Toddlers and Snack Question

So.........settle this for me. Everything I've ever read says that raisins are a choking hazard for young children because they don't have the ability to grind down and properly chew certain foods until they are a little older.

That being said, I watch a 16 month old boy in my home and his parents sent in raisins (and granola) as a snack. Now personally, I think the granola itself it way too clumpy, hard, and dry and it makes me nervous to give him that however, I refuse to give him the raisins. For the record, my DD is 2 and I don't even give her raisins. I don't want to run the risk of him choking under my care.

I'm pretty liberal about my DD eating most everything but these tiny and hard to chew foods scare me so if you were me, would you also avoid the raisins with this kid?

Re: Toddlers and Snack Question

Never heard about the raisins and my mom was feeding my 12 month old dd them a couple of days ago

Re: Toddlers and Snack Question

Posted by Marbo

Never heard about the raisins and my mom was feeding my 12 month old dd them a couple of days ago

Message edited 10/26/2010 8:48:29 AM.

Re: Toddlers and Snack Question

My ds loves raisins. Eats them all the time. They do cUss some funky diapers but are really soft. He has no problems with them.

Re: Toddlers and Snack Question

i never heard this...just gave DS a cinn raisin bagel yesterday...now grapes I heard only because they are bigger and harder....

Re: Toddlers and Snack Question

My 21 month old daughter has been eating raisins for a while and has no problems. I've never heard that and now will prob be slightly paranoid when giving them to her, great! I have heard nightmare stories about popcorn, that is one food I plan on staying away from until she's like 3 or 4!!!

Re: Toddlers and Snack Question

This is from Dr. Sears website

CHOKABLE FOODS

In this article you'll find:

*
Safe Feeding Tips to Minimize Your Baby’s Risk of Choking
*
Chokable Foods to Avoid

To minimize the risk of a baby or toddler choking, follow these safe feeding tips:

* Be careful of big globs of food, such as golf ball-sized, pasty globs of white bread or spoonfuls of peanut butter. Even though these foods are soft, babies can choke on them. Don't spread peanut butter too thick, and monitor how quickly the bread gets packed into the mouth. The more whole grains in a bread, the less likely it is to form a pasty glob.

* Check the chunks. Once baby's molars appear (usually around the middle of the second year), chunky soft fruits (such as fruit cocktail-type size and texture) are safe.

* Chop soft food into small pieces: sausages, large pieces of meat, gummy candy, caramels and so on.

* Hold the hot-dogs. Since hotdogs are neither nutritious nor safe for baby, you can scratch them from the diet. If you are fortunate enough to find a healthy hotdog (nitrite-free, low in salt), slice it lengthwise in thin, noodle-like strips. Don't let your toddler bite chunks off a hotdog, since a hotdog chunk is about the size of a baby's windpipe.

* Allow toddlers finger foods only under supervision.

* Be sure babysitters and older siblings know which foods to avoid giving to younger children.

* Children should stay seated as they eat and are not lying down or running around. Choose snacks for the car carefully.

* Avoid hard foods and raw fruits and vegetables that snap into hard chunks, such as carrot and celery sticks, firm apples, nuts, popcorn, gum, hard candy, sunflower seeds, orange seeds, cherry pits, and watermelon seeds.

* Peel and slice grapes. Whole grapes can cause choking.

* Gum should not be chewed while playing sports.

* Crying or laughing with a full mouth should be discouraged.

* Don’t allow children to fill their cheeks with food like a chipmunk.

* Teach children to chew food adequately before swallowing.

Chokable Foods to Avoid

It’s best to avoid the following foods in younger children. Most children under the age of 4 don’t understand the need to chew thoroughly or to spit the item out.

* cherries with pits
* meat
* chunks
* candy, hard
* nuts
* hot dog, whole chunks
* popcorn kernels
* raisins
* raw apples, pears, carrots, beans
* stringy foods
* whole olives
* whole grapes

Re: Toddlers and Snack Question

Re: Toddlers and Snack Question

Again, not saying some kids cannot eat them but because they are small and not always very soft they freak me out a little and since it's not my child I just get nervous............god forbid he should choke under my care, I would be a wreck. I don't want to chance it.

Re: Toddlers and Snack Question

Well, I understand how they can be a choking hazard and that it might freak you out. And I suppose if you are responsible for the child and would have to deal with the problem should a choking incident occur, then it is within your rights to refuse to give them. But I would say you should then provide an alternate snack to give to him.

If he has them regularly at home, then he's probably able to negotiate them pretty well. DS has been eating raisins since he was about 10 months old and we've never had an issue. I think that most are almost too small to choke on, they'll go right through.

Re: Toddlers and Snack Question

* Crying or laughing with a full mouth should be discouraged.

* Don’t allow children to fill their cheeks with food like a chipmunk.

* Teach children to chew food adequately before swallowing.



My kid would never eat if I enforced these rules.

Re: Toddlers and Snack Question

What if you explain to the parents that you do not give your DD raisins and could they not bring them in the future because she sees him eating them and she wants them. Would that work?

Re: Toddlers and Snack Question

Both of my DD's have been having raisins since probably about 15 months with no problems.

I find it wierd that they say children less than four shouldn't have meat??

Re: Toddlers and Snack Question

I heard that on here, and asked my ped and he said they weren't.

I started giving DD raisins early. I cant remember exactly when but probably somewhere around 12 months, maybe a little before.

Re: Toddlers and Snack Question

I don't normally give them. A friend's DS, who's a little over 2, had them and DS wanted them. I let him have 1 or 2 raisins, but watched him like a hawk. He loved them, but I don't plan on buying raisins anytime soon.

ETA: I find some of the foods on that chokable list odd. I've never heard of not giving meat to toddlers. DS has also had apples and carrots. I usually cut them pretty small and don't really see much of an issue with them.

Message edited 10/26/2010 5:45:03 PM.

Re: Toddlers and Snack Question

Charlie's been enjoying raisins since she was about a year old (she's 28m now). In fact the only things I haven't given her on that 'avoid' list is whole popcorn (I break off the kernels), whole cherries (I cut out the pits) & hard candy (she doesn't eat candy in general).

I agree though that if you're uncomfortable that you should express this and/or provide an alternative snack.

Re: Toddlers and Snack Question

The fact is....if you are not comfortable with it...you need to tell the parents so they send a different snack.

that being said....that list is very strange.

Re: Toddlers and Snack Question

my 2 year old has been eating raisins from 15 months on.... as for granola... i bought them for him a few weeks ago and, well, my 9 month old is eating them instead... i was shocked that he could, but he found a way to crumble and eat them....

Re: Toddlers and Snack Question

I've heard this about raisins, but took the chance when DD was around 10 months. She loves them, and never had a problem (except for, as someone else said, some funky diapers ).

Re: Toddlers and Snack Question

Regardless of whether they are on the "no" list or not....

Your house, your watch, your rules...

If you don't feel comfortable feeeding them to him, thats all there is to it