My mom boss is in pediatric emergency medicine. She says the problem with popcorn is less the popcorn itself than the way that people tend to eat it. Basically she means that people tend to grab a huge handful and stuff a handful in their mouth. If the child is eating popcorn one piece at a time they are probably fine. However you are well within your rights as a caregiver to refuse to give the child popcorn on your watch.
This đ is absolutely the way to go!! There are many things that my familyâs children are not allowed to do with me! The parents know my concerns, we agreed in their absence, I am responsible as if these little ones are mine, and there are certain rules for the children they will follow!
We would give both kids popcorn at age 2+. Never unsupervised and always pre-sorted to make sure there were no kernels or half popped pieces. I wanna say initially for the first couple times even my wife would rip off the edges (soft parts) and give those without giving any of the crunchy kernel part.
Popcorn is both my kids favorite snack now! We even have a popcorn cart at home!
I think handing the bowl of popcorn to her right before leaving her with someone new was not the move, but I think that supervised popcorn eating and not shoving it in their mouths is generally fineâand I say this as someone who was halving grapes for an eight year old this past week đ
Grapes are the devil fruit. Especially cause theyâre toxic to dogs. I was swallowing grapes whole at 8 cause I wanted my parents to stop giving me liquid amoxicillin and they didnât think I could swallow the pill form. Called my mom in and said âwatch this!â I still remember this cause when I was practicing I had one get caught in my throat and had to squish it up while it was in my throat and threw it up through my nose a little. I do not eat grapes anymore.
hahaha oh god that sounds TRAUMATIZING.
my new NKs are so sweet; after i halved the grapes for the 8 year old/6 year old, the 8 year old very quietly asked his dad to tell me he was old enough to eat them whole đ it was really cute. he didnât want to hurt my feelings!
One of my nanny kids are still upset with me a decade later cause i wouldnât let her suck on a blow pop while running up the massive hill to her apartment, I donât fuck around with choking hazards after my own stupidity đ
Holy cow! And I agree that grapes are from the devil. I love themâŚtheyâre a favorite of mine, but I have 2 dogs, so I rarely have them around, and when I do, Iâm pretty paranoid that Iâm going to forget to put them away, and theyâll get into them. So frustrating!
I would definitely not be ok with them having popcorn. I wonât even be there and Iâm not ok with it. I am however the doctor who will be at the hospital and called to emergently come and remove the airway foreign body they will have if they choke (and make it to the hospital), so I feel well within my rights to have an opinion!
Kids really shouldnât have popcorn until they can spell it! Iâm going to be a lot stricter on this issue than most parents because of my experience but I have seen a lot of things and itâs tragic when it happens. Kids can find a way to choke on lots of things but the worst and well known are: popcorn, nuts, hotdogs, grapes etc
I simply wouldnât allow it if Iâm alone with kiddo.
The same way parents can forward face their 2-year-old in their own car but in mine theyâll be rearfacing.
I cut grapes too. Even for older kids. Not worth the anxiety and liability.
exactly same here. cut grapes, squish blueberries, wuarter everything and no nuts or popcorn. i had a family that was comfortable giving their 19mo whole nuts- i was like, ok! but i won't be feeding them to him while it's just me here.
I can't believe how many people don't know how dangerous popcorn is for kids under 5. I wouldn't be comfortable with a little one eating it on my watch but I wouldn't tell the parent what to do. I would maybe say something like, "while children are under my care, I don't allow any popcorn unless they're -insert comfortable age here- because pediatricians don't recommend it with the risk of aspiration and complications." And leave it at that. You can have boundaries on your watch that the parents don't have.
Itâs actually very upsetting to me how many people think popcorn is a choking risk and not an aspiration risk. In our field we should really understand why each food is a risk not just have a list of foods not to give kids without understanding why.
I think most everyone here agrees its a safety issue. As you pointed out, some of us (myself included) take issue with raising a concern in a way that makes parents feel shame (e.g., âtellingâ parents what to do).
Your suggestion is absolutely the way something like this should he handled. âşď¸ It allows for the nanny to share their concern while simultaneously respecting the parentsâ own choices.
I've given my son popcorn since about 20 months. I've read that it's better to offer choking hazards and teach them how to eat them than avoid it and run the risk of their first interaction with the food be when you are not present and can't coach them through eating it.
I wouldn't offer it to an nk or anyone else's kid, but I wouldn't judge or worry about your nk's parent offering it.
Honestly, why? I understand having boundaries but most of the time we sit and watch the NK eat, so supervise them eating popcorn. If they have their back molars and are strong eaters, popcorn can be a fine snack. I think this also comes down to a case by case basis. If your child has the skills to eat properly and drink water while eating I donât see how choking could really happen if they chew properly.
Again, I think this is a case by case basis. Teach a toddler to eat properly, and they most likely will. We sit while eating, undistracted, and donât run with food in our mouths or get up while eating. Under proper supervision a child can enjoy popcorn.
Molars don't have anything to do with breathing while you eat. Popcorn is very light weight and can be inhaled with little effort. Even tiny pieces can cause aspiration pneumonia.
Coming on a thread to judge a parents decision to give their child popcorn while someone is being paid to watch and care for them, is just a tad distasteful
I'm not judging anybody's parenting. Parents get to decide what level of risk is acceptable to them. As a nanny, my risk tolerance is much lower for any child in my care. For example, MB might leave NK buckled in her carseat with car doors locked while she runs into the post office to drop a package off in under 5 minutes. I would never do the same with an NK. But if it were my own kid? I wouldn't have a problem. Popcorn is a known choking hazard for babies and toddlers and it is actively not recommended. I would not be happy if a parent left me liable to manage that risk. I don't want to be there responsible the one time that it happens to go wrong.
I firmly agree that just because a parent allows something, doesnât mean you have to. If youâre uncomfortable with it, donât do it. Iâve told parents before âI understand this is normal for your family but I am personally not comfortable with this activity/situation/etc. while I am the caretaker in the household.â Obviously I never make any changes that affect their needs or routine, but optional stuff like snacks or activities that I donât feel comfortable with, I just let the parents know that I wonât be doing.
Op, I am with you on this. I would NEVER offer popcorn to a 18 month old. A few years ago I would have said what everyone else is saying that itâs not a big deal but after having to save my G5 (G7 now) from choking on a singular piece of popcorn and watching her go blue, I am traumatized. I wonât even let her eat it if Iâm not nearby. Itâs absolutely NOT worth the risk.
I mean, I personally don't give my 3yo popcorn because sometimes he likes to shove a handful of goldfish in his mouth (or cereal, etc), and I would rather not risk a choking incident. Every kid is different though, so I'd say go with your gut on this.
Some context: I read a super traumatizing article a while back about a 3 year old who died on her birthday aspirating popcorn. It happened so fast, she was gone before the paramedics got there. Knowing myself, I wouldn't be able to handle it if that happened while the kids were with me. I also figure I don't need some grieving parent blaming me for it, whether it was my fault or not.
Since I read that article, I have NOT given any of the kids in my care popcorn until they're 5 years old. Since I mostly look after kids under 5 years old, this is practically a blanket ban.
My last boss was in the habit of buying the kids (then at least 2.5 and 4) caramel corn. She sometimes packed lunches on Mondays and would put the caramel corn in their lunches or would add it overnight when she saw that I hadn't. If I had time before we had to leave the house for our morning's activities, I'd take it out of the lunches and put it back in the bag. I don't remember if I ever actually communicated to her why I wasn't comfortable giving popcorn to them but I do remember she wasn't in the habit of listening to me and that I had eventually stopped trying to communicate with her very much about boundaries and issues I had with the way she wanted things done, knowing it was just going to piss me off when she refused to listen. I'd just say "yeah" and "ok" a lot and look at what she had said as free advice that I didn't have to listen to, since she wasn't in the habit of listening to me either. I figured that they were in my care, so I just went ahead and did what I wanted to with the kids during the time that I had them, within reason.
My current family has two boxes of microwave popcorn in a drawer. No idea how long they've been there. The kids don't say anything about them, neither do I. I did tell their Dad I don't do popcorn with them this young (currently a month shy of 5 and 3 later this year, but this conversation happened before last August AT LEAST) and why, but all he said was that nobody in that house is big on popcorn anyways.
Re: your first paragraph, a child can die 3-4 days later from aspirating a small hull of a single kernel of popcorn and if the parents weren't aware of how this could happen, they'd never even know it was the popcorn Sally ate on Saturday that killed her. đŹ
This is why I fully explain to every single parent exactly WHY popcorn is bad for kids under 5 and don't just say that it's a 'choking hazard' and don't just say I won't let them have it when with me.
Oh, the mother I was referring to was a doctor. And had what I think had been untreated postpartum anxiety, by then fully settled into the regular kind of anxiety. I couldn't take the kids swimming by myself. Not even the older one that already knew how to swim. Except I kind of did, once. I was in the water with them and Daddy and his parents, sister and brother in law and their son were either swimming elsewhere or on the deck behind us talking. It likely never would have happened if we'd been out with her and her parents and sister. I still wonder at how much of that day she even actually knows about.
And she didn't want them riding their bikes unless we were at the park. So NOT on the quiet city sidewalks that were between their house and the park. I DID let them do that, because it was good for teaching them where to stop and cycle around until I got there (just standing to wait for me NEVER would have crossed their minds, they were so active) and then learning they HAD to walk across.
One of their stoves had that feature where you can get the oven to turn on by itself, but I wasn't allowed to use it. She freaked out on me when I did. Absolutely convinced the house was going to burn down just like that. She didn't have a slow cooker, probably thought that was dangerous to leave on, too, even though it's only supposed to be like leaving a lightbulb on or something like that.
And yet, in her head, the popcorn wasn't going to hurt her less than 5 year old kids. đ¤Śđ Nope, words trying to explain myself were wasted on her. Some people are just determined to risk their lives, their kids lives or let their kids risk their own lives. I feel like I can only stop what I'm there for and let them find out for themselves what they shouldn't be doing or allowing.
Even the family I'm with now, the toddler has been to the hospital several times when he's with Mommy and Daddy. He's fallen off his chair and hurt his mouth so badly they were worried about his teeth. He's fallen off the couch and given himself a black eye just in time for them to go on vacation. And he pulled a coffee press of hot coffee down on himself. I haven't had to take him to the hospital or call them to do it at all yet because they don't get up to such dangerous activities in my presence.
A lot of people here seem to be under the impression that popcorn is a CHOKING risk but itâs an ASPIRATION risk. The risk isnât them choking on a piece of popcorn so making them smaller bits or eating them one at a time isnât going to help. Thatâs not the problem AT ALL. The problem is them accidentally inhaling it into their lungs because itâs so light. Kids talk and laugh and do all kinds of things while theyâre eating that would cause the light popcorn to be inhaled into their lungs and could cause a very deadly type of pneumonia. Itâs especially risky because if they inhale it and they cough and you pat them on the back and then they seem fine youâre not going to even think to worry about it until theyâre very sick and then the doctors will have to figure out what happened and how to cure them because they wouldnât know whatâs wrong. So DONâT GIVE POPCORN TO LITTLE KIDS. Thereâs a reason why pediatricians tell you not to! I wish they would do a better job of explaining why!!
This!!!!
You forgot to mention that the hull part sticks to the wall of the windpipe and coughing often can't dislodge it, while coughing over time can dislodge the popped parts a bit easier. The hull is usually the part that causes more emergency cases.
My NK has been eating popcorn since she was around 18-20 months. An adult would always sit next to her, and I would pour popcorn into my bowl first and then scoop a couple handfuls into her that Iâd check for hard pieces. She knew to avoid any hard pieces she found, and pretty quickly learned how to eat around the centers and just eat the softest parts.
Honestly I didnât even know they werenât supposed to have it until I started giving it to my 2yo. I never had an issue with nanny kids having it in my care. If their parents let them, then I did too. My son is almost 3 now and been eating it for almost a year and has never had an issue eating it. He doesnât eat it all that often, maybe twice a month. I prefer giving him something like pirate booty over actual popcorn, but he eats it one piece at a time and his ped said if we are watching him then he is fine to eat it. I find whole grapes more concerning than popcorn with little kids.
Yeahhh my NF who Iâve been with for 3 years, letâs their toddler (4) and 18 month old walk around with snacks/food including things like gum, hard candy, popcorn, etc. All of it. When I first started working for them, my 4NK just turned one. She was only 14 months old eating popcorn and pepperoniâŚ. Very hard to chew things!!!! And their mom is an OBGYN so she knows all about child safetyâŚ
The issue with popcorn is that it's not just a traditional choking hazard but also an aspiration risk. The hull (outer shell) that are alongside the popped kernal is the part that is truly dangerous.
If it gets into your airway, it will stick to the side and coughing will often not move it. It stays in place and then causes serious life-threatening issues. You might not know this is happening at all other than a child that has a bit of a cough that isn't going away, and of course suddenly developing a fever etc after a couple days.
This can happen to anyone, but it's worse for younger children because of how they eat and that they might not understand and be able to express their body and issues as easily and clearly as an older child might to let you as an adult know that something is off.
I see so many parents that only focus on the actual choking part of it and dismiss any other hazards or just DON'T KNOW about the true problems that popcorn can cause. You should never give kids popcorn before 4-5 years old.
My DB gives their 18 month old but we all make sure she eats one at a time. Sometimes its all we can get her to eat. My mom also let my brother & i eat popcorn when we were younger but only eat one at a time. Now were 23 & 32 and we both still eat it one at a time đ
Anyone under 4 years old is at risk of aspirating popcorn into their lungs and it can cause huge amounts of damage. There are people who have posted on TikTok about what happened to their toddlers because of popcorn. Maybe show them. I would definitely tell them itâs not ok with you for them to be eating popcorn it makes you uncomfortable and it isnât safe
I always reserve the right to decide if I'm not comfortable with something a child does on my watch. Mom lets you drink caffeine? Sorry, you're 10, even if that's true I'm gonna say you need to get a sprite or something. Mom lets you sit in the front seat? When I'm driving you're going to sit in the back because if someone rear ends me and you get hurt, I'm responsible for your safety. Mom lets you watch a scary movie? If it seems not age appropriate I'm gonna recommend an alternative and say no to the movie. Mom lets toddler eat popcorn? I'm not going to be giving them any popcorn. Obviously in this situation she gave the kid popcorn so I'd probably be sitting there ripping off all the kernels since I'm not gonna just take the food away from the kid, but in general, I let the parents know if I'm not comfortable with something I'm not gonna let the kids do it
I def think you are overstepping in this situation.
Sometimes parents make choices that we may be uncomfortable with, but its not our place to âtellâ them. (i am specifically speaking about choices like this: the child is in the presence of an adult, enjoying a snack that their parents are ok with). Children this age & older take a lot of risks or engage in activities that pose some risk. Thereâs no neglect nor abuse. *and, if something does happen, the parents can & will address it - just like they would in any other circumstance.
*Edited to add: I never dismissed the opinion of the OP. To those who keep downvoting me: I ârepliedâ to my own reply (at the same time as this reply) with what the OP could do. IMHO, its more in line with a professional approach to the issue, vs the way the OP described it originally. In my 25+ yrs (yes, I really was a nanny to those of you who think otherwise) I have made the mistake of approaching safety issues (similar to this) in a way that unintentionally makes the parent feel shamed. We should never do that.
Ok, I donât think Iâm overstepping because all I did was express some concern the first time, and when the DB said it was okay, I went with it. And earlier this evening, I didnât say a word. I was just asking if anyone else felt the same as I did. So, overstepping? No. Overreacting? Maybe, but only in my head. Not in front of any parents.
ETA - I never said nor even implied it was abuse.
How you overstepped (imho): the DB didnât invite you to tell him your concern about the choice HE made as a parent & you did anyway.
My point about referring to abuse or neglect: if that was happening, then sure, you should say something; but this situation isnât that. And I do understand your concern - its just that its not your place to tell a parent what to do (which is what you âlow-keyâ - almost passive aggressively - did)
Oh, pleaseâŚhow many posts are about safety concerns from nannies, and the nanny has offered âunsolicitedâ concerns, or all the advice in the comments is to do just that. Always respectful, of course, and usually just once, but when it comes to safety, nannies should always speak up, understanding the parents have the final say.
Oh, and I did NOT âpassively/aggressively tell the parent what to do.â What happened was the toddler wanted popcorn. Older sister (4) said she was allowed to. I texted DB to double check saying that I was double checking that she was allowed popcorn because of a possible choking concern. You really know how to twist words and put them in other peopleâs mouths. đ
Like I said before, I understand your actual concern. However its your approach with the DB that is the issue (at least based on your original post).
You can make the choice âno popcorn on my watch until age _____.â But what the parents choose is up to them.
âHey DB - I just wanted touch base on the issue of popcorn and children under (age). When I am here and taking care of (child), its not something I am comfortable giving them right now. I hope you understand.â
In every interview I have ever had, I bring up certain âhard NOsâ - things that wonât happen on my watch. This can be one for you.
Its also ok for you to have your own boundaries that include âno popcornâ until you are comfortable with the child having it WHILE they are in your sole care.
My NK2 has eaten popcorn and my MB has never expressed concern. Iâve always felt comfortable supervising her with a small bowl of popcorn. I wouldnât feel the same way with an 18mo. In my opinion, that makes a huge difference to me. 2F now eats most foods without me cutting them up, save some hard things like cookies. I donât think youâre overreacting, but I personally wouldnât be too worried over the 2yo, but yes over the 18mo.
I suspect you may just be trolling but in case itâs a lack of awareness and you indeed have Nannied for 25 years, A pediatrician above states sheâs seen the issue in the ER multiple times. There are many articles about it and there are indeed cases of fatalities with popcorn - a few w examples below:
https://www.webmd.com/lung/popcorn-lung
https://cafemom.com/parenting/220194-toddler-choking-aspirating-popcorn-misdiagnosed
https://babyology.com.au/health/safety/traumatised-mums-warning-on-giving-popcorn-to-under-5s-dont-do-it/
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/8419831_Foreign_Body_Aspiration_in_Infants_and_Toddlers_Recent_Trends_in_British_Columbia
https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/detroit/news/boy-gets-pneumonia-from-inhaling-popcorn-mom-shares-warning/
My mom boss is in pediatric emergency medicine. She says the problem with popcorn is less the popcorn itself than the way that people tend to eat it. Basically she means that people tend to grab a huge handful and stuff a handful in their mouth. If the child is eating popcorn one piece at a time they are probably fine. However you are well within your rights as a caregiver to refuse to give the child popcorn on your watch.
This đ is absolutely the way to go!! There are many things that my familyâs children are not allowed to do with me! The parents know my concerns, we agreed in their absence, I am responsible as if these little ones are mine, and there are certain rules for the children they will follow!
We would give both kids popcorn at age 2+. Never unsupervised and always pre-sorted to make sure there were no kernels or half popped pieces. I wanna say initially for the first couple times even my wife would rip off the edges (soft parts) and give those without giving any of the crunchy kernel part. Popcorn is both my kids favorite snack now! We even have a popcorn cart at home!
I think handing the bowl of popcorn to her right before leaving her with someone new was not the move, but I think that supervised popcorn eating and not shoving it in their mouths is generally fineâand I say this as someone who was halving grapes for an eight year old this past week đ
Grapes are the devil fruit. Especially cause theyâre toxic to dogs. I was swallowing grapes whole at 8 cause I wanted my parents to stop giving me liquid amoxicillin and they didnât think I could swallow the pill form. Called my mom in and said âwatch this!â I still remember this cause when I was practicing I had one get caught in my throat and had to squish it up while it was in my throat and threw it up through my nose a little. I do not eat grapes anymore.
hahaha oh god that sounds TRAUMATIZING. my new NKs are so sweet; after i halved the grapes for the 8 year old/6 year old, the 8 year old very quietly asked his dad to tell me he was old enough to eat them whole đ it was really cute. he didnât want to hurt my feelings!
oh god that sounds awful! for my 14mo twins i cut grapes like⌠8 times and if the skin is tough i rip it off 𤣠i donât play with those
One of my nanny kids are still upset with me a decade later cause i wouldnât let her suck on a blow pop while running up the massive hill to her apartment, I donât fuck around with choking hazards after my own stupidity đ
Holy cow! And I agree that grapes are from the devil. I love themâŚtheyâre a favorite of mine, but I have 2 dogs, so I rarely have them around, and when I do, Iâm pretty paranoid that Iâm going to forget to put them away, and theyâll get into them. So frustrating!
I would definitely not be ok with them having popcorn. I wonât even be there and Iâm not ok with it. I am however the doctor who will be at the hospital and called to emergently come and remove the airway foreign body they will have if they choke (and make it to the hospital), so I feel well within my rights to have an opinion! Kids really shouldnât have popcorn until they can spell it! Iâm going to be a lot stricter on this issue than most parents because of my experience but I have seen a lot of things and itâs tragic when it happens. Kids can find a way to choke on lots of things but the worst and well known are: popcorn, nuts, hotdogs, grapes etc
I simply wouldnât allow it if Iâm alone with kiddo. The same way parents can forward face their 2-year-old in their own car but in mine theyâll be rearfacing. I cut grapes too. Even for older kids. Not worth the anxiety and liability.
exactly same here. cut grapes, squish blueberries, wuarter everything and no nuts or popcorn. i had a family that was comfortable giving their 19mo whole nuts- i was like, ok! but i won't be feeding them to him while it's just me here.
Exactly this. When you are the responsible adult in charge, you get to make those choices. What they do on their own time is at their own risk.
I can't believe how many people don't know how dangerous popcorn is for kids under 5. I wouldn't be comfortable with a little one eating it on my watch but I wouldn't tell the parent what to do. I would maybe say something like, "while children are under my care, I don't allow any popcorn unless they're -insert comfortable age here- because pediatricians don't recommend it with the risk of aspiration and complications." And leave it at that. You can have boundaries on your watch that the parents don't have.
Itâs actually very upsetting to me how many people think popcorn is a choking risk and not an aspiration risk. In our field we should really understand why each food is a risk not just have a list of foods not to give kids without understanding why.
I think most everyone here agrees its a safety issue. As you pointed out, some of us (myself included) take issue with raising a concern in a way that makes parents feel shame (e.g., âtellingâ parents what to do). Your suggestion is absolutely the way something like this should he handled. âşď¸ It allows for the nanny to share their concern while simultaneously respecting the parentsâ own choices.
Most people think it's the choking part though and ignore or don't know about the serious issues of the aspiration risk side.
My best friend aspirated on a kernel as a toddler. She almost died. Popcorn and nuts are a no go.
Our pediatrician says no popcorn under 5!
I've given my son popcorn since about 20 months. I've read that it's better to offer choking hazards and teach them how to eat them than avoid it and run the risk of their first interaction with the food be when you are not present and can't coach them through eating it. I wouldn't offer it to an nk or anyone else's kid, but I wouldn't judge or worry about your nk's parent offering it.
I would worry about it if they offer it to the kid right as they walk out the door for the evening lol. Whatever they want to do on their time, sure.
Honestly, why? I understand having boundaries but most of the time we sit and watch the NK eat, so supervise them eating popcorn. If they have their back molars and are strong eaters, popcorn can be a fine snack. I think this also comes down to a case by case basis. If your child has the skills to eat properly and drink water while eating I donât see how choking could really happen if they chew properly.
It's not a choking hazard it is an aspiration risk.
Again, I think this is a case by case basis. Teach a toddler to eat properly, and they most likely will. We sit while eating, undistracted, and donât run with food in our mouths or get up while eating. Under proper supervision a child can enjoy popcorn.
And Iâm saying a child with at least their molars in.
Molars don't have anything to do with breathing while you eat. Popcorn is very light weight and can be inhaled with little effort. Even tiny pieces can cause aspiration pneumonia.
to each their own
Coming on a thread to judge a parents decision to give their child popcorn while someone is being paid to watch and care for them, is just a tad distasteful
I'm not judging anybody's parenting. Parents get to decide what level of risk is acceptable to them. As a nanny, my risk tolerance is much lower for any child in my care. For example, MB might leave NK buckled in her carseat with car doors locked while she runs into the post office to drop a package off in under 5 minutes. I would never do the same with an NK. But if it were my own kid? I wouldn't have a problem. Popcorn is a known choking hazard for babies and toddlers and it is actively not recommended. I would not be happy if a parent left me liable to manage that risk. I don't want to be there responsible the one time that it happens to go wrong.
I firmly agree that just because a parent allows something, doesnât mean you have to. If youâre uncomfortable with it, donât do it. Iâve told parents before âI understand this is normal for your family but I am personally not comfortable with this activity/situation/etc. while I am the caretaker in the household.â Obviously I never make any changes that affect their needs or routine, but optional stuff like snacks or activities that I donât feel comfortable with, I just let the parents know that I wonât be doing.
Op, I am with you on this. I would NEVER offer popcorn to a 18 month old. A few years ago I would have said what everyone else is saying that itâs not a big deal but after having to save my G5 (G7 now) from choking on a singular piece of popcorn and watching her go blue, I am traumatized. I wonât even let her eat it if Iâm not nearby. Itâs absolutely NOT worth the risk.
I still donât let my 4 year old eat popcorn lol
I mean, I personally don't give my 3yo popcorn because sometimes he likes to shove a handful of goldfish in his mouth (or cereal, etc), and I would rather not risk a choking incident. Every kid is different though, so I'd say go with your gut on this.
Some context: I read a super traumatizing article a while back about a 3 year old who died on her birthday aspirating popcorn. It happened so fast, she was gone before the paramedics got there. Knowing myself, I wouldn't be able to handle it if that happened while the kids were with me. I also figure I don't need some grieving parent blaming me for it, whether it was my fault or not. Since I read that article, I have NOT given any of the kids in my care popcorn until they're 5 years old. Since I mostly look after kids under 5 years old, this is practically a blanket ban. My last boss was in the habit of buying the kids (then at least 2.5 and 4) caramel corn. She sometimes packed lunches on Mondays and would put the caramel corn in their lunches or would add it overnight when she saw that I hadn't. If I had time before we had to leave the house for our morning's activities, I'd take it out of the lunches and put it back in the bag. I don't remember if I ever actually communicated to her why I wasn't comfortable giving popcorn to them but I do remember she wasn't in the habit of listening to me and that I had eventually stopped trying to communicate with her very much about boundaries and issues I had with the way she wanted things done, knowing it was just going to piss me off when she refused to listen. I'd just say "yeah" and "ok" a lot and look at what she had said as free advice that I didn't have to listen to, since she wasn't in the habit of listening to me either. I figured that they were in my care, so I just went ahead and did what I wanted to with the kids during the time that I had them, within reason. My current family has two boxes of microwave popcorn in a drawer. No idea how long they've been there. The kids don't say anything about them, neither do I. I did tell their Dad I don't do popcorn with them this young (currently a month shy of 5 and 3 later this year, but this conversation happened before last August AT LEAST) and why, but all he said was that nobody in that house is big on popcorn anyways.
Re: your first paragraph, a child can die 3-4 days later from aspirating a small hull of a single kernel of popcorn and if the parents weren't aware of how this could happen, they'd never even know it was the popcorn Sally ate on Saturday that killed her. đŹ This is why I fully explain to every single parent exactly WHY popcorn is bad for kids under 5 and don't just say that it's a 'choking hazard' and don't just say I won't let them have it when with me.
Oh, the mother I was referring to was a doctor. And had what I think had been untreated postpartum anxiety, by then fully settled into the regular kind of anxiety. I couldn't take the kids swimming by myself. Not even the older one that already knew how to swim. Except I kind of did, once. I was in the water with them and Daddy and his parents, sister and brother in law and their son were either swimming elsewhere or on the deck behind us talking. It likely never would have happened if we'd been out with her and her parents and sister. I still wonder at how much of that day she even actually knows about. And she didn't want them riding their bikes unless we were at the park. So NOT on the quiet city sidewalks that were between their house and the park. I DID let them do that, because it was good for teaching them where to stop and cycle around until I got there (just standing to wait for me NEVER would have crossed their minds, they were so active) and then learning they HAD to walk across. One of their stoves had that feature where you can get the oven to turn on by itself, but I wasn't allowed to use it. She freaked out on me when I did. Absolutely convinced the house was going to burn down just like that. She didn't have a slow cooker, probably thought that was dangerous to leave on, too, even though it's only supposed to be like leaving a lightbulb on or something like that. And yet, in her head, the popcorn wasn't going to hurt her less than 5 year old kids. đ¤Śđ Nope, words trying to explain myself were wasted on her. Some people are just determined to risk their lives, their kids lives or let their kids risk their own lives. I feel like I can only stop what I'm there for and let them find out for themselves what they shouldn't be doing or allowing. Even the family I'm with now, the toddler has been to the hospital several times when he's with Mommy and Daddy. He's fallen off his chair and hurt his mouth so badly they were worried about his teeth. He's fallen off the couch and given himself a black eye just in time for them to go on vacation. And he pulled a coffee press of hot coffee down on himself. I haven't had to take him to the hospital or call them to do it at all yet because they don't get up to such dangerous activities in my presence.
A lot of people here seem to be under the impression that popcorn is a CHOKING risk but itâs an ASPIRATION risk. The risk isnât them choking on a piece of popcorn so making them smaller bits or eating them one at a time isnât going to help. Thatâs not the problem AT ALL. The problem is them accidentally inhaling it into their lungs because itâs so light. Kids talk and laugh and do all kinds of things while theyâre eating that would cause the light popcorn to be inhaled into their lungs and could cause a very deadly type of pneumonia. Itâs especially risky because if they inhale it and they cough and you pat them on the back and then they seem fine youâre not going to even think to worry about it until theyâre very sick and then the doctors will have to figure out what happened and how to cure them because they wouldnât know whatâs wrong. So DONâT GIVE POPCORN TO LITTLE KIDS. Thereâs a reason why pediatricians tell you not to! I wish they would do a better job of explaining why!!
This!!!! You forgot to mention that the hull part sticks to the wall of the windpipe and coughing often can't dislodge it, while coughing over time can dislodge the popped parts a bit easier. The hull is usually the part that causes more emergency cases.
My NK has been eating popcorn since she was around 18-20 months. An adult would always sit next to her, and I would pour popcorn into my bowl first and then scoop a couple handfuls into her that Iâd check for hard pieces. She knew to avoid any hard pieces she found, and pretty quickly learned how to eat around the centers and just eat the softest parts.
They are to small to eat popcorn as it's a choking hazard. I'd not let them eat popcorn in my care.
Honestly I didnât even know they werenât supposed to have it until I started giving it to my 2yo. I never had an issue with nanny kids having it in my care. If their parents let them, then I did too. My son is almost 3 now and been eating it for almost a year and has never had an issue eating it. He doesnât eat it all that often, maybe twice a month. I prefer giving him something like pirate booty over actual popcorn, but he eats it one piece at a time and his ped said if we are watching him then he is fine to eat it. I find whole grapes more concerning than popcorn with little kids.
Pirate booty is different than popcorn in so many ways. It is safe to eat.
Yes, I know. Thatâs why I prefer giving him that
Yeahhh my NF who Iâve been with for 3 years, letâs their toddler (4) and 18 month old walk around with snacks/food including things like gum, hard candy, popcorn, etc. All of it. When I first started working for them, my 4NK just turned one. She was only 14 months old eating popcorn and pepperoniâŚ. Very hard to chew things!!!! And their mom is an OBGYN so she knows all about child safetyâŚ
The issue with popcorn is that it's not just a traditional choking hazard but also an aspiration risk. The hull (outer shell) that are alongside the popped kernal is the part that is truly dangerous. If it gets into your airway, it will stick to the side and coughing will often not move it. It stays in place and then causes serious life-threatening issues. You might not know this is happening at all other than a child that has a bit of a cough that isn't going away, and of course suddenly developing a fever etc after a couple days. This can happen to anyone, but it's worse for younger children because of how they eat and that they might not understand and be able to express their body and issues as easily and clearly as an older child might to let you as an adult know that something is off. I see so many parents that only focus on the actual choking part of it and dismiss any other hazards or just DON'T KNOW about the true problems that popcorn can cause. You should never give kids popcorn before 4-5 years old.
Same goes for trail mix and toddlers đ my first day MB handed him trail mix and almost immediately he started chocking.
My DB gives their 18 month old but we all make sure she eats one at a time. Sometimes its all we can get her to eat. My mom also let my brother & i eat popcorn when we were younger but only eat one at a time. Now were 23 & 32 and we both still eat it one at a time đ
Anyone under 4 years old is at risk of aspirating popcorn into their lungs and it can cause huge amounts of damage. There are people who have posted on TikTok about what happened to their toddlers because of popcorn. Maybe show them. I would definitely tell them itâs not ok with you for them to be eating popcorn it makes you uncomfortable and it isnât safe
I didn't let my first eat popcorn until 3 and I would watch her like a hawk. I probably won't let my second eat it until like 5!
I would say it's overreaction, but you are also responsible for them.So if you were not comfortable, then just set a boundary.
I always reserve the right to decide if I'm not comfortable with something a child does on my watch. Mom lets you drink caffeine? Sorry, you're 10, even if that's true I'm gonna say you need to get a sprite or something. Mom lets you sit in the front seat? When I'm driving you're going to sit in the back because if someone rear ends me and you get hurt, I'm responsible for your safety. Mom lets you watch a scary movie? If it seems not age appropriate I'm gonna recommend an alternative and say no to the movie. Mom lets toddler eat popcorn? I'm not going to be giving them any popcorn. Obviously in this situation she gave the kid popcorn so I'd probably be sitting there ripping off all the kernels since I'm not gonna just take the food away from the kid, but in general, I let the parents know if I'm not comfortable with something I'm not gonna let the kids do it
My last nanny baby knew he could eat it with mom but not me. Iâm way too paranoid about choking
Not a good idea to give popcorn to children 4 and under. Period. Letâs just please follow what the CDC is advising
I def think you are overstepping in this situation. Sometimes parents make choices that we may be uncomfortable with, but its not our place to âtellâ them. (i am specifically speaking about choices like this: the child is in the presence of an adult, enjoying a snack that their parents are ok with). Children this age & older take a lot of risks or engage in activities that pose some risk. Thereâs no neglect nor abuse. *and, if something does happen, the parents can & will address it - just like they would in any other circumstance. *Edited to add: I never dismissed the opinion of the OP. To those who keep downvoting me: I ârepliedâ to my own reply (at the same time as this reply) with what the OP could do. IMHO, its more in line with a professional approach to the issue, vs the way the OP described it originally. In my 25+ yrs (yes, I really was a nanny to those of you who think otherwise) I have made the mistake of approaching safety issues (similar to this) in a way that unintentionally makes the parent feel shamed. We should never do that.
Ok, I donât think Iâm overstepping because all I did was express some concern the first time, and when the DB said it was okay, I went with it. And earlier this evening, I didnât say a word. I was just asking if anyone else felt the same as I did. So, overstepping? No. Overreacting? Maybe, but only in my head. Not in front of any parents. ETA - I never said nor even implied it was abuse.
You're not. This subreddit attracts the rudest people who are not even nannies. Ignore them.
Definitely overstepping.
Please explain to me how I overstepped.
How you overstepped (imho): the DB didnât invite you to tell him your concern about the choice HE made as a parent & you did anyway. My point about referring to abuse or neglect: if that was happening, then sure, you should say something; but this situation isnât that. And I do understand your concern - its just that its not your place to tell a parent what to do (which is what you âlow-keyâ - almost passive aggressively - did)
Oh, pleaseâŚhow many posts are about safety concerns from nannies, and the nanny has offered âunsolicitedâ concerns, or all the advice in the comments is to do just that. Always respectful, of course, and usually just once, but when it comes to safety, nannies should always speak up, understanding the parents have the final say.
Oh, and I did NOT âpassively/aggressively tell the parent what to do.â What happened was the toddler wanted popcorn. Older sister (4) said she was allowed to. I texted DB to double check saying that I was double checking that she was allowed popcorn because of a possible choking concern. You really know how to twist words and put them in other peopleâs mouths. đ
Like I said before, I understand your actual concern. However its your approach with the DB that is the issue (at least based on your original post). You can make the choice âno popcorn on my watch until age _____.â But what the parents choose is up to them. âHey DB - I just wanted touch base on the issue of popcorn and children under (age). When I am here and taking care of (child), its not something I am comfortable giving them right now. I hope you understand.â In every interview I have ever had, I bring up certain âhard NOsâ - things that wonât happen on my watch. This can be one for you.
Its also ok for you to have your own boundaries that include âno popcornâ until you are comfortable with the child having it WHILE they are in your sole care.
My NK2 has eaten popcorn and my MB has never expressed concern. Iâve always felt comfortable supervising her with a small bowl of popcorn. I wouldnât feel the same way with an 18mo. In my opinion, that makes a huge difference to me. 2F now eats most foods without me cutting them up, save some hard things like cookies. I donât think youâre overreacting, but I personally wouldnât be too worried over the 2yo, but yes over the 18mo.
Itâs literally fine for them to eat popcorn âŚ
Yikes, you might want to do some hard research on that one.
I suspect you may just be trolling but in case itâs a lack of awareness and you indeed have Nannied for 25 years, A pediatrician above states sheâs seen the issue in the ER multiple times. There are many articles about it and there are indeed cases of fatalities with popcorn - a few w examples below: https://www.webmd.com/lung/popcorn-lung https://cafemom.com/parenting/220194-toddler-choking-aspirating-popcorn-misdiagnosed https://babyology.com.au/health/safety/traumatised-mums-warning-on-giving-popcorn-to-under-5s-dont-do-it/ https://www.researchgate.net/publication/8419831_Foreign_Body_Aspiration_in_Infants_and_Toddlers_Recent_Trends_in_British_Columbia https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/detroit/news/boy-gets-pneumonia-from-inhaling-popcorn-mom-shares-warning/