Starting Solids: Around 6 to 9 Months

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The first spoonful is a big little moment. Around 6 months, when the readiness signs come together, your baby begins discovering food through tasting, touching, squashing and plenty of hands-on practice. Some babies start with spoon-fed foods, some reach straight for soft finger foods, and many families do a bit of both. There is no single right way to begin. Ages are guides, not deadlines. Every baby develops at their own pace. Is your baby ready to start solids? Look for these signs together, rather than relying on age alone: sitting upright with good head and neck control showing real interest in food and reaching towards it opening their mouth when food is offered bringing objects towards their mouth with control If you’re unsure whether your baby is ready, your doctor or child health nurse can help. What’s happening at this stage Right now, eating is a whole-body experience. Your baby is learning to reach, grasp, bring food towards their mouth and work out what a spoon is for. Their whole hand usually does the grabbing before their fingers can manage smaller, more precise movements. The spoon might miss. Food will be squashed. Much of it may end up everywhere except their mouth. It is all part of getting familiar with food and practising new skills. What helps now Offer a pre-loaded spoon they can bring towards their mouth, or soft finger foods in shapes their whole hand can grasp. Keep serves manageable, with more ready if they want it. Let them touch and explore without expecting tidy eating just yet. A stable bowl or broad eating surface can make practice easier by giving them one less moving thing to manage. Set them up for easier practice Bring your baby close to the tray or table and sit them upright with their head and body supported. The eating surface should be around elbow height, not up near their chin. Their feet should rest firmly on an adjustable footrest rather than dangle. It’s worth checking the seat and footrest regularly as they grow. When yo

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