Your Baby Didn't Read the Guidelines

Welcome to your Sunday Support  — for the parents navigating new rules, old advice, and babies who grab first and ask questions later. Starting solids the second time around feels less like following a roadmap and more like choosing your own adventure.

The guidelines? They’ve changed. Again. Meat is now encouraged early. Allergens should be introduced sooner. And that old rule about waiting three days between new foods? Largely gone. It’s all rooted in solid science — but let’s be honest: it can be a lot to keep up with.

Some of us are deep in Google searches, double-checking every chart, cross-referencing sources, trying to get it “right.” Others are handing over a banana and seeing what happens. Both approaches? Totally valid.

Because here's the truth: your baby didn’t read the guidelines. Mine certainly didn’t. He’s been grabbing food out of my hands for weeks, making it very clear that he's ready to explore. My firstborn? He needed A LOT of encouragement just to accept the smell of anything that wasn’t milk.

And layered on top of the modern advice is the old advice — and the family commentary. The “you turned out fine’s”. The raised eyebrows when you offer peanut butter before one. The running joke that we’re all just feeding babies based on vibes and vibes alone.

But the reality is: parenting has always been a mix of instinct, information, and whatever’s currently smeared across your shirt.

You can research every recommendation, or you can follow your baby’s lead.
You can do a little of both — most of us do.

So whether you're batch-prepping purees, leaning into baby-led weaning, or just letting your teething baby suck on a mango wedge in a mesh feeder, here’s your reminder:

You’re not behind. You’re not overthinking it.
You’re learning this baby.
And that’s enough.

🚨 Disclaimer (because someone’s cousin’s Facebook comment section needs to hear it): This is not medical advice. I am a tired mom with Wi-Fi and opinions. If something’s up with your baby, consult your doctor — not the lady who just wiped mashed banana off her ceiling.

Talk soon,
Tara
CEO of Chaos & Co.