The Playbook

Your Baby at 6 Months: Solids, First Teeth and Sitting Up

By the Guide to Fatherhood editorial team. Last reviewed . 2 min read.

Checked against guidance from organizations like the AAP, CDC, ACOG and NHS (linked below). This is general information, not medical advice. Read our medical disclaimer.

Your to-do list this month

  • Own one solid-food meal a day: prep, feed, and clean up.
  • Ask your pediatrician about introducing common allergens like peanut early, in safe forms.
  • When the first tooth appears, brush twice a day with a rice-grain smear of fluoride toothpaste.
  • Keep honey off the menu until after the first birthday.
  • Check your car seat: is your baby near the infant seat's height or weight limit?
A conversation to have this month

"What foods from our families and cultures do we want our kid to grow up eating?" First foods are a fun place to start.

What your baby is doing

Six months is a big checkpoint. According to the CDC, babies this age typically:

  • Know familiar people, and like to look at themselves in a mirror.
  • Laugh, and take turns making sounds with you.
  • Reach to grab a toy they want, and put things in their mouth to explore them.
  • Roll from tummy to back, push up with straight arms during tummy time, and lean on their hands to support themselves when sitting.
  • Close their lips to show they don’t want more food.

First foods

The AAP recommends starting solids around 6 months, when the baby shows readiness. There’s no required order. Some basics:

  • Start simple: iron-rich foods (iron-fortified cereal, pureed meats, beans), then vegetables and fruits.
  • Texture matters: smooth purees or very soft, mashable pieces at first.
  • Early allergens: guidance now supports introducing common allergens like peanut and egg early, in safe forms. See the AAP’s peanut allergy guidance and talk to your pediatrician, especially if your baby has severe eczema or a known egg allergy.
  • No honey before 12 months, because of the risk of infant botulism (CDC).
  • Milk is still the main event. Breast milk or formula provides most nutrition until the first birthday.

Plan on mess, faces of betrayal, and a lot of food on the floor. That’s the job. More in starting solids.

First teeth

The first tooth often shows up around 6 months, usually a bottom front tooth, though some babies get theirs much earlier or later. Start brushing as soon as a tooth appears, twice a day, with a rice-grain-sized smear of fluoride toothpaste. Teething can bring drool, chewing and fussiness; see teething for safe comfort ideas.

Car seat check

Many babies outgrow their infant car seat in the second half of the first year. Check the label: when your baby reaches the height or weight limit, or their head is within an inch of the top of the shell, switch to a convertible seat, still rear-facing. The car seat stage finder helps.

Frequently asked questions

Should we introduce peanut early?

Current guidance supports introducing peanut-containing foods early, around 4 to 6 months for many babies, in safe forms such as thinned peanut butter (never whole peanuts). Babies with severe eczema or an egg allergy may need evaluation first, so talk to your pediatrician.

Can babies drink water at 6 months?

Once solid foods start, small amounts of water in an open or straw cup with meals are fine. Breast milk or formula is still the main drink and source of nutrition through the first year.

Sources

  1. Milestones by 6 Months, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  2. Starting Solid Foods, American Academy of Pediatrics (HealthyChildren.org)
  3. Peanut Allergy: What to Know About the Latest Prevention Guidelines, AAP (HealthyChildren.org)
  4. When, What, and How to Introduce Solid Foods, CDC

We link to the original source for every medical and safety claim. Guidance changes; if a source has been updated since our last review, the source wins. How we research.