When is it okay to feed a child Cheerios?

9 months is definitely ok. If you're worried, put a little water or milk on them to get the Cheerios a little mushy.

Since Cheerios don't dissolve VERY quickly, you might try starting on the Gerber Puffs (like little flavored star-shaped snacks). Those dissolve almost as quickly as they hit the mouth. If he's chewing well, you can give him the Cheerios - he wouldn't chew them with front teeth anyhow. Most babies mash Cheerios with their gums whether or not they have front teeth.

If you're really worried, moisten them a bit so they are starting to get soft before feeding them. And remember to watch him - if he jams them all into his mouth at once he could still choke.

My son started eating puffs and cheerios around 7 months and he had no teeth. Their teeth are under their gums, so their gums are harder than ours and are capable of chewing many more foods than you would expect they could. My son is 9 months now and only has his 2 bottom teeth and is able to pretty much eats anything.

for a completely different POV... I don't feed my kids extruded grains ( ie breakfast cereals) My 11mos old picks up oatmeal and raisins that I make for him with a little Cinnamon sprinkled on top. sticky enough to pick up by hand, nutritious and not processed. I know exactly what's in there....

an excerpt from http://www.westonaprice.org/Dirty-Secrets-of-the-F...

check out the link to see the studies done on rats who were fed corn flake vs. rats fed with the box the cornflakes came in ....guess which ones lived longer!!!? Yikes!!

Packaged Cereals

Dry breakfast cereals are produced by a process called extrusion. Cereal makers first create a slurry of the grains and then put them in a machine called an extruder. The grains are forced out of a little hole at high temperature and pressure. Depending on the shape of the hole, the grains are made into little Os's, flakes, animal shapes, or shreds (as in Shredded Wheat or Triscuits), or they are puffed (as in puffed rice). A blade slices off each little flake or shape, which is then carried past a nozzle and sprayed with a coating of oil and sugar to seal off the cereal from the ravages of milk and to give it crunch.

In his book Fighting the Food Giants, Paul Stitt has tells us that the extrusion process used for these cereals destroys most of the nutrients in the grains. It destroys the fatty acids; it even destroys the chemical vitamins that are added at the end. The amino acids are rendered very toxic by this process. The amino acid lysine, a crucial nutrient, is especially denatured by extrusion. This is how all the boxed cereals are made, even the ones sold in the health food stores. They are all made in the same way and mostly in the same factories. All dry cereals that come in boxes are extruded cereals.

The only advances made in the extrusion process are those that will cut cost regardless of how these will alter the nutrient content of the product. Cereals are a multi-billion dollar business, one that has created huge fortunes.

Teeth don't matter. He can grind them up with his gums. Go ahead and hand them over.

My son was 6 months old when he started solids...and I handed him a peeled banana. These people are crazy...seriously? 9 months is PLENTY old enough for Cheerios.

I think plain cheerios are ok, but NOT honey nut cheerios. Honey should be avoided because the enzymes in honey messes with kids under 3 years of age.

As for the chewing part, give him half a cheerio and see how he deals with it before you give him a full piece. As long as he doesn't choke, it's ok because Cheerio soften very quickly and even toothless mouths can mash it pretty nicely. Though I doubt he will eat much Cheerio at all because the rate he would need to eat it is rather tedious, don't buy too much!

well they say you shouldnt give them those nacks for infants until they have at least 2 teeth. i wouldnt give him cheerios just yet. stick to soft stuff in the meantime because cheerios dont dissolve so quick. if you really absolutely want to give him something then you can try the gerber star puffs...but give it to him in halfs at first and see how he does.

My kids were eating finger foods from 6 months, there's no need to wait for teeth.

He sounds ready for Cheerios.

My 7 month old has no teeth and has never had a problem eating them.

they'll get all mushy and soft where he can chew it. 9 months old is ok for cherrios