orbit gum - Stuff Parents Need

So a while back I wrote about how much Tim and I like Orbit gum, and about how we are a house divided on whether or not our 4-year-old should be allowed to chew it. Tim thinks she is old enough to handle the responsibility (meaning the proper chewing and not swallowing of the product, and the proper disposal of it). Me? I’m not so sure.

So the folks at Orbit reached out to me to let me know that they actually have a gum designed just for kids. Now they can’t promise that this gum won’t get stuck in the carpet or in Darah’s hair (I would so totally buy that gum if they made it, though!). But they did have some interesting things to tell me about it. They sent me some information and some samples to check out.

Orbit for Kids prioritizes helping keep mouths healthy. The gum is sugar-free, and did you know that chewing sugar-free gum can actually be good for you? It will increase saliva flow which helps protect teeth from decay, as well as clears the mouth of food debris. I had no idea! This makes it really good to have as an after dinner snack when we are away from home. Also, it tastes yummy!

I captured the look on Darah’s face when I presented her with this gum, and then told her that it was just for kids, which meant that she gets to chew it.

And you know what? So far, she’s done an excellent job of being responsible with her gum! She chews on it for about 5 minutes, and then she goes over to the trash can and spits it out! I’m impressed, I have to say.

And just look at that face? Santa’s most definitely going to be putting Orbit for Kids in her stocking this year!

What about you? When did you start letting your kids chew gum? Did you know that sugar-free gum has all these benefits?

This post brought to you by Dollar General. All opinions are 100% mine.

Darah is 4 years old, and in my book, totally not old enough to be chewing gum. Even though I really enjoy chewing gum, myself (shout out, peppermint flavor!), I try not to chew it in front of her, because she will ALWAYS ask if she can have any.

Why won’t I let her? To be honest, it has to do with my own misuse of gum as a child. I had very long hair (just as Darah does, currently) and I would get gum stuck in my hair. A LOT. To the point where my father found me one day locked in the bathroom having asked my brother to go get the scissors for me and slide them under the door. I also instructed him to NOT tell dad, who was home with us at the time. Thank goodness he went straight to dad, because if he hadn’t, I would have cut a chunk out of my hair! I was around 7 at the time, years older than my 4 year old, and yet I still was being irresponsible with gum.

Tim thinks perhaps it isn’t fair to use my past as a grounds for not letting Darah try something new. I can see where he is coming from, but I’ve been holding my ground on this one.

I’ve had to travel a lot for work this year, and after one recent trip, Darah very excitedly told me as soon as I got home that her daddy gave her a piece of gum.

Sigh……

Let that be a lesson to us all. Your children WILL tell on you when you do something sneaky behind your spouse’s back!

Now to Tim’s credit, he talked with Darah at length about how to chew gum (and not swallow it, not play with it, not stick it places other than the trash) and Darah is quite a rule follower, so she seemed to understand what was being asked of her in exchange for this big girl promotion to “gum chewer” status.

So now getting to chew a piece of gum is a very special thing, which happens only occasionally, and with adult supervision. I’m still not so sure about if it was the right call to let this pass, but perhaps I should just be open to the possibility that my little one will be responsible with her gum.

And now I’ve got to keep the house stocked with something yummy for us all. Darah seems to like the peppermint flavor, just like me, so I’m going to be getting the NEW Orbit Value Pack, available at Dollar General. They come with two 7 piece packs for 14 pieces of gum total. And why Dollar General? Because they have the very lowest prices on the value pack. I’m all about saving some money, people! They come in peppermint or spearmint, so you can choose your favorite.

I’ll keep you posted on if the Orbit® gum stays in its proper orbit (hee hee) or if it launches into a realm that isn’t allowed (please let it not be her hair…)

So what do you think? When did you let your children start chewing gum? And has your child ever “told” on your significant other?