Choking Hazards

Below is a list of all the foods childcare facilities in the state of Texas are not allowed to serve to children UNDER FOUR because of the high possibility of choking.

•Carrot Sticks or rounds

• Popcorn

• Hot Dogs (Hot dogs can be okay if they are served cut into quarters. That means cut them in half lengthwise, then in half again. Then start chopping them into bite size pieces.)

• Apples

• Whole Grapes

• Marshmallows

• Nuts

• Seeds

• Raw Peas

• Hard Candy

• Hard Pretzels

For babies or small toddlers, food should be cut into pieces 1/4" or smaller. That's pretty little.

Other items that are not allowed in our school or certain classrooms:

Latex balloons (If these balloons pop, a small child may (read: will) put a piece in their mouth. The material can very easily get trapped in the throat and block air flow. If using them for decorations, keep them out of reach of kids under three.)

Any toy that does not meet the choking hazard tube test. These can be purchased at numerous online stores. Basically, it's a tube the size of a small child's throat. If an item can fit inside the tube, it should be kept out of reach of any kiddo who still likes to taste test his toys.

While you may say "Really?" to some of these items, I encourage you to think about the pros vs. cons of serving these foods to your little ones. If they made the list, it is because enough kiddos choked on them. It may be inconvenient to cut up food into smaller pieces, but it only takes a second for a piece of food to go down a child's throat the wrong way. The results are catastrophic. Is it worth it?