What age for finger foods?

[Snow mom]

I'm starting to understand why people delay solids and skip purees. Today I was watching DD finger paint with sweet potato puree (which she insists on feeding herself) and I started wondering when I can give her things that she can place in her mouth without a spoon. When can she have things in small chunks rather than purees? Maybe I should try the mesh feeder?

[JTsMom]

As soon as she's able to pick them up and put them in her mouth- of course they need to be easily gummed/soft foods. Cheerios are a popular first choice, but I'd wait a little while on those b/c of the mixed ingredients. You could try something like teeny cubes of soft sweet potato and see if she could pick those up, but she may need another month or so.

[JBaxter]

Jack started to self feed well at 7 months. He is eating yellow squash ( sliced and halved) yams ( cubed) and homecanned pears cubed for dinner tonight.

[SnuggleBuggles]

We started at 6m with both boys b/c they seemed to be ready physically.

Beth

[LMPC]

DD likes really ripe pears. But it's still more like finger painting at this point! BTW, how come everything she *should* put in her mouth, she won't and things she shouldn't , she does?!

[hellbennt]

w/ ds2 I totally got into reading posts about baby-led solids (also known as baby-led weaning, but weaning in the 'European' sense as in starting solids, not stopping breastfeeding/formula) bcse he had zero interest in purees and was teensy- so at 7 months I covered the high chair in plastic, peeled a banana, set in on the tray in front of him and let him go to town, LOL!

so for ds2 it was 7 months.

[jren]

I gave DS (7.5 months) a noodle last night while we ate, just to occupy him. He flung it around and played with it, but never tried to put it in his mouth. He makes me feed him, even finger foods. But everything else (toys, paper) he puts in his mouth. sigh...

[ncat]

DS is just shy of 7 months and started eating Cheerios with great gusto this week. DD started finger foods about the same time.

We have been using the safe feeder for a while now also, either with ice or frozen peas.

[Neatfreak]

Six months was when DD2 was ready. She started off with rice puffs as a finger food, and was also ready to manage loaded spoons into her mouth.