Popcorn

With my first child, she did not get popcorn until she was like 5 years old. My middle child was probably 3 1/2, and my third was 2 1/2 when I allowed popcorn. I never leave them unattended while eating it.

When my daughter had molars and I could brush her teeth and floss after...around 2 if I remember. I used to pre-sort the pieces for her though and only give her ones without a lot of cowls/unpopped pieces.

Popcorn is a good food to be cautious about. It is one of the 'choke foods' that they say you shouldn't give to kids under 5. Yep, 5.

That said, I have allowed my now 4 1/2 year old son to have popcorn for about a year now. I started by pulling the kernel part off and just feeding him the puff part, but eventually just allowed him to eat the whole piece. I do not let him eat it unattended, though.

An alternative might to buy hulless popcorn for your daughter so she feels like she is eating popcorn when you eat the real stuff. I don't know a kid who doesn't like hulless popcorn.

Saw a thing on tv a few weeks ago that said absolutely no popcorn until age three. The kernels are not the only dangerous parts. The L. white pieces are so light they can just fly up into the airway. And watching your kid won't prevent choking. It also said that once a L. kid starts choking it is harder than you think to remove the piece. So better to be safe than sorry & wait on the popcorn.

My kids were eating popcorn with me ever since they could eat table food. I would say I was comfortable feeding it to them on their own by 18 months. However, none of my kids ever shoved tons of food into their mouths nor have they ever choked on anything like that.

ok besides hotdogs popcorn is the most choked on food by kids and should not be given intill they are at least three years old. that being said what I remember my mom doing for my baby sister is having us bite off the kernals and let her just eat the puffs. or there is this stuff called puffcorn which is like popcorn without the kernels

I spoil my 16 month old boy by sitting there and biting off the soft part and piling it up for him. This is the kind I pop on the stove in a pot. I eat popcorn all the time, so of course he thinks he HAS to have some every time....

Daycare does not like popcorn as a snack because it's considered a choking hazard. I think it's more because they'd have to watch each child closely and it's hard to do with a lot of kids. I started giving my son popcorn one piece at a time when he was about 1 1/2 yrs old. It wasn't long before he could manage it himself, but I had to remind him to take it piece at a time every so often.

Popcorn, like hot dogs, is a food to keep away from young children because of the choking hazzard. I don't remember how old my kids were when we allowed them to have it, but probably about 4 or so. Even then it was something I never sent to school and only gave them when I was around.

If you do a search under "popcorn + children + choke" you will come up with many articles about children who have died from choking on popcorn. There also are articles about pediatricians urging warning labels on the choking foods, including popcorn. One article states:

"Children under 4 are at the highest risk, not only because their airways are small (the back of a toddler’s throat narrows to the diameter of a straw) but also because of the way their eating abilities develop. Front teeth usually come in at 6 or 7 months — so babies can bite off a piece of food — but the first molars, which grind food down, do not arrive until about 15 months, and second molars around 26 months.

“ 'Between the ages of 3 and 4, they’re developing their ability to chew adequately and prepare for swallowing,' said Dr. Nisha Kapadia, a pediatric resident at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center.

"When young children chew foods like peanuts, raw carrots and popcorn, some is ground down and some is not, and they tend to swallow unchewed bits of food that can block the airway or be inhaled into the bronchial tubes and lungs.

"The pediatrics group says that while vigilance is important, parents cannot always prevent choking. “I see the parents when they bring their children into the E.R.,” Dr. Smith said. “Virtually every time they say, ‘I can’t believe this happened to my child — I was standing right there.’ ”

(As for hull-less, I have never had it or even seen it, but now I am curious and want to find it and try it!)

16 months attended, he loved it and its such an easy good treat to give the kiddos.

It was age 3 when mine were a L. younger. I waited till they were 3 and even then I would make them sit down, eat 1 piece at a time and take a drink pretty often. I was also right there. Popcorn is a big choking hazard food.

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Popcorn is on of those foods that melts in your mouth and can even be gummed pretty easily. Even better than cheerios do. Just put a single piece in and don't chew it and watch what happens.

Baby teeth aren't (usually) close enough together to get kernels stuck between teeth... so that isn't a problem. The only "problem" is that they can get stuck as they swallow them, which is itchy/scratch... so you solve that by having them drink while eating. It washes them down AND melts away any unchewed bits. Popcorn is GREAT toddler food.

I always gave my kids the 'hullless' kind--you know, the stuff that melts in your mouth as soon as it touches your tongue. I didn't give them 'real' popcorn til they were upwards 4 yrs old.

I don't know that it's a good thing but my 2.5 year old eats it with her Daddy all the time. Never had a problem, knock on wood, but he picks the kernels out of the bowl before they dig in.

With my first, he didn't have it until 3. With my 18 month old, he just had his first taste a few weeks ago and of course loved it. I know it's a bad food for this age due to choking, I just make sure it's monitored and he only gets it with me.

Mine was 7 mo's old and had lived to talk about it.

if you're afraid of the kernels, get the hull-less popcorn! it dissolves in your mouth with no kernels at all. Troyer Farms makes them in our neck of the woods (Erie, PA) but they probably have something similar in Pgh!

They say not under one year, but my kids have had it under a year with supervision. I see no reason why your 2 year old couldn't have popcorn. As always, snacks should be eaten at the table or at least with you sitting next to them if it's "questionable". Buttered popcorn won't stick as easily and keep a drink with them.

K. B
mom to 5 including triplets

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Four years old is the general rule. I would not give her any at a movie theater. It is dark and you may not notice any choking.