The shellfish post prompted this and I keep forgetting to ask y'all.

A lady in my playgroup was giving popcorn to her 2 yr old last week and I didn't know how to handle it because I always thought they weren't supposed to eat it (bc of the choking hazard) until they were older...however, I wasn't sure how *much* older? Connor wanted some but I just couldn't do it. Poor guy cried like crazy. I still cut his grapes. Am I a wuss?
So, what age?

By Amecmom on Wednesday, January 17, 2007 - 07:17 pm:

Guidelines are great, but your best measure is your own child. Helen was not the norm - eating Christmas ham and broccoli from my fork at three months old. She also has an older sibling, so she gets to try things way sooner than Randy did. She had popcorn before she was a year old. Randy was closer to a year and a half. I watch them like a hawk when they eat, so I'm not too worried about choking.
They eat whole grapes and hot dogs in buns and the evil popcorn. Your only way to know is to let your child try when you think he's ready and watch.
Ame

By Jackie on Wednesday, January 17, 2007 - 07:25 pm:

Faith is almost 2 1/2, and she LOVES popcorn. She eats it like a pro when we go to the movie theatre.

By Trina~moderator on Wednesday, January 17, 2007 - 07:30 pm:

Did a quick search and found this.

When can my baby eat popcorn?

By Reds9298 on Wednesday, January 17, 2007 - 07:42 pm:

Natalie LOVES popcorn! She's been eating it for probably 6mths. or so. She has all of her teeth and eats well, so we just tried it and it was fine. She asks for popcorn when she wakes up in the morning! LOL

Ditto Ame on the guidelines. Someone else mentioned peanuts on another post. I started Natalie on peanut butter around a year and a half I think. She's never had a problem with it. Some things you just don't know until you try.

Natalie eats popcorn like a pro also. She likes to share it with the dogs.

By Amecmom on Wednesday, January 17, 2007 - 08:21 pm:

4????? It sounds to me this dietician in the article either has no real experience with kids or is afraid of being sued. Four? Sheesh!
There is something to be said for giving some of these "difficult" food early on. Children get more experience early eating different textures and hardness - I wonder if we don't have more speech delays and oral motor issues because we are just "too careful" about what our children eat.
I guess PamT might be able to shed some light on that ...
Ame

By Trina~moderator on Wednesday, January 17, 2007 - 08:56 pm:

I didn't say I agreed with 4. I can't really remember, but I think we waited until 2.5 or 3 for popcorn with our kids. Another article below. Although we don't take info like this as written in stone, we do try to follow the general guidelines. They're there for a reason.

Heidi, you're not a wuss. You know your child best. Do your own research, talk with your ped. and make your own decision.

Foods that can be unsafe for your toddler

By Amecmom on Wednesday, January 17, 2007 - 09:18 pm:

Oh goodness, Trina. I didn't mean to imply you agreed wiht it, or not. I was just commenting on the substance of the article, not your opinion. I'm sorry if it came off that way.
Ame

By Trina~moderator on Wednesday, January 17, 2007 - 09:34 pm:

No worries, Ame! LOL!

By Reds9298 on Wednesday, January 17, 2007 - 10:17 pm:

Ditto Ame on the article. As for suggestions in the second article, Natalie started raisins around a year as well, although I handed them to her one at a time at that point and didn't let her have a bowl of them. She never once gagged or got choked, so we moved on from there. It's just an individual thing. For a while she just sucked on them and swallowed, which I didn't even know until I found perfect whole raisins in her diapers! LOL Around 2 she started eating them in a bowl on her own because she learned to do one at a time. Now she eats a bowl of raisins everyday...and I don't "see" them come out the other end, LOL!

I think you can really tell how your c hild will do just based on how they eat other foods. We've always stuck to the rule that "you don't know until you try". If she broke out in hives after a slice of peanut butter bread, we can safely say no peanut butter. Otherwise, it's a go.

For popcorn, I always stay right there with her and always have a cup of water with her also, regardless of how much she may have just had. *I* can get choked on popcorn, so it's easy, but I also cram my mouth with a huge handful, too!! Natalie knows she does one at time, and I watch her to make sure she does that.

By Dawnk777 on Wednesday, January 17, 2007 - 10:20 pm:

I really can't remember, but I think my kids had popcorn around 2, or even a little earlier, but like Reds said, it was probably one at a time, too.

By Luvn29 on Wednesday, January 17, 2007 - 10:22 pm:

Well, we cut grapes and hotdogs for a long time. I guess one of my most vivid memories was when I was four. Our neighbor came pounding on our door, early in the morning, and got us out of bed. She had her three year old son in her arms and he was blue and not breathing. He had choked on a hotdog. She cut it, but just in pieces down the length, so it was still round pieces.

My dad did the hiemlich (spelling?) and the hotdog came out thankfully and he began breathing again. After that, I couldn't take any chances, and cut hotdogs in length and in pieces.

I also know someone whose friend used to give her daughter carrots to eat. You know, the baby carrots? She handed her one, and when she turned around again, she found her on the floor. She was already gone, and couldn't be revived.

I used the hull-less popcorn you can buy in bags for my children for the first few years in their life.

I've never kept them from eating anything, I just always cut it in a way that would make it much more difficult to get choked on.

I still refuse to let my children have those little jawbreakers that come in the mixed candy bags because they seem just the right size to get stuck in a throat. Taking a little bit of time to keep them safer to me just makes more sense. It just isn't worth the extra risks...

By Imamommyx4 on Wednesday, January 17, 2007 - 10:33 pm:

I have a niece who never could eat popcorn. She's in her 20's now and still gets choked on it just about every time she eats it. My db and sil would not let her eat it.

My dd was 2 ish. I didn't even think about it. We were watching a movie, she stuck her hand into the popcorn bowl, and ate. Never had a problem. She's hardly ever had a problem with eating anything.

By Marcia on Wednesday, January 17, 2007 - 10:57 pm:

When I worked in a toddler room, ages 18 months - 2.5, popcorn wasn't allowed. Wieners were cut lengthwise, and raw veggies were parboiled. While many toddlers may do very well, it just takes one wrong swallow to choke.
One of my kids is 12, but is developmentally about 2. I still cut her wieners lengthwise and watch what I give her. She doesn't think about the amount of food she puts in her mouth, and has choked many times. Once I had to call 911, but luckily we had her airway cleared before they even got here. It's not an experience I care to repeat, and not one I wish on anyone.
Sooo, that's my long story to say trust your gut. If you're worried that he won't do well, wait. He has a long lifetime to enjoy popcorn, and not having it for a while yet won't hurt him.

By Cat on Wednesday, January 17, 2007 - 11:04 pm:

I quarter grapes. Randy choked on a half a grape when he was about 2 or 3. The 5yo I watch doesn't like to eat mac-n-cheese because he gagged on it about a year ago (at his house, not mine thankfully!). I remember choking on a hotdog when I was about 7 or 8. Robin choked on a mozzarella cheese stick about a year ago (he was 12). Anything can be a choking hazard, really. Now popcorn and toddlers? For me it depends on the toddler. There are some that I'll give it to at 2yo. Others I won't until they're closer to 3 or 4 even. I really think this is a trust your gut kind of thing. I'd never serve popcorn (or peanuts, or grapes, or hotdogs, etc) at a party with 2 or even 3yo's, and maybe even a bit older.

By Trina~moderator on Thursday, January 18, 2007 - 06:28 am:

FWIW, allergic reactions don't always show up as hives. When DS first experienced anaphylaxis the hives didn't appear until hours later in the emergency room AFTER he was stabilized from having difficulty breathing. The first symptoms were an itchy tongue and throat, which he was able to verbalize because he was 3.5. Anaphylaxis can be life threatening and is fast and furious. Thank God I knew about it and called 911. Otherwise DS may not be here with us today.

More information:
FAAN

By Bellajoe on Thursday, January 18, 2007 - 09:24 am:

When mine were about Conner's age, i would cut grapes in half, cut hotdogs in to teeny tiny pieces because when we were in our CPR class, the paramedic told us that hotdog is the #1 choked on food by kids. The other thing he told us was to never let a toddler have a balloon with out supervison. If that balloon popped and the kid put it in his mouth, there would be no way to help him.......i remember my son being probably 7 or8 months old. He was holding a balloon. I literally stepped into the kitchen to put something down, turned back around and the balloon was popped and my ds was about to put it in his mouth....scared the "you know what" out of me!!

I'm totally not addressing hte subject here.LOL I don't remember when i first gave them popcorn, but i do know that i was nervous about it but i knew i had to let them have it sometime. The Hull-less popcorn is a good idea for little ones. It tastes just like normal popcorn.

By Andi on Thursday, January 18, 2007 - 11:25 am:

As soon as my kids had teeth they had Popcorn. We started really early, I just make sure there aren't any unpopped kernals in the bowl. I say if you aren't comfortable with it don't do it. Maybe you can give him rice cakes or something like that if you know you will be around popcorn.

By Jtsmom on Thursday, January 18, 2007 - 02:05 pm:

My 2 yr old LOVES popcorn! I am real careful about hotdogs and grapes still though. I cut them up pretty good, but only because I use to choke on those things when I was little and I remember!

By Reds9298 on Thursday, January 18, 2007 - 05:49 pm:

Natalie hates hotdogs fortunately, and doesn't care for grapes. I would cut grapes in half though, just for the skin.

By Amecmom on Thursday, January 18, 2007 - 09:13 pm:

I don't think a grape would stand a chance against Helen. Yesterday in the deli, she grabbed a beefstake tomato and bit into it before I could stop her. She at the whole thing! The owner was so nice. When I tried to pay for it, he woud not let me. He said, "Are you kidding? Seeing a little girl chomping down on a tomato like that put a smile on everyone's face. The tomato's on me".
Actually, the tomato was on HER - all over her face and her coat and her hands and eventually her carseat lol! She just looked so cute.
Ame

By Dawnk777 on Thursday, January 18, 2007 - 10:47 pm:

Did you take any pictures? That sounds so cute! (and messy!)