"Silverstoning": A New Feeding Craze or Just Plain Disgusting?

Okay, so my first rant is going to have to be about this buzz I've been hearing about "Silverstoning". I had been hearing the term and curiosity did get the better of me so I, of course, did a little research of my own to figure out what this was. I have to say, I am thoroughly disgusted.

For those of you who are unaware of what the term means, "Silverstoning" (which is technically referred to as premastication) is when you pre-chew your child's food and then spit it in their mouth as if they were a bird, just like Alicia Silverstone does for her 11-month-old son, Bear. EW! Seriously?

Seriously....How disgusting is that?? But, to each their own, right?

I thought to myself, "She has got to be nuts! That's disgusting!" But Silverstone adamantly defends her position to feed her son this way saying, "People have been feeding their kids that way for thousands of years. It's a weaning process."

Okay, I get that some mothers have a difficult time weaning their children onto solid foods and there may even be a few "up-sides" to premastication--such as, research claims that it could aid in a baby's digestion and even increase immunity in areas where there are health risks like lack of clean water (I would assume mainly third world countries?)--but aren't there better ways to wean a child? I would think that all the "down-sides" to premastication would make people--especially celebrities who can afford to not do stupid shit like this--think twice about it.

Aside from the obvious "down-side" of potentially giving your child a nasty cold or virus that you may not even be aware that you have yet, it can also severely damage your child's teeth. With all the research and studies that have been done pointing out that the human mouth is one of the "dirtiest" things on the planet--even dog's mouths and toilet seats in some research cases--why would parents think that swapping mouth bacteria with their child on a regular basis is NOT bad for their health??

I also have to wonder at what age does the child feed himself? 10 and 11 months old is well old enough in my book (I worked at a daycare center for almost three years with children ranging in ages of 4 weeks to 12 years old) to be feeding themselves. Sure they are going to make a mess and drop food but that is all part of learning to be an independent person, correct? Why do parents feel the need to continue to do every tiny thing for their children these days? Don't they realize they are just setting their children up for failure in the future by not letting them learn anything or do anything on their own (this question could, by itself, bring on a whole other rant but I'll leave it be for now)?