What age did you allow DC to eat these sweets?

[Sparrowlegs248]

Haribo or similar
Flump
Skittles
Starburst
Chomp
Full sized chocolate bar
Lollies
Hard /boiled sweets

Apparently iabu to not let mine have them. I'm not changing my mind and am happy in my decision but also wondering if it's that abnormal?

I know ds has had haribo and other soft jellies from nana, without my prior input. I don't think he's had anything else there, certainly not from me, but he's a strange kid who sticks to what he knows which is kinder chocolate and white buttons or milky bar mainly (maybe a freddo too). He's nearly 3 and I don't think you're remotely odd or unreasonable. They have plenty of years to enjoy sweets.

@Bunnyhop1502 you might want to rethink the flumps for your toddler, marshmallows are a higher choking risk than haribo. They are in the top 5 along with grapes, nuts, hot dogs and popcorn

Mine are 4 and 3 and apart from hard boiled sweets have tried everything on your list (I think). Mainly from party bags etc. Neither of them like much of it though! DD1 likes flumps, DD2 likes Haribo star mix and they both like chocolate, but that’s it.

Mumsnet is so funny. It's the only place in the world where no one's child ate a sweet or piece of chocolate until they were 9 year old.

In reality OP a lot of people give these things to their 1yo children. My DS is nearly 2 and has had most of those. Not sorry.

I don’t take mine trick or treating though as I don’t want them having shed loads of sweets (which is obviously what happens when you go trick or treating). They dressed up, we did face painting, DD1 had a school Halloween disco and DD2 had some friends from pre school round for a ‘spooky tea’ so they didn’t miss out on Halloween fun.

The trick to minimising sweet intake at Halloween is to siphon off their sweetie stash when they're not looking and eat it yourself put it away for another time.

I don't really know why it's any worse for little kids to have sweets than anyone else? (Choking hazards aside).

I'm pretty relaxed about food with my 3 year old and 20 month old. They wouldn't eat a whole chocolate bar though they'd probably just have a nibble if that and then leave it. Suppose might be different if you've got a kid that gobbles everything up!

You say you find it odd those things are given as gifts to small children @Nottalotta, but most people won't have a separate bowl of toddler treats, another for regular school age children and then a bowl of something for any allergies/intolerances/vegans.

They go to the supermarket, grab multiple bags or packs of whatever they feel best suits. For me, it was 2 swizzles tubs, so lollies, chews, boiled sweets.

What's odd is going tick or treating then criticising what people choose to give out.

I know my offering was not toddler friendly, but as above, I wasn't going to have several bowls to try and contend with every possibility. Most toddlers in our area were out with older siblings. I know at the age of yours, my little ones would have been disappointed if they had been given a box of raisins while their older siblings had all the lollies and chocolate. Mind, the youngest did choose an apple when he was 4 so maybe not!

I would have met mine have them at about 3 but neither were particularly interested until they were about 6. However, even now at 10 and 14, both will refuse the hard lollies because of the choking risk, I’ve obviously done a good job of drumming it in to them!

My daughter is 4 and she hasn’t had any of those apart from chocolate (with nothing in) and marshmallows. I felt very mean on Halloween taking away her sweets but she got over it pretty quickly with a bag of magic stars.

My 11 year old still gets huffy when I say no to getting her boiled sweets. I call them chokey sweets! Of course she does eat them sometimes but not on my watch and I won't buy them.
As for the rest? I don't know. 3 maybe? I'm only strict on sweets when it comes to chokey ones 

"Bunnyhop1502 you might want to rethink the flumps for your toddler, marshmallows are a higher choking risk than haribo. They are in the top 5 along with grapes, nuts, hot dogs and popcorn"

Was going to say exactly this. Marshmallows are awful as they swell and get stuck and nothing is budging them.

I'm not precious about sweets, only choking hazards. Mine are 10 and 7 and not allowed hard boiled sweets. I hate those hard lollipops although they've had them. They have to sit down and if it comes off the stick they have the bite it. Sometimes if they end up with them (I don't deliberately buy them) I eat them.

One of the biggest risks of choking is allowing your child to walk around with food.

Mine had Haribo and marshmallows at 3. She hasn't had the rest of the things on the list yet (at 4) but I'd be relaxed about her having them. She's pretty good at self-regulating and will stop when she's had enough.

DD is 8 and I don't think she's ever had a boiled sweet unless you count lollies.
Lollies, Haribo she was probably 2 approaching 3 as they were at parties or in party bags.
Bar of chocolate-maybe 5 or 6 as she only liked buttons or chocolates out of a box (Hotel Chocolat being a fave....).
Marshmallow-I can't remember but after starting school.

My 3.5 and nearly 5 year old are limited to Haribo from that list. My sister in law has lollipops on the go just now and I've just had dirty looks for vetoing them.

@minivampsmakebloodwork I did say in my post that the majority of these sweets had been given as a gift, the trick or treat us a completely separate issue that I was prepared for by having a stock of small chocolates, buttons etc. Although, we only went to a few houses and 3 of them had indeed bought separate age appropriate things . I'm really not criticising the trick or treat offerings, we did that as an experience.

The list above are sweets that have been given as a gift.

Also, I'm really not precious about sweets, I just am cautious about the choking hazard. Ds1 has had a fun size mars and a little packet of love hearts today. Ds2 had milky bar buttons. It's more the type of sweets than sweets themselves.