Introducing solid foods can be an intimidating and excited time for us and our little ones! There is so much information out there that can get overwhelming about when/where to start and how to start to help it be successful! It is always important to get approval from your child’s pediatrician to know when they feel your child is safe and ready to eat solid foods. When they are ready, here are a few tips to help you know when to let your little one try it out and make it successful!
Typically, children are ready to start solid foods around 7-9 months of age! They will often show us some readiness signs by: sitting up more independently and reaching for items, trying to reach for your food, is not reflexively pushing foods out of their mouth with their tongue, and shows some munching/chomping/chewing movements! It is important for your child to be able to sit up in his/her highchair (the body needs to be stable and not work so hard to just keep them upright)!
Here are some simple strategies to start with to help you and them feel successful with solid foods!
- Make sure when you are starting to introduce solid foods, you have time to dedicate to them and give them time to explore foods! It takes time for them to learn about the foods and play with them first before they may put it in their mouth! Having time will help keep you relaxed, so that you do not feel rushed to get on to the next thing!
- Show them what you like to do with foods when you aren’t sure what it is. You can start by touching it if they are resistant to that. You can then pick it up and maybe tap in on the highchair to make sounds or smell it to see what they do. Then when they seem ready, you can put it in your mouth and make big chomping/chewing motions for them to see how to chew it! They love to copy what we do!
- Start with foods that will dissolve or mash easily on their gums. This way, if they do not chew it, it can still be mashed and can be swallowed easily without worrying about choking or gagging. If you are unsure if the food will dissolve, you can place a piece under your tongue for a few seconds to test it yourself!
- Let your child. Play around with different types of flavors! Just like us, they will have some flavors they like more than others! Also, continue to bring out foods they have seemed to say “no” to in the past. Just because they didn’t like it the first time, does not mean they won’t this time!
- When starting solid foods, again, it is important to listen to your child’s pediatrician to know when they are ready and what foods to avoid that are choking hazards!
It’s important that these interactions with foods are fun, exciting, and successful! This will encourage them to want to practice more and try more foods. These are just a few tips on introducing solid foods to your little one! If you feel you need additional support or would like more information, do not hesitate to reach out to one of us!
-Amber-
