Understanding Weaning - Blog - CPD Learning & Professional Development Tips at Laser Short Courses: Understanding Weaning

Understanding Weaning

Monday 18th August, 2025

Weaning is the gradual process of transitioning a baby from breast milk or formula to solid foods. It marks an important stage in a child's development, not just physically but also emotionally and socially. Weaning typically begins around six months of age, when an infant’s digestive system is mature enough to handle more than milk.

This process is not only about nutrition – it is also about learning. Babies discover new tastes, textures, and the mechanics of eating.

The NHS recommends that parents and carers introduce babies to solid foods when they are around 6 months old. The first foods that should be offered when weaning are pureed textures, then lumpier mashed foods can be offered, then bigger chunks of soft food and finger foods, and eventually meals cut into smaller pieces. The recommended timeframe for this is between 6 and 12 months of age, but as all early years practitioners know – no two children are the same, and children develop at different paces. Developing feeding skills and introducing solid foods should be individualised for each child, and according to their stage (not their age!). What is most important is that the transition is slow and supportive, allowing the child to adjust at their own pace.

Weaning and eating development can be affected by a range of factors:

• Health problems
• Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)
• Family influences and cultural influences and beliefs
• Parental confidence, beliefs, and time available to wean

Weaning is a milestone that lays the foundation for lifelong eating habits and independence, and an opportunity for the family to bond over meals and shared experiences. However, weaning can also pose risks to a child’s health and create issues with food phobias if some foods are not introduced gradually and in a relaxed way.

If you would like to learn more about weaning and food phobias, allergies, and choking – you may wish to take our new short course on Safer Eating for Young Children.