Boundaries are never more essential than when you become a parent. Not only are you acting in your own best interests, but also for the health and well-being of your children, who might not be able to advocate for themselves. Interestingly, boundaries are pushed and tested to the limit when children come into the picture.
Everyone seems to feel like their actions are well-intentioned, regardless of whether they are really acceptable or not. And those assumptions can often lead to family, friends, and even complete strangers taking liberties they should not.
That’s what happened to one mom who shared her story on TikTok to determine whether or not she overreacted to someone overstepping with her 4-month-old baby.
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Katie's daughter was 4 months old and not yet weaned when someone fed her cake.
Katie, who goes by @katieandariam on TikTok, said that someone fed her 4-month-old baby chocolate cake and she needed to use the social media site to rant about it. She explained that a couple of weeks ago, her family was visiting someone’s home when the offense occurred.
“I was in the kitchen, my husband was in the living room, someone was holding our baby and decided to feed her chocolate cake,” Katie said while holding the squirming infant in her arms.
Katie stormed out of the house and hasn't spoken to the person since.
Katie’s husband shouted, “No,” grabbed their daughter, ran into the kitchen, and attempted to scoop the cake out of the baby's mouth. Katie was furious. And in response, grabbed her daughter, stormed out of the house, and hasn’t spoken to this person since the incident. But Katie says she’s been told that the whole thing wasn’t a big deal and that she overreacted.
Katie say a precious moment was taken from her and her husband.
Katie said at this point, she and her husband hadn’t started weaning their baby, Aria. “The only thing she’d ever had in her mouth was a piece of watermelon when we were in Thailand because it was hot,” Katie said. “That’s our decision. We’re her parents.”
Katie said that in addition to this person not asking permission from Aria’s parents, it was also a moment stolen from them. “The reason I’m so mad about it is because I feel like a precious moment had been taken away from us just for the expense of someone’s laughter,” she said.
Cow's milk can wreak havoc on a baby's system.
"On top of that," Katie noted, "chocolate cake has sugar, dairy, caffeine, all these things in it, that I want to control with my baby. Those are my boundaries, what I set and no one should overstep that."
Katie said that even if her daughter had been weaned, she still expects people to check with her or her husband before just sticking something in their child’s mouth. “What if she had a reaction or whatever?” Katie posed.
The CDC states that parents should not give their children cow’s milk until they are 12 months old. Doing so could put them at risk for intestinal bleeding.
Katie didn’t go into all of the potential hazards in her video, but she did ask her followers how they would feel in the situation.
Katie wondered if she had overreacted.
Many agreed with Katie and her approach completely.
“Not overreacting at all I’d lose my mind,” one user wrote.
Others though that perhaps her decision to storm out was a bit much.
“I agree, but perhaps not stormed out of the house, explaining the situation, weaning is a precious time with new flavors,” another user wrote.
We can all understand Katie’s reaction. Personally, I would have taken more pleasure checking that person face to face, not only for myself but for any other babies they may come in contact with in the future.
*Disclaimer: The advice on CafeMom.com is not a substitute for consultation with a medical professional or treatment for a specific condition. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem without consulting a qualified professional. Please contact your health-care provider with questions and concerns.
