Emmett’s the big brother in our house. Most days it’s a role he takes on willingly, and let me tell you, he embraces his role as the baby-safety police wholeheartedly, “no Char-wee, we don’t chew books” or “no Char-wee, that toy’s not safe. It has tiny pieces”. I mean the kid loves him some rules.
But lately we’ve noticed that occasionally he really wants to slide back into that baby role.
I’m sure it’s for all the reasons you’d imagine: a lot of mama’s time gets taken up by Charlie (nursing, holding, feeding, etc.), and as Charlie grows she’s staking more of a claim to space in the house (gone are the days of her being a sleeping squish in the corner!), so in all likelihood Em’s just trying to find a way to get a little bit of that ‘baby’ attention back on him.
So, what does the toddler-trying-to-be-a-baby looking like in our house? Sometimes it’s trying to slide into Charlie’s highchair before she gets there at mealtime, sometimes it’s staking claim to all the baby-safe toys in the living room, and sometimes it’s trying to crawl into my lap while I’m nursing Charlie. Hands up if ANY of this is sounding familiar?!
Well here’s the thing. There are some wannabe-baby requests we just have to say no to. I.e. “No sweetheart, you can’t sit in the highchair because Charlie needs it to keep her safe.”
But, there are ways that we can make sure Em feels just as loved and as special as his sister. The one way that’s been a HUGE help for us right now? It’s an easy one, and it’s none other than our favourite Baby Gourmet to the rescue.
Charlie get’s her ‘special baby pouches’ at mealtime, and while on any normal day Em loves his Squoosh pouches, sometimes when he’s in an I-want-to-be-a-baby zone all he wants is EXACTLY what Charlie’s getting. So, that’s exactly what he gets. A delicious, healthy, even-good-for-a-toddler pouch, just like Charlie. And frankly? Sometimes it even lets me squeeze in an awesome superfood he wouldn’t normally be eating!
Because in this house we choose our battles. And frankly? Having my toddler ask for a delicious, healthy snack that’s just like his baby sister’s? Well frankly, that’s one battle I don’t even have to think twice about.
Eat up, babies.
Xo
Note: this post was written in partnership with Baby Gourmet, and we’re proud ambassadors of the brand. We receive compensation for our partnership. All opinions (and real life baby-imitating events) are all ours.
