A TikTok mom has recently received some backlash from strangers about the way she feeds her daughter. She shares her love of African and Caribbean cuisine by preparing dishes for her 13-month-old child. Through TikTok, she shares video clips about the food she gives her baby girl.
However, parents online do not seem to be too happy about it. What does their pediatrician say?
A reminder of her childhood
Graca Walters told TODAY Parents that they did not have baby food in jars and containers in the place where she grew up. She said that she is giving her baby what her mom used to give her as a child.
The 31-year-old mom, who grew up in the Congo, loves preparing meat-heavy meals for her daughter, Zuri. She explained that her child likes lamb and curry; apart from that, the 13-month-old also loves Jamaican food.
@texykitchen1 Reply to @call_meh_jordan #babyfood #babyhack #momhack #GraphicDesign #InkDrawing #momswhocook #fyp #foryou #blw #momlife #needtoknow #momhacks ♬ Therefore I Am - Billie Eilish
Walters, who now lives in New York, said that the meals she feeds her baby remind her of her childhood. However, when she started sharing her cooking videos on social media, commenters gave her hateful messages.
The stay-at-home mom never knew she would receive cruel remarks by sharing the food she feeds her daughter. The backlash, which never crossed her mind, caught her off-guard and had hurt her feelings in the beginning.
A person commented on the clip where she fed her daughter rice and homemade oxtail said that no one would ever feed their child that kind of disgusting food. One commenter noted on the sausage dish Walters prepared, saying that she should be feeding her baby fruits and vegetables instead.
Yet another commenter wrote that his dog would not even eat what Walters gave Zuri. A troll even threatened the TikTok mom to call Child Protective Services because the mom gave her child lamb curry.
Disagreement on social media
Walters shared that her feelings were hurt when she saw the hateful comments from bashers. She believes that she is not doing anything wrong about the way she feeds her daughter. A pediatrician echoed what Walters shared about baby-feeding.
A Nashville, Tennessee, medical director and primary care pediatrician, Dr. Tobi Amosun, explained Walters' side. She agrees with Walters, saying that there is nothing wrong with what the mom was doing.
Pediatrician agrees with the mom
Dr. Amosun told the outlet that the only food she limits for a baby below one year of age is honey and milk. She said that there is a risk of botulism in honey, and the little ones do not need milk.
She also noted that as long as the children under one-year-old have no food allergies, she would allow moms to give them any food that they want.
