Melody, you don't need to offer him cereal if you don't want to. Most people don't know that babies can start eating whole food this young. I bet if you suggest finger food to them they will look at you in horror and tell you the baby will choke. They are feeding cereal because they don't know any different.

My mum growled at me for feeding my DS finger food and said she hoped we knew first aid for when he choked but then she saw him actually eating something and I haven't heard anything about it since lol

My DS is 7.5 months now and apart from a few dismal attempts to spoon feed him he has never had puree or cereal. He is very happy to eat bits of fruit/veges/cheese or whatever is on our plates. He loves to chew on meat even though he usually doesn't swallow any. To be honest he probably only eats a couple of spoons worth of food a day but he is happy trying and at this age the amount they eat doesn't matter.

Try not to doubt yourself, if you and your bub are happy then it doesn't matter what the other mums are doing.