To put chillis or not?

So some of my mommy friends have been asking about using chillis in food and the two main questions are:

1. When do you start introducing chillis?

2. And how much?

To answer both questions-- I would go with what your child can manage and slowly build on it from there. A friends daughter started eating chillis in her food before 9 months. If you decide to start, add a quarter of chilli in their dal for instance see if they can manage this. Increase this amount by half a chilli in a months time.

Most parents aim for their child to eat the family food around the age of 1. If you have decided to cook one meal now for the family, start by putting a small amount of chilli, lets say one chilli in a curry for 2 adults and 1 baby. Add plain yoghurt to the food so that they can get used to the idea not only of eating spicy food but eating the family meal. Then increase this amount over a few months and see how your child responds. I have found this has worked and there is no more making separate baby food (Thank God!).

I have found that my little one is happy to sample spicy flavoured crisps but makes a big deal out of a small amount of chilli in her food, so eating junk food can be an indicator of chilli tolerance!

Regressing?

So I am due with Baby # 2 in a few weeks. My little one has been involved from day 1, coming to every doctor's appointment, scan and has an understanding that there is a baby growing inside me. She often kisses my belly and points to it saying 'baby'. Now for the last 7 months, she has been eating by herself and my husband and I have been very proud of this achievement. She has this desire to be independent and feels part of the family unit when we all eat together. Now for the last two days, she is not interested in eating her food. In fact she welcomed being fed, which she normally doesn't like. She doesn't like others fussing over her while eating and likes to eat at her own pace by herself.

Is she aware that D-day is approaching very soon? Is there an unconcious desire to be the 'baby' again? I mean she IS still the baby, after all she is barely 2 years old. It's like she is pacing back and forth between independence and dependence. The next few weeks is going to be critical for her and lots of attention, love and patience is in order...