Would you let your 5 year old chew chewing gum.........

[scarymaryme]

I have a small dilema, my dd is 5 and pesters me nonstop to let her have chewing gum. I have automatically said no every time, as I'm worried she will just eat it, choke, get it in her hair, on the furniture etc etc. The trouble is, we live in a close, and my dd best buddies (aged 5 and 6)both are allowed it. They come to call for her chewing away merrily. I am now wondering whether it is all that bad after all, and to just let her. I feel like I'm being the meanest mummy in the world!!
Anyone any opinions on this????

Absolutely no way!!!

Why give in to peer pressure?? You are letting 5 and 6 year old dictate to you how you bring up your kids??

surely the list is longer than that...

Pleeeeeeeeeeease tell me why you shouldn't swallow it!!

I really do want to know

No, no way! I think she may have had some from a friend when I wasn't looking but spat it out and never asked again (or am I making that up)

Oh Feck yes, its too long. I was just scanning it. Chewing gum added now though.

No prob with it at all.

Am I in a minority of one?
I think it's better than sweets/chocolate (sugar and calorie free) and cleans the teeth somewhat too.
Not talking everyday, just every once in a while

Please tell my why - apart from it undeniably being common - why they shouldn't have it if they dispose of it properly? And what's wrong with sausage rolls?

Hands up here too. Odd time like, I don't force feed them it with their hands tied behind their backs. The 6 yr old has it now and again. Have told them to spit it (in the bin) but suspect it gets swallowed.

Sugar free gum usually contains aspartame and/ or acesulfame-K.

Sausage rolls should be excempt from any list especially Greggs as they are too yummy to ban. Nothing in the world can beat a Greggs sausgae rool followed by a yumyum, well perhaps a cheese and onion pastry .

I let dd1 have it as a treat over the summer

hubba bubba

(she was 6)

there was no way I would have let my first born eat gum at that age, but now we are on to number 4 (ds aged 5) and I am obviously bone weary with child raising as I let him have it if hs older siblings are having some

and he eats flaming-hot wotsits

seriously though, if you don't want him to have it, stick to your guns (so long as he doesn't start picking up dog-ends of the street as a substitute)

Goodness. So few of us think a bit of gum's all right?

How many of you used to get hubba bubba as kids?

Can't remember who made the comment about having to get used to saying no to your young kids, but I reckon if you're saying no to smallish kids about things like gum it'll make it harder - rather than easier - to say no to older kids and teenagers about things that really matter.

It's not that hard to get yourself some gum on the sly from school age onwards.

Hey, we could start a gum club!

Not a 5, no. Don't like the fact that people have to have something constantly in their mouths (so don't want the habit to develop early), it's ugly, it's rude to talk to people while chewing it, and it's not necessary for a 5 year-old to chew gum!

If Ds wants to have it when he is 9 or 10 I would be more relaxed about it. Yes, I had gum, but my Mum wouldn't let us have it until we were a bit older - 7 or 8 maybe? And now I hate chewing it for more than about 5 mins -yuk!

I did sneak some out of hr handbag when I was younger - but was horrified when the white sugar coating was gone, and hated having a grey lump in my mouth.

Cassoulet, I found this from the very paternalistic-sounding Dr McKenzie:

"Why anyone would choose to swallow chewing gum is a mystery to me, and, although I certainly wouldn't advise swallowing it, I can assure you it isn't actually dangerous.

Along with many generations of children, Iwas also warned of the perils of swallowing chewing gum and that it would stay in the stomach for years. Fortunately, this and other old wives tales, are untrue.

... if it's swallowed it will pass harmlessly through the body intact along with other waste.

... comfort yourself with the fact that it's not doing her any harm. She will also have lovely fresh breath and the increased saliva from chewing can help protect her teeth from cavities."

i used to swallow chewing gum all the time to stop my tummy rumbling in german at school. the teacher was very strict and the class was always really quiet.

dh always has and still does swallow gum. And I was forever bleating on at him about his innards. Now Dr McKenzie has put me on the right path.

"Why anyone would choose to swallow chewing gum is a mystery to me"

God bless your twinkling eyes Dr McKenzie. I bet you're just the best chuckling, head-shaking doc ever.

my kids have never had chewing gum- I hate the stuff.

-but they have had fruit shoots, coke and sausage rolls

mine neither...nasty!

Dr McKenzie sounds lovely; he can come round any time and spill coffee on my carpets!

Gives you wind too .

havent read all the posts,

my 4 and half year old kept asking me if he could have chewing gum, and i decided to give him some knowing full well that he wouldnt like it...

it was a very hot cinnamon flavour chewing gum, and he had it in his mouth for about 5seconds and said 'ewww i dont like it' (thank god for that, it could have backfired!)

soooo i hope i have put him off for a while, as he has stopped asking me

maybe if they keep on and on, get the most foulest one like winterwarm menthol flavour and see if that puts them off!!

good luck!