I don't know why, but people have been encouraging me to give my child chicken bones for like 6 months now, "Not to eat, just to get the flavor!" What kind of flavor could bone marrow, chicken grease and spit from someone elses' mouth have? That's disgusting! I think its a black thing. I'm black but I still don't understand.
I have realized over the past few months, that I took a lot of things for granted when I decided to have a baby. I guess no one really expects to have a child with special needs. But, even after I realized this was the case, I certainly didn't expect that she would have a problem with eating, of all things.
I can't say that anyone in my family has a problem with eating. Anyone, that is, except for Amina. In fact, I've spent most of my adult years trying to STOP myself from eating, and now, I have to send my daughter to a special clinic to help her to eat MORE. At 11-months-old when most kids are trying to grab french fries out of your mouth, little Amina can't eat anything thicker than pureed baby food and baby cereal or she will choke and vomit. I've been trying to give her different textured foods for a while, but I've slowed down a bit lately because I'd feel really stupid explaining to the social workers that my daughter choked because I was force feeding her cheerios. Its not worth it.
So we went to the feeding clinic where she was evaluated by like 6 more specialists, and we found that she was probably "volume limited" and they made us change her from Similac Isomil Advance formula (expensive) to Pediasure (rediculously expensive). And just when I was getting all excited about being able to buy regular milk instead of formula. It's like God's sitting somewhere on His throne looking down at us like, "Gotcha!"
I guess I should have known when she refused to eat the peaches that we were going to have problems. What kid doesn't like peaches? Amina of course.
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I doubt it is a "black thing",; more likely a "Southern thing". My grandmother used to tell us about how she (and all the other young moms) used to give their 6-12 month old babies a chicken leg bone (stripped down of course, and washed) to teethe on. She said they all loved it- and would happily teethe on it far longer than commercial products like teething rings, doubtless due to the flavor. I've also heard some moms discussing it at the playground- and most had done it. They were all white, by the way.
I agree it is pretty gross though, and have never tried it myself.
Another thing she used to do to "occupy" the baby was to put a sticky feather (use karo syrup) on her finger. Baby would spend a long time picking it off one hand, only to get it stuck to the other. This kept her busy long enough for grandma to cook dinner, or do some cleaning. Never tried this either, but then I don't have to.
I take for granted the relative ease I have in accomplishing chores while tending an infant- I can distract the baby with TV or put her in an exersaucer or bouncy seat. Amazing what resourcefulness those Depression-era folks had.
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