Is he ready?

[Clairele]

My little boy (5.5 months old) has been watching my hubby and I eat for around a month. The last couple of weeks, he's been really staring and mimicks with his mouth how we eat. He also reaches for my plate if he is near me.

He can sit up but only on his own if he leans forward slightly. He sits up fine in his bumper seat and jumperoo though. He is EBF and likes to grab things to out into his mouth. I was thinking of giving him a bit of banana to start him off. Do you think it's too soon?

[Lily]

Hi Claire, welcome!

It sounds like he may be ready. The requirement to sit up is so they can lean forward to spit things out if necessary, then get themselves upright again. So if he can sit comfortably in his high chair or on your lap, that's fine - he doesn't need to be able to sit completely alone and unsupported.

Banana can be quite gaggy, and also a bit slippery to hold. Try splitting it down the middle with your thumb so it breaks into three thinner pieces which are a better size for baby fists. If he doesn't seem to manage it well, roast veg batons are also a great place to start.

[StJuniper]

Yes, what Lily said. Both my boys started at 5.5 months and never looked back!

[Clairele]

Thanks for the advice! We are going to try some roast veg first and see how he gets on