i think this is the cutest! my aunt actually did something very similar with me when i was a baby, and i did the same when my son was a baby. i plan to do the same when i have my next one!

I find it interesting that some critics seem to be concerned about a child having an altered sense of normalcy after being fed pre-masticated food, believing that the child won't know "proper" behavior from "abnormal" behavior once they're grown. For example, one response stated, "I'm only saying that we live under a group of social rules and if we decide to avoid them, we have to deal with some consequences.... So, if this [pre-mastication] is a proper behavoir in this society, it would be proper to shit on the streets or above a table full of food. Because, you know, shit is the food that once I've eaten. So, shit is food."

Wow, what a leap from eating pre-chewed puree to crapping on your lunch and laying cable in public. That is quite the unfounded jump to conclusions.

What is peculiar to me is the fact that there are a host of normal childhood activities of daily living that would be considered abnormal for any adult to participate in, but nobody is rioting over these activities, asserting that a child will never know what normal is as an adult after engaging in them as a child. Children have a desire to be big and to grow up. They understand that things change as they mature, and they crave that change. All childhood activities are healthfully grown out of eventually, and pre-mastication (as well as eating jarred baby food) is no different. Take for example breast feeding, diaper wearing and so forth. No one seems to believe that these childhood activities would mar a child's future perspective on propriety. If a mother breastfeeds her child, no one assumes that he will never learn to drink from anything other than a woman's teat. No one assumes that putting an infant in a diaper will teach her to poop in her pants or wet herself well into adulthood. No one is boycotting Gerber, saying that feeding puree to an infant will promote delayed chewing skills as the child matures. Gerber uses a machine, Alicia uses her teeth... two different methods that produce the same end-product for all intents and purposes (minus the "gross" factor). If Gerber purees don't handicap a child by delaying chewing skills, I doubt Alicia's pre-chewed puree will either. The only practical difference between Alicia and parents who rely on modern methods is the intermediary spoon. If a baby can latch on to a woman's tit and eat, how is it harmful or strange for that same infant to take food from a parent's mouth as a next step from the breast? I have a sneaking suspicion that Alicia does not plan to pre-chew for two for the rest of her life. I have full faith that when little Bear shows interest in finger foods, eating utensils and feeding himself, she will encourage the development of his tastes for regular, adult food, just like any other child who has been fed puree pre-chewed by a blender rather than a mother.

So glad you posted this video! I prechewed food for all 3 of my kids. It was so easy and efficiant! I also used a baby food grinder and added grains, vegetables and breast milk.

In addition....

I ONLY Breastfed my daughter for the first year.. I held her ALL the time..

in fact, I held her so much that she crawled late and walked late by a few months... being it was just she and I, she slept with me the first 3 years.. I never let her cry it out.. If she cried, I picked her up and took care of her and held her.. Ohhhh my family and friends criticized me up one wall and down the other... EVERYBODY said.. she willhave feed issues, since she was not eating solid food yet... and that I was not allowing her to be independent... they said holding her too much would not teach her to self comfort... they said that she would never learn how to sleep in her own bed.... BLAH.. BLAH... BLAH.... well... fact is... she was the MOST secure child I EVER met, because of how I raised her... That boding really did a LOT for her... she is one of the strongest most intelligent kids I know..

so, all you people going on about how this will make him not know how to eat... I say... WHAT EVER..... You have no proof of this... you just don't like ANYTHING that is different from what YOU think is NORMAL...

as for the tooth decay issue...I am MORE than sure Alicia see's a dentist more often than the rest of us do... and not EVERYBODY has cavity making bacteria in their mouths... some people have cleaner healthier mouths than OTHERS... so, I think the judging should stop...

If people just joined this site to criticize Alicia on how she feeds her baby... a little advice... mind your business and get a life :) I don't see anything wrong about this. Mommies chew hard foods for their babies all the time.

OMG, people crack me up! Did you forget that her baby spent the first 9 months of his life inside of her uterus, "breathing" her amniotic and came into this world through her vagina that was lubrication with vaginal secretions?!?!?! Then probably breast fed from the milk coming out of her breast!!! And everyone is then disgusted by a little saliva transfer from mom to child, OMG!!! Reality check, please?!?!?!

Go, girl!

People who disapprove can go chew their own food somewhere else. Not only have our ancestors fed their kids like this for eons, we've also been cooking our food the last 2 million years ... including meat! Sorry folks, doctor Kurt Harris and the paleo diet pushers talked me into it, pointing to health benefits, science and evolution. I still think we should be nice to animals and the planet.

The truth is out there

I am totally all for people doing "their own thing" however, this seems like a form of control to me. The mothers simply cant let the children do things for themselves, so they have to do it for them. Eating is a part of life and eventually children will catch on, otherwise, none of us would be here now! My mom didnt chew my food, I didnt chew my daughters food, but we are all still alive and healthy. More power to you, but let the children learn these things for themselves... its actually kind of gross :/

I joined this site only because I have been shocked at all of the silliness that has come as a result of Alicia sharing how she feeds her son - who by the way is adorable. If this was someone who was not from Hollywood I am sure that there would not have been nearly the backlash. I have fed two of my 3 kids in this fashion (21, 16 and nearly 5). Not only is it easier for them but it also helps to moderate the temperature of the food before feeding it to them. Even still, for the nearly 5 year old, I still pop the food in my mouth, sometimes give it a quick chew and then pop it into her mouth. Admittedly, I don't directly birdie feed - but I do place it into my mouth, remove it either onto a spoon or into my hand, and then pop it into their mouth. The 16 year old had food issues, OCD and sensory neural integration dysfunction and it was how his treating physicians advised feeding; this has carried on for the now nearly 5 year old. I can recall getting strange looks when we would be out to dinner or whatever but I didn't have time to pay it any mind. It would appear, thankfully, that Alicia is strong of spirit and mind and won't allow the foolish comments to bother her - good for you, you go girl!

You know, Alicia, I just don't see the problem with this. I have two children and, granted, I never mouth-fed them, I did (and still do) put up with a lot of flack from other parents for the choices I make regarding their well-being and education. I finally got so fed up with what I call the "yoga-pant-wearing-uber-moms" that I have now completely distanced myself from other parents.

So long as you are not harming, physically, emotionally, or spiritually, your son, yourself, or others, then be the parent you are intuitively and enjoy every minute.

And to the "yuck" mom, if you haven't got anything nice to say...well, you're a good mom, you should be able to figure out the rest.

Ronda

So sweet =) That's how my son enjoyed his first thanksgiving this year. He had JUST started eating purees but I wanted him to enjoy the rolls, pasta, and desserts too. Everytime he saw me chewing he started doing this little smacking sound with his mouth waiting for me to share.