Chewing gum and kids (the do’s, the don’ts and 4 awesome gum wrapper crafts)

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Wrigley Jr. Company. All opinions are 100% mine.

If you’ve been asking yourself, “When can my child chew gum?” then keep reading for more do’s and don’ts.

Chewing gum is an exciting thing for kids. If I’m honest, chewing gum is an exciting thing for me. Particularly when someone else pulls out a pack unexpectedly and offers to share!

If your children see you chewing gum, and if they can smell it, they will definitely be interested in having some. My older kids (3 and 2) always ask to have a piece of my gum when they can smell it on me! I’ve tested the waters with my oldest and, after researching it a bit, have come to a few conclusion on what we should look out for when it comes to gum and kids.

Do…

• Wait to offer children gum until they understand it’s to be chewed, not swallowed. This age will change depending on the child, but most agree that around the age of 4 many kids will get the concept.
• Get sugarfree gum! (Juicy Fruit’s new Starburst flavors smell good and are sugar free). Sugarless gum has actually been shown to fight cavities because it stimulates your mouth to make more saliva which clears out food trapped between the teeth and neutralizes the acids present that contribute to cavities (source.)
• Let them chew the gum after a meal. If you are out and about and they are not able to brush their teeth, offering a stick (or half) of chewing gum will help get rid of the remnants of lunch (see above point).
• Offer gum as a fun and special treat, and let them choose their own flavors as part of a reward.

Don’t…

• Give them gum multiple times a day. Keep it a treat. Doctors suggest chewing gum only once or twice a day for kids is an optimal amount.
• Swallow. Teach the kids to throw the gum away after they are finished chewing it. Only in rare cases (and with huge quantities) would it block up the intestines, but throwing it in the trash is a good habit to get into.
• Leaving gum in easily accessible areas will be tempting for younger children who aren’t used to chewing gum or haven’t yet been given the privilege. Keep it hidden where you can find it, but it isn’t in plain sight or small ones.
• Use gum as a substitute for good dental hygiene.

And after you’re done chewing…

1. DIY purse made out of gum and candy wrappers

2. Starburst wrapper bracelet tutorial (in honor of the Starburst and Juicy Fruit team)

3. A Valentine’s Day wreath out of gum wrappers

4. Gum wrapper chains that you can use for anything you want

As I had just been testing out my oldest child’s readiness for gum (and have always been a Wrigley’s fan) I was happy to partner with Juicy Fruit to promote their new Starburst flavored strawberry and cherry gum you can find in the checkout aisles at your nearest Target (and I am personally for strawberry, what about you?) Save Now at Target!