Usually we maintain min 6 hrs between eating meat followed by consuming a milk product. How does this rule apply to babies/infants?
I have a infant (almost 1 year old), who I plan to give meat broth, or potatoes from meat curry (actually not the meat itself). Do I follow the same rule of 6 hrs for infants? Or is there a different rule for infants?
Answer:
There is no need to apply the law of waiting 6 hours for infants. From the age when the child is aware of the concept of meat and milk, he should be trained to wait between meat and milk, but it is sufficient to wait one hour, or three hours when he is older. Only closer to his bar mitzvah (10-12) does he need to be trained to wait the full 6 hours.
Sources: Although the custom is to wait six hours, the most lenient opinion is one hour, and this is sufficient for the basic concept of chinuch, because it is a sufficient time to wait for one who is ill, and the same applies to a child. See Teshuvos Ve-hanhagos, vol. 1, no. 435.
