed it but it didn’t go well with us. This is not like a tradition or superstitious belief but it was something that I wish I didn’t do. I wished I didn’t had to prepare him some other food for him to eat, instead, I would just let him eat the food I am also eating. Instead of cutting the veggies/fruits in cubes. I would just spoon feed him, as it would have been some sort of bonding for us, two that I deprived him because I was too beguiled at the current “mommy fad” during that time.

Yep, I’m not solely blaming everything to BLW. I would have blame us, parents as well. Because I tried so hard with the BLW thing, I took for granted what was more important, which was to eat together and this I believe is the main reason why my son ended up picky with the food that he eats.

As Coco was growing up, he wasn’t accustomed to us eating as a family. Either I let him eat first while I am doing other things or we eat together, just the two of us. Why is that? Well, my husband wasn’t always with us. He worked in a company were they would send him else where for work. Present time, still the same. He works night shift, so it is always just the two of us. Because of this schedule, we rarely eat together. If it is his dada’s off, he would still rarely join us, as he would still be asleep or would be doing other things.

Now, he is bigger and is turning 7 years old in a few months, still a picky eater, but lesser than when he was younger. Dada would try his best to cook something for us during his off. Yep, dada is the cook between the two of us. I would just cook whatever we have available in our fridge, mostly processed. Do. not. judge. Nowadays, since he is less of a picky eater now and that it is easier for him to let him try new food, I also would try so hard to cook healthier ulam for him. With healthier, it meant that not cooking hotdog or meat loaf. I would cook him breaded chicken fillet, that would fit perfectly with the video I will be sharing below. Because that is just how I do it.

Nowadays as well, I try so hard to eat with dinner him, even if I still have work to do. We don’t eat lunch together most days, because he eats lunch in school now. Surely, I regret the years that could have been spent bonding over meal time, even if it meant just the two of us. There’s still tomorrow, right?

We still don’t have dada with us most meal times but now, we make sure to have even just a day when the three of us are together for meal time – whether when dada cooks his delicious ulam or when we dine out. Enjoying the moments that are rare, were we would learn more about one another, bond with each other as we have little conversations that we will always remember.

So wait, do I blame Coco’s being a picky eater to my story above? Yep, I think I do. Why? Because if he is used to us eating food, he would have copied us. If we didn’t cook lousy meals, then he would be more at ease at eating normal house meals. If we only served one meal, then he wouldn’t have a choice. If we didn’t cook a separate ulam for him, nor decide our ulam based on the food he would it, then maybe, he wouldn’t be picky. If we just did tried our best to make meal times better and happier, maybe.. we wouldn’t have a hard time.

Sharing with you the video of Eats Jeremy, where he enjoys mealtime with his mom, who talked about superstitious beliefs that she or her family believed in, that I could totally relate to, when I remembered how I easily do something because they say this and that, when all we have to remember is that not everything can be true to everyone.