Giving a 5 year old chewing gum

[BrownJenkins]

I recently saw a parent give their 5 year old chewing gum.
AIBU thinking the parent was so wrong to do that?

YABU. I wouldn't give a five year old chewing gum, but it's broadly fine.

It doesn't actually stay in your body for 7 years, it's fine

What's wrong with chewing gum?

I hate to see ppl chewing, it's supposedly bad for your stomach creating acid with no food for it to work on. I hate seeing it all over pavements too. I didn't allow my kids to have it and still don't, youngest 21😂

Yeah, I don’t think it’s really appropriate for young children, not sure why really. My 8 years old has it occasionally but only at home.

What's your objection to chewing gum?

It's an odd choice but surely it's up to their parents.

I was never allowed it as it was "common" which makes me laugh now.

Why was it wrong?

'Wrong' is maybe a bit harsh, but it's not something I would do. At 5 they can still be very distractable, rush around and I would be worried about it being a choking hazard.
It may be that their child has sensory needs and they find it calming, but there are safer options.

If you swallow chewing gum it ties knots in your stomach.

The only way to get it out is to have a tapeworm, starve for several days and then put an onion on a plate in front you. The tapeworm will be so hungry it will leap out of your mouth to eat the onion. You grab the tapeworm. The chewing gum will come out around the tapeworm.

Fact. I heard this when I was at primary school.

That is so ridiculous! The tapeworm would obviously be on top of the chewing gum. For this to work you would obviously have to entice it with an onion placed near your bottom so that it can push said chewing gum out that way.

I’d be worried about a child choking because they are likely to carry on running around/playing while chewing it.
Too young in my opinion.

I’m sure I had bubble gum at 5.
Much better than a round lolly which I see similarly aged kids with all the time.

It's a bit daft and pointless but not actually particularly terrible.

I got the blocking your guts version when I was young.

Was definitely common when I was little and totally banned in school. Which obviously made it very desirable

My ND 8 y/o loves it, but he's only recently learnt to spit it out/put it in the bin rather than swallowing it.

No gut issues. In fact his dentist said it can actually help get some of the gunk off their teeth. And it's REALLY hard to brush his teeth properly given his various issues. So there's that I suppose?

What is wrong with that? 70s kid here;we chewed all day long in the summer hols.

Great for mouth hygiene, jaw exercise and aids concentration.

Just don't let girls(or boys!) with long hair sleep with it under their pillows and night.

If it does get stuck throughout the hair - conditioner will get it out.

Chewing sugar free gum after eating helps prevent tooth decay. 5 year olds should have enough sense to spit it out after. With the dentist shortage in the UK, gum should be encouraged.

Actually no. It creates saliva, which is an acid neutraliser, it’s good for things like acid reflux too .

I stand corrected but did say supposedly 😊

I let my DD have chewing gum first time aged 5. A friend offered it after a club and I’d never have allowed it but I went with it. I made the rule that the gum doesn’t come out of the mouth, doesn’t get swallowed, straight in bin after, and if any of those happen you don’t get it again til a bit older. She managed fine.