Do you give your 4 year old whole nuts?

[FrannyandZooey]

I do, but I was surprised today when a man in the restaurant next to where I was working, gave ds a bowl of nuts (not asking me if it was ok). It was a perfect snack for ds but I wondered if most parents would be ok with it? It made me realise that I only know about one other person with a 4 year old who gives them nuts. What's the norm?

They are not recommended until 5yo.

DD has just turned 5 and does have some nits; not many as we don't have them in much. But they are always at least halved.

my dd has eaten nuts since about the age of 2 1/2 and will happily sit with us the nutcrackers and a bowl of assorted nuts..eats them by the packet full.especially pecans and pistachios and sunflower seeds and is adept at shelling them all by herself at the age of nearly 6

Yes I do - but I'm surprised at someone giving a child nuts without checking first. Was he of more advanced years? It would probably never occur to my Dad, for instance, that nuts could be a choking hazard/potentially cause an allergic reaction/people might not want their child to have them.

my mum wouldnt alow me to have a nut until I was 12 I'm not joking either!!

My dd's are allergic so cant help you there i'm afraid.

Well you can all shoot me down in flames . My ds2 who's not yet 4 cracks open his own nuts. He loves them all, in fact we all do. But then I was a "naughty" pregnant mum for I kept eating peanuts/peanut butter etc. No allergies in this house thank goodness.

Hula I am LOL at your halved nits

I didn't eat peanuts during pregnancy or while bf (till ds was 3 that is). I know too many people with grim allergies to feel that it was a comfortable risk to take. But I gave ds ground nuts from quite a young age (very useful nutrition if you are veggie) and gave him whole nuts inc peanuts from age 3

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I give my 2-year old whole nuts.

Yes. All the time. He likes them and they're good for him.

DS has eaten nuts since he was about 2 - loves cashews, almonds and brazil nuts

FrannyandZooey 0 lol! I hear they are very good roasted ;)

I think it's only peanuts that are not recommended before five?
dd1 likes cashews, I have tried her with walnuts but she was NOT impressed
I have given dd2 crushed cashews but not whole

The vegetarian society website states:

"Whole nuts and seeds must be avoided until the age of five as young children can easily choke on them. Ground or puréed nuts and seeds are fine and nutritious, for example smooth peanut butter, tahini (sesame seed paste) or ground almonds. "

The under 5 thing is pretty standard on most of the weaning type sites too. That's why I always make sure they are at least halved.

I think peanuts are ok after the age of 3 (as far as allergies go)

yes Hula I have heard that too about age 5 because of choking. That's partly why I was asking, I wondered what other parents did

I avoided nuts with ds until recently (he's 3.4) because I was worried about choking and allergies, but a couple of months ago he helped himself to some cashews and we haven't looked back - he now regularly eats them, and peanuts, brazils, pistachios, almonds, hazelnuts... I do still only let him eat them when I'm in the room (to make sure he doesn't choke ), but they seem to be a good addition to healthy snack ideas, or I thought so anyway.

I certainly wouldn't offer any child nuts with out checking with their parents first though. Always.

I give my three year old dd whole nuts.

I think the problem with peanuts is if they get inhaled into the lung, rather than choking per se.
though I don't know why that would be such a problem

"Never put small or sharp objects in your nose or mouth: they can be swallowed into the lung ("aspiration of foreign body"), blocking off air or causing infection.
If a person does aspirate a foreign body, get emergency attention to be sure that no remnants stay in the lung. A sharp object in the lungs can tear the delicate tissue: some objects can block an airway; and any oily item - including bath oils or peanuts - can cause infection"

from the American Ling Association of California

nuts are a fantastic source of nutrition for everyone except those unfortunate few who are allergic to them.