Bubble Gum?

MommyToAshley wrote: Ashley went to a birthday party yesterday for one of her friends who just turned 4. At the party, there was a big tin of bubble gum and the parent was passing it out to the kids. When she got to Ashley, Ashley said, "No thank you, I'm not allowed to have bubble gum." The parents all laughed and made a comment about how they were amazed she said that. I am sure they all think she is deprived because she was the only one there that wasn't allow to chew bubble gum.

Of course I let her have it this one time, I told her it was a party and a special occasion so she could have bubble gum. She's never had bubble gum before so I told her to chew it but don't swallow it. (She went to another party a few months ago and they had gum as well... Ashley put it in her mouth and spit it back out so she never actually chewed it) Anyways, Ashley put a piece in her mouth, and at first she was holding onto the end of it with her fingers "so she wouldn't swallow it" LOL I told her it was ok to put it in her mouth and chew it... just don't swallow it. So, she tried to chew it with the front of her teeth and if it started to go in the back of her mouth, she would hurry up and spit it out "so she wouldn't swallow" it. So, I put a piece in my mouth and showed her how to chew it...LOL. She chewed it for awhile, and then wanted to go play on the playground (there was an inside playground). She looked at me and said, "Do I have to chew this bubble gum while I play MommY?" The whole thing was SOOOO funny. The other parents looked at me like why have I deprived my child. So, just curious, do you let your toddlers chew gum?

amymom replied: My son did, but my daughter did not have gum until she was about 5 or 6. Maybe even later. My dd was a choker though, so that was my reason, she could choke on anything so I took no chances.

Hillbilly Housewife replied: No, I don't, not at MY house. I don't even let them have lollipops....

however.... if they're at a party or something like your situation - I let them have it, but I watch them carefully.

Kaitlin'smom replied: I was wondering the same thing. Kait does not get gum at all. She did have 1/2 a piece on the first plane ride just in case for her ears, but her ears never bothered her so she has not and wont have any more for a long while not sure when I will let her have it. She knows she cant have it and does not ask for it.

luvbug00 replied: Mya has always been allowed chewing gum. She likes the minty stuff not the buble gum flavored. I've never really said no.
I just don't let her run arround with it in her mouth if she's going to chew she's going to sit.

ps. no cavities yet.

MamaJAM replied: We've never given the kids gum of any kind until they are 5-6 years old....even then - it's only assuming we think they 'get it' and aren't going to just swallow.

mckayleesmom replied: Ive never given any to Mckaylee....but she has stolen some from my purse before......and I never found the gum...so Im assuming she swallowed it

coasterqueen replied: Dh told me to let Kylie be a kid so she's gotten gum on occassion, but that's it. Kylie wasn't real excited about gum just because ours is usually minty and she doesn't like that kind. She did get some she liked in her Halloween candy mix and chewed it then but wasn't something that she's asked for.

MyBlueEyedBabies replied: We bought the Kids gum made by Trident last year and Katy I think ate the whole package. She asks for gum all the time but since that last pack ran out I haven't seen it anywhere else so I haven't been letting her. She has been getting so much better about spitting out tooth paste and has even ventured into kids mouthwash spitting that out We might try gum again soon

mammag replied: That is so funny!!! What a silly girl

I don't remember when the kids started chewing gum to be honest. They might have been 4. Conner was probably younger since he had the older ones as an example.

I have recently made a no gum in the house rule though because I found it in places other than the trash one too many times. Keegan may be a little older before I let him have any.

amynicole21 replied: Sophia asks for it all the time, but I've only let her have some on about 4 or 5 occassions. She's swallowed it a few times, so I try to hold off. She knows it's in my purse though and will often help herself

5littleladies replied: Brianna has had gum lots of times. Sometimes she swallows it, sometimes not. It's hard to say no to her when her big sisters have it.

Insanemomof3 replied:
I don't let my kids have gum yet either. I don't want them swallowing it all the time AND getting it everywhere. But they don't get candy that often anyway.

3_call_me_mama replied: cameron has had it a handful of times. He gets the kids trident adn it was actually given to us by the dentist. it had like 10 sticks in the pack and there are 4 or five left. And he's had it since august. He swallowed it once and then I didn't let him have any more for a week or two adn he really wanted soem so I let him try again. and he didn't swallow it. We have the sitting down to eat chew it rule, otherwise he will randomly spit it out and who knows where it will end up.

kimberley replied: occasionally under supervision. jacob didn't until he was 6yo and james not until he was about 5yo.

My3LilMonkeys replied: Dh and I don't chew gum so Brooke probably won't have it unless she gets it at a party or something. She is still too young for that though.

PhiMuMommy replied: yes but he just swallows it..so he only gets a little piece at each time..lol

mammykat replied: Heck, no!

My sister-in-law gave her 4-year-old some gum. He knew how to chew it, but within a few minutes had taken it out and broken it into smaller pieces which he put:

in his hair

in the cat's hair

on the toilet seat

on the wall

and...! on one of the chairs of the dinner table ! (they didn't discover that one until the evening).

we're thinking we'll wait until like second grade or so.

Insanemomof3 replied:
LOL after reading this I think I won't give my kids gum until they are 30!!!

My2Beauties replied: No but Hanna is only 2, I know she has tasted it once before because her AUnt Betty let her, but she chewed it for a minute or so and then gave it back, it was a small piece of gum, really small. But she didn't really care for it I don't think.

ian'smommy replied: Ian chews it for a short bit and then swallows it so I dont plan to give it to him again until he can better understand the concept.

CantWait replied: Anthony is only 2 and a half, he's not allowed to have bubble gum, mainly because he doesn't understand what to do with it, and I don't think he can comprehend it just yet. Also because I don't like all the sugar in it.

He also still chokes on hard candies, so he can't have those either.

paradisemommy replied: well i guess i'm in the minority - taven's been chewing gum since he was about a year and a half - but dh and i are gum chewers - he's really good though about not swallowing it and spitting it out in the garbage when he is done with it..

NikkiM replied: Logan just swallows it, so what is the point... He has had a few very small pieces at birthday parties.