Finger Foods Question

[Jenifer]

When did you stop cutting up your LO's finger foods into little cubes and start handing them pieces they could hold and bite off? 

I still only offer cubed foods that she can mash with her gums but keep wondering when she can handle more.  I tried about a month ago to give her a waffle "stick" and she bit off too much and started choking.    

I'm in a rut with what I can offer her that I can cube nicely and that she can "chew" well with her gums.   

[MamaC]

I kind of experimented.  If I gave him a big chunk, I'd sit with him until I was sure that he would bite off a piece and not shove it in whole.  My daycare provider is much braver than I am and I take cues from her as well.  I'd also remind him to chew up his pieces while he was eating.  I'm sure my ds is at the stage where he can eat quarters of a sandwich now, but I'm so well trained to cut it up!!!!

[Jimbob]

I found that with my daughter it really depended on what the food was. From 7 months she would quite happily eat a banana cut in 2 halfs. She would hold it and bite small pieces off. I would not leave her on her own with this just incase she all of a sudden decided to put the whole thing in, not that she ever did. Other things like apple a cut into small pieces up untill about a year.