A mild soft cheese, finely grated or gently melted, is the way to begin at six months. Buy the kind whose label says cheese, plain and pasteurised, not processed cheese. Fresh mozzarella or cream cheese are the gentlest picks, and a little mild cheddar works too. You can stir a little of it through a warm food she already takes, so it softens right in. Keep the amount small, a pinch or two to start.

You don't need to add any salt. Firm cubes and thick slices are not for her yet, a soft melted texture keeps it easy for her mouth. Let her appetite lead with how much she wants.

By nine months she can pick up soft shreds of cheese on her own, or short thin pieces from a flat slice. Melted thinly over a soft food still works well too. Picking up these little pieces helps build the pincer grasp she needs for feeding herself.

Keep the pieces soft and small, and stay with the plain kind rather than the salty slices. Cheese cubes are still best kept off her plate for now.

From around a year, you can bring cheese into her family meals as thin slices, grated over a dish, or a thin layer melted onto her toast. She can manage more textures now, so long as the pieces stay soft and easy to chew.

Keep going with the plain, low-salt kinds rather than the packaged slices and spreads. Whole cubes and thick chunks are still best avoided at this age.