When parents relax, starting solid foods can be fun and exciting. Some children like solid foods from the very first bite, and some aren't very interested until they are 9-12 months old (or even older), so, after waiting until your child is at least four to six months old before starting solid foods, following your baby's cues is the best rule of thumb! Here's how this philosophy worked for our family.
Either lying in our arms or sitting in his chair, our toddler has been part of family mealtime since he was a newborn. Early on I nursed him while I, my husband, and our pre-schooler ate. Then he began wanting to sit in our laps and watch us eat. At about five months he began intently watching us eat, but he was still content just watching.
Finally, at about six months--since he started getting really squirmy and kept trying to grab the food off our plates--I put him in his own seat and gave him a spoon to chew on. He loved it! The spoon kept him satisfied for about a month, and when he was seven months and a week old, he had his first solid food.
Up until then he had been happy sitting at the table with us and chewing on a spoon, cup, toy, etc., but one morning he started fussing during breakfast. I wanted to have a good chance to eat my meal, so I thought, "Hmmmmm. Maybe he'd like some Cheerios." So I put some on the table in front of him, and he enjoyed feeling them and trying to pick them up.
That day he didn't really understand how it all worked--it seemed like he tried to nurse the Cheerio that he held between his fingers--and most of them went on the floor, but when one got in him mouth, he seemed so happy about it! And then out it came. But that was okay. He was learning, and from then he has gotten better and better at picking up and gumming and swallowing the Cheerios.
