The Best Way to Know When Your Child Can Eat Cheerios

Cheerios are delicious and nutritious for kids of all ages (even us adults)! They are made to be healthy, lower cholesterol, and provide a tasty snack when you have the munchies

These snacks are fantastic for when you walk with your child and want them to have a snack for their stroller, or when you are traveling with your baby and need a snack to keep them occupied, and even for potty-training your boys!

These snacks are simple to pick up and increase infant motor skills as well as help them to learn to feed themselves.

The question I ask myself the most, and what I hear from other mom’s, is when the right time to give my child Cheerios is? I wanted to know, and I wanted to share with you so you would know, so here’s the answer!

Age and Development are Key Factors

Age and development matter a lot for any food you give you child. Do they have the proper hand-eye coordination and motor skills to feed themselves? Are they old enough to chew their food? Will they choke on it?

These are all questions I asked myself when looking for the answer, so I would be able to tell you correctly and confidently that there is an age for feeding Cheerios to your child and they do need certain skills, but you should still watch them while they eat.

Age Range and Developmental Learning for Cheerios

Cheerios are recommended for children at least nine months old. It is recommended by Cheerios to introduce your child between the ages of 9 to 12 months of age to Cheerios.

Source: WholeParent

At this age range, your baby is learning to do their pincer grasp, which is where they pick up things with two fingers, like a crab claw. They should also be able to sit up without any support and know the basics of chewing.

This skill is beneficial to children because it improves their motor skills, hand-eye coordination and the ability to feed themselves. It also helps children to focus on chewing, experiment with how big their mouth is and how much it can hold, and is healthy.

Choking Hazards

Choking hazards are a big problem with children until the age of about five years old. When introducing Cheerios to your baby between 9 and 12 months, you also want to avoid hazardous foods such as whole grapes, sliced hotdogs, lollipops, gum, and other dangerous foods recommended by the Nationwide Children’s Hospital.

Cheerios can cause choking if your child puts too many in their mouth or doesn’t chew, but if you watch them and keep them safe, they will be just fine. Avoid giving Cheerios to children in strollers under the age of three, because they are not ready to chew during movement.

Fun with Cheerios

Cheerios are fun to play with, potty-train with, and eat. Some parents will sit with their children and look through Cheerios with their toddlers and play peekaboo through them. Others will make the Cheerios roll or spin on the high chair tray.

Having fun with food does not have to be a bad thing if you encourage it when it is nothing messy or during a meal. Learning with food should be a fun and enjoyable event, rather than mundane and boring. Making learning exciting now will benefit your child in the future and prepare them for school.

Knowing What’s Best for Your Child

Ultimately, you will know when it is best for your child, as all parents do. I can answer this question with all the information that is backed by pediatrics and magazines from all over, but the decision will come down to you.

If you feel your child is ready, then feed them Cheerios, and if they are not then you can always wait until you think they are. I would love to hear from you about this topic. When did you first feed your child Cheerios, and do you bring them along for snacks? Does your child even like Cheerios?