Self-feeding develops your baby’s fine motor skills

The pincer grasp—where your baby uses their thumb and fingers to pick up small objects—usually develops around this age.

Finding safe objects for your baby to practice their new skill can be challenging. If your baby is self-feeding, small round cereal, like Cheerios, can make a good option, as long as your baby is able to get them into their mouth on their own, and you are present to supervise.

Place a few Cheerios onto a tray for your baby. Your baby will rake, grab, and eventually pinch the cereal between their thumb and forefinger, bringing them to their mouth. If they can’t get the cereal into their mouth on their own, resist the temptation to do it for them. You can also let your baby practice with small pieces of banana, avocado, or pancake when in their high chair.

The purpose of self-feeding at this stage is to develop fine motor skills and learn about the different textures and tastes of food. Breast milk or formula should still be your baby’s primary sources of nutrition.