So here is out finger food size guide.  This is what worked for us, all babies are different and I’m not a weaning expert, just a mummy sharing what worked for me and my son.

6 months old

We gave mostly finger foods from 6 months and cut them into finger shaped and sized pieces.  The idea behind this was to make the pieces narrow enough to fit in Harry’s hand and long enough so it would stick out of the top for him to eat.  This was important because at 6 months he hadn’t developed his pincer grip yet.

7 months

At 7 months old, Harry had a pretty good pincer grip. He loved picking up peas with his fingers and eating them one by one. We started cutting his food smaller at this point as he seemed to enjoy the challenge and we wanted to encourage that.

9 months

At 9 months old We started offering a spoon or fork to Harry and encouraged him to have a go at using it. For the first few months he threw it straight on the floor but by about 11 months old Harry was starting to have a go. Now, at 16 months old, Harry is fairly confident with cutlery. He prefers to use a fork rather than a spoon as he finds stabbing his food easier than scooping it.

Fruit

We gave Harry fruit in finger shapes to begin with.  With slippery things like mango we either kept the skin on or cut triangles into either side to make it easier to hold.  We kept the rind on oranges and watermelon and were amazed at how he just seemed to know which bits he could eat and which he couldn’t.

Initially we cut apples into finger shapes to make them manageable but since Harry turned 1 we have just cored an apple and handed it to him. He manages so well and demolishes the whole thing!

We split bananas into finger shapes for the first few months (see banana hack video below) but by 9 months we started just handing Harry a small banana without the skin on and he eats the whole thing.

Grapes

We gave Harry seedless grapes once he had become more confident in using his pincer grip. I always cut them into quarters lengthways to avoid choking.  It is recommended that grapes are cut in half or quarter as if they are given whole they can get stuck in the throat and are unlikely to come out with back blows or chest thrusts.

We also quarter any other fruits that are the same size and shape as grapes, such as cherry tomatoes, blueberries and cherries.

Banana hack!

This was always my favourite way to prepare a banana to give to Harry.  I found that by preparing it this way, instead of cutting it with a knife, it was a lot less slippery and easier for Harry to hold.