Raw Apples

My 2 year old was about 1 year old when he wanted a full apple.... because his big sisters ate a full apple.

We never had a problem.

Then again, I'm extremely confident in my heimlick and CPR skills ;)

If you think about it, kids can choke on almost EVERYTHING that goes in their mouths. I've never been a fan of "eat this not that" rules (past 12 months).

My son was eating apple slices whenever he sparked an interest. Granted, I gave hot dogs and popcorn to him whenever he had enough teeth to eat them (and was past his one year mark). So maybe I'm a "crazy" parent who gives their child choking hazards.

my DD has eaten apples since 12 months, but I also got a no-no note from the daycare about it. I still give them at home but watch her very carefully. I have also heard you can just shred them with a cheese grater and problem solved!

I have found my kids should not be alive according to today's standards so perhaps not the one to ask here.

By ten months they had teeth and I used them.

I also took infant/child first aid and CPR when I was pregnant with my first so if they had choked I would have been fine. As it is none of the four choked at all on anything. :)

Run the apple over a cheese greater to make shreds that your little one should be able to eat without choking.

My 12 month old eats slices of peeled apple, but he's got nine teeth and a dedication to eating that you don't find in every kid.

Hi K.-

I have to second some of the moms here...in that CPR/treat for choking class goes a LONG way in removing fear for kiddos eating.

My oldest was three...next was about two...when we had a bit of a choking issue. The apple (and yes, it was apple) was FINELY chopped...but he was loading himself up I guess (packing it away to save for later?? lol). He gasped...then the tell tale 'high whistle/raspy' sound. In about one second, he was being 'treated' for choking'...and chucked it out.

I am in favor of a class...and vigilance... with younger kiddos...no matter what the age - or how many teeth!

Best Luck!
michele/cat

my 20 month old has been munching on apples for months. She loves when I give her a whole one with a few bites taken out. She'll scrape the apple meat off for an hour with her front teeth.

Honestly, I can't remember a time (except of course infant) when my son was NOT eating apples. They are his favorite fruit and he was probably eating then sliced up around a year.

Jo said it all!

I was fortunate that my sons both had 8 teeth by 8 months, & molars at 1 year. They ate everything. :)

My son has been eating whole apples since 10 months. Granted, he had almost all his teeth by then (super early teether,) and had never even slightly choked on anything. I didn't let him run around with an apple, or anything. If he was sitting, he was allowed an apple no problem.

ETA: I have never skin his apples. He has always been given the whole thing, skin and all. He is 3 next month, and we've still never had a choking incident. I think kids who shove food and don't take one bite at a time, an apple could be a bad idea My son (since he started eating anything at all) was a one bite at a time kid. YOU know your kid more then anyone, so just go with his abilities. We've never had a problem with raw carrots, either...other then my son not caring much for them ;)

its a choking risk yes. but my daughter was eating apple chunks and and carrots by 9-10 months old. i just watched her very carefully.

I do raw apples with my 14 month old and have been since before she turned 1. What I do is slice it thin then make skinny strips like tiny french fries. The pieces are so tiny she has never had a problem.

When they had all their teeth!

We pretty much know how our kids are with swallowing and stuff since we are with them 24/7. If your child seems to be chewing/gumming and swallowing okay I'm sure small bites of apple will be ok.
We've all had to pull stuff out of our kids mouth from time to time.

Cut the skin off and cut the apple into small pieces. I began around 15 months with my daughter. She is now 18 months old, and not yet ready for raw carrots, but she can handle apples.

With hard foods... just chop it up, into small pieces.
Or mash it.
Some babies can, some cannot.
Go by your baby's cues for eating.
Also keep in mind, that at this age and for older Toddlers, they tend to put too much in their mouth. Like a squirrel. So you have to watch it, per choking. Kids this age do not know how to "gauge" how much to put in their mouth.

http://www.babycenter.com/0_age-by-age-guide-to-feeding-y...

Watch the baby closely and he will be just fine. I have done itty bitty chunks of apple and I have let my son take bites from a peeled apple that I was holding. I think that the skin is the part that you should worry most about. My son has been eating apple like this since 15 months or so, he had 8 teeth in then.

I have a choking paranoia, so I would not be the one to ask.

I literally cannot watch any of my children or grandchildren eat until they have a FULL set of teeth and a lot of practice!

I say applesauce!

I can't remember the exact age they were, but I do remember buying those little mesh things that you put the fruit inside and they could just gum it till it was all gone. If you do buy those, make sure you wash them out really well right after they are done with it

Child care standards for the age child you have would say the pieces have to be 1/4 inch or less to be able to swallow them whole and not choke. If you take your time and cut them tiny he can have all he wants. 1/4" is very small so if they slip on by he won't choke.

13 months for my little guy.

It's been a while for my son too, now 2.5, just can't remember exactly. My kids do eat the peel. I just never peeled it and gave it to them and they are fine with it. I do slice my apples pretty thin so that helps, but if your son is interested I'd give it to him and see what happens, just keep a close eye on it.

My son has been eating raw apple slices (sliced paper thin) since he was about 11 months (he had several teeth and again, very thinly sliced). And I didn't give him to many at a time because he is like a little chipmunk, likes to take as much food as possible and store it in his little cheeks haha. He has sometimes taken bites out of mine, but I watch like a hawk and when he wants to seriously eat it, I go with the thinly cut slices. Now I have seen some other kids his age (he is now 15 months) eat whole apples, but they seem a little more advanced in the feeding skills department.

I gave a whole apple to my kids when they were about 15 months old. Because they were whole, my kids could only really gnaw on it and gum it, no big chunks or anything and i supervised them like a hawk. Shredding the apple is a good idea too!

As for giving chunks or bites, I would wait much later, like over 2, depending on the child.