So today I wanna talk about feeding babies solid stuff, especially when to switch from mushy baby food to cheerios. Everyone says “oh, around 8-9 months they can pick up small things!” Yeah right – my kid was like, “Nope!” Lemme tell you how it actually went down.
First up, started the purees around 6 months. You know the drill – rice cereal mixed with breastmilk, those little jars of veggies. Went pretty smooth! Baby opened mouth, spoon went in, sometimes half came back out. Normal stuff.
The Great Cheerio Experiment
So month 8 rolls around, I’m thinking, “Okay, motor skills time!” Plopped three cheerios on the high chair tray. Watched. Baby stared like they were alien spaceships. Slowly… slowly… WHOOSH! Entire hand slammed down. Crushed all three into dust. Then tried to lick the dust off the palm. Zero cheerios made it to mouth that day.
Next try? Used those baby puffs first – bigger than cheerios. Still fumbling. Baby grabbed one, squeezed it tight in a fist, then tried to shove the entire fist in their mouth. Mostly got knuckles and slobber. Puff crumbled. Messy? Oh yeah. Floor looked like a puff massacre.
Here’s what worked:
- Started super slow: Just ONE puff at a time on the tray. Less overwhelming.
- Showed them how: Seriously, I put a puff in MY mouth, smacking exaggeratedly. Kid watched, confused but interested.
- Hand-over-hand: Gently guided baby’s hand with the puff to their mouth a couple times. Felt weird, but helped make the connection.
- Patience, patience: Some days nothing happened. Some days we got one! Progress isn’t straight.
Finally Getting It
Around 9 months? Magic happened. Saw the tiny fingers – thumb and pointer – actually try to pick a cheerio up! Still shaky, dropped it five times. But then… POP! Into the mouth! Success! Baby looked pleased as punch. Or rather, pleased as oat circles.
What mattered way more than age? Watch YOUR baby. Mine took forever to get that pincer grasp solid. Could swallow mush fine at 6 months, but still needed pincer practice at 9. Every kiddo builds skills at their own speed. Don’t stress the calendar.
Big takeaway? It’s messy. Oh man, is it messy. Floors become a cereal graveyard. But seeing them finally grab that tiny cheerio? Pretty cool milestone. Just don’t expect it exactly on schedule, and bring lots of wipes. Seriously. Lots.
