Gum - when, what kind?

[velochic]

If you let dc have gum, when did you start letting them have it and what kind do they chew? Just curious. It's the artificial sweeteners vs. sugar I'm mostly concerned about.

[abac]

Hmm, I would have to agree with being concerned about artificial sweeteners. Avoid any with sorbitol or mannitol. Nasty things.

[Irishmommy]

They are not allowed gum at all. They are 10 and 4.

[USAmma]

Abi has only had gum three times, found in her trick or treat bag. Despite strict instructions to chew and then spit, she swallowed. So no more gum for a long time. Personally I think gum is kinda nasty and I hope they don't develop a taste for it. I never buy it myself. I prefer mints.

[chfriend]

You might want to post this in the dental forum because someone there might have some good info on xylitol. I understand it can help re-mineralize teeth..

DD1 (4.5) has some sensory issues and chewing gum helps her organize herself....keep herself pulled together. She chews gum in the car and when she's anxious. She started when she was three.

I swallow gum...I'm not sure what problems it could cause.

Gum is also wonderful when we fly because she no longer nurses on takeoff and landing and it helps keep her ears clear.

Personally, I love the peelu gum in the minty flavors, but dd only likes the fruity or bubble gum flavored kind of gum.

[UnschoolnMa]

We really like gum around here, and the kids have been having it since 3 or 4. They choose what kinds for themselves, but we all seem dislike the fake sugars kind.

[merrick]

Duncan really loves gum. His nana introduced him to it. He prefers the gumballs that she gives him, but now I buy the Trident Sugarless with Xylitol. That way I don't have to worry about it harming his teeth.

[oceanbaby]

Ds chews gum on rare occasion, has since he was about 3. He's always been good at spitting it out (usually spits it out within a few minutes). I absolutely forbid any artificial sweeteners in any of our foods, including our gum. (He knows that the pink and blue packets at the restaurant are the "yucky sugars.") Not to mention that I find the taste of artificial sweeteners nasty - it leaves a gross film in my mouth.

[tinaq]

ditto w/ merrick. cristian will chew, then spit when he's done. he's also quite concerned w/ dirt & stickiness, although i suppose that's for another thread

tina

[UnschoolnMa]

Originally Posted by chfriend

You might want to post this in the dental forum because someone there might have some good info on xylitol. I understand it can help re-mineralize teeth..

Yea the kids' dentist just gave us a whole line of dental products with Xylitol in them. The gum is pretty good.

[velochic]

I'm a gum chewer, so it must be genetic. Thanks for the info!

[nomadmom]

Warning! My friend gave her 3 y.o. dd gum in the car, and she decided to share it w/ her 2-month-old brother who was strapped in next to her. When they reached their destination, my friend was horrified to find the baby gagging and spitting up sticky milk. She knows she's lucky he didn't choke. Please keep an eye on your little gum chewers!

[merrick]

It is scary because gum is very chokable. You definitely have to watch.


On a lighter note, ds was nursing the other day. When he was done there was a white glob on my breast. I looked at it and realized it was gum! I thought ds had spit it out like I told him too, but instead he had hidden it in his cheek! It was really hard to get off too.

[candipooh]

No gum here! When I was a nanny a dozen years ago I vowed to not let my future children have gum. I hate the stuff. It is always messy! Kids can't just chew it, they have to play with it. It drove me nuts! Like scratching on a chalk board type crazy!

[chfriend]

Originally Posted by nomadmom

Warning! My friend gave her 3 y.o. dd gum in the car, and she decided to share it w/ her 2-month-old brother who was strapped in next to her. When they reached their destination, my friend was horrified to find the baby gagging and spitting up sticky milk. She knows she's lucky he didn't choke. Please keep an eye on your little gum chewers!

Yup. You need to be aware of choking hazards, especially in the car. I have a 4 yo and a 10 month old. My 4 yo is beautifully careful about keeping her small bits away from her sister as best she can!

[inthesnow]

Both of my girls love love love gum! They each have a pack in their backpacks that they wear everywhere. I buy Trident sugarless...all flavors.

My oldest didn't have her first piece until she was about 3.5 but my second one started at about 2. They both seem to have been born with the knowledge of what to do with the stuff. They never swallow it, spit it out, they just chew it!

[dalbert]

DD started chewing xylitol gum and having xylitol mints a few months ago (she's 3 1/2) because she has tooth decay and this is one of our many efforts to avoid an invasive procedure. We use Spry products, which you can get at www.xlear.com (we also use the mouthwash and the toothpaste, oh and the jelly too). There are lots of research articles on that site that demonstrate the effectiveness of xylitol at fighting decay. I try to have some xylitol gum and mints on me at all times so that if we find ourselves out and about when we have some kind of snack or meal, and it's inconvenient to brush, I can just pop one of these in her mouth. She loves them and is really good at spitting the gum out in the trash or our hands. She's never played with the gum. She feels like a really big kid because she gets gum. And, it's really good for her teeth, so it's a win-win!