Hot Dogs

At what age did/do you allow them to eat them whole? I was just wondering. I don't mind cutting them up in pieces, but I was just wondering when do I no longer worry about them eating a hot dog without cutting it up.

 

I still slice my 6.5 year old son's hotdogs in half long-ways and put them in the bun side by side. Hots dogs are a choking hazard for adults, like popcorn and marshmallows, I don't plan on giving them whole for awhile still.

 

Yup, we slice them long ways or make them into octopuses.

 

Mine won't eat hotdogs (weird kids), but if they would I would still slice them long ways.

 

We do not slice them up anymore. We stopped this summer, so they were 3 1/2.

 

:good: that's what I do as well and mine are 4.5

 

I think I stopped slicing hotdogs for my kids around 3.5/4 years old. Now they choose whether they want them whole or cut up.

 

Just so you all know, one of my daughters choked on a piece of hotdog when she was 4 and a half. It did not completely block her airway (she could weeze), but it sure was a scarry moment. Slice the long way--it only takes a second.

 

IMO if an adult can choke on a hotdog, a 3yo can choke on a hotdog cut the long way - they have smaller airways after all. So I cut the long way, then in half again, so it's quarter size. FYI I heard of a 6yo choking to death on a hotdog at school last year... better safe than sorry.

 

The packaging on our hotdogs actually has a warning and says they should be cut into pieces until a child is 6 years old. We'll be cutting ours for a long time yet.

 

My boys are 6 1/2 and I still cut them up into small pieces. I'm way too paranoid about them choking.

 

Thank for your responses. I was just curious. I actually never thought to look on the packaging. When they are ready, it sounds like cutting them down the long way is a good idea. Currently, I have been cutting down the long way but also slicing up little pieces at about 1/4" wide. I've started to just cut the 1/4" wide piece without cutting down the middle, but once they are old enough, I'll probably switch that to the long ways.

We both agree that they are too young for popcorn. Jason wanted them to try marshmallows. I told him I didn't feel comfortable with them. He really thought they'd be fine, so I just didn't give them any and let them expire hoping he'd forget about them. He did forget about them this time at least. Next time he brings them home, I'll have to bring it up again. I don't want him wasting the food anymore.

 

My kids have done fine with the mini marshmallows (I've probably given them for a year now). They kind of melt, so I never thought they were anymore of a problem than fruit gummies. We do cut up hot dogs and stay away from popcorn.

 

mine have been eating popcorn (with supervision) since they were 3 ish, and they get the choice now if they want their hot dog cut up (to eat with a fork) or if they want a bun I leave it whole...they started eating marshmallows this summer (again with supervision)...I had never heard of marshmallows being a choking hazard....

 

I find hot dogs revolting, but if I did feed them to my kids, they'd be sliced lengthwise, and my girls will be 8 on the 21st. They do get Bratwurst at family BBQs, and we slice those lengthwise and put them on the bun. Why take the risk? (Not to mention neither one of my itty bitty girls (commonly mistaken for age 5 by strangers) needs a whole Bratwurst at one sitting anyway.