Raquel Tolman is an American mom who recently posted a video on TikTok, in which she explains how she sometimes feeds her baby. And more precisely, “in survival mode when mom is sick”she wrote in the caption. “Hello baby, eat the snacks, he loves it. Sometimes when I’m sick, I like to feed my baby these little snacks”, she says in the short clip. We then see the toddler, lying flat on his stomach, eating the bits of food that his mother throws him on the carpet. This one has fun that he pecks “like it was a chicken.”
@desertbabysteps Survival mode when moms sick #sickday#sick#momlife#survivalmode#boymom ? original sound – Raquel Tolman
A controversial method
The video has been viewed over 7 million times, and the comments are rife. On the one hand, there are Internet users who find this absolutely not funny, and who explain: “The ground is full of germs”. “I hope it’s a joke”, someone also comments. Still others worry most regarding the position of the baby, fearing that he will chokes while eating on your stomach. To which Raquel Tolman replied in another clip posted on TikTok: “There were some people who were worried regarding what I was feeding my ‘baby chicken’. It’s not popcorn, it’s snacks […] for babies over 8 months. These are things that crumble to dust instantly and cannot choke you, and I always watch my child when he eats them.”
@desertbabysteps Replying to @_0zer0_ ? original sound – Raquel Tolman
However, others see nothing wrong with it, like this dad who remembers: “Sometimes my babies would reject the food I served them in the high chair, then immediately start looking for the food they found on the floor”. One person adds: “The comments show you’ve never had or been around a kid. My oldest niece literally throws her snack on the floor so she can pick it up with her mouth.” We also know that, not to mention food, young children put everything in their mouthsincluding if it was on the floor, and some argue that by eating this way, Raquel Tolman’s child’s immune system will be boosted, as will his mobility. “It’s carpet. It’s as clean as a rug can get, and it plays on it all day, so I can’t change that.”, comments on his side the mother. What makes a user react: “It’s carpet, yes, but we’re walking on carpet.”
An expert responds to this mom’s technique
Faced with all these comments that say everything and its opposite, the site Insider wanted to know more. He contacted Dr Jessica Madden who recalled that the floors were full of germs and dirt. “This is especially true if the floor is in a household where shoes are not removed upon entry and/or if there are pets that spend time outdoors”, says the pediatrician. While emphasizing that “Food from the soil is probably contaminated with microorganisms that trigger a response from the immune system“she explains that this is not a reason to voluntarily give food that has fallen on the floor to young children: “There are many safer ways to boost babies’ immune systems, including breastfeeding, probiotics, vaccines, and contact with siblings and older children.”
Read also: