The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children under the age of 4 not be fed any round, firm food unless it is cut into small pieces no larger than one-half inch. Did you know this? I knew that I had to be cautious of what I feed my toddler, but I really thought that past the age of 3 my kids were pretty safe to eat most foods. Not so, according to the AAP. Children as old as 5 have choked on candy with devastating consequences.
The Midwest Monkeys website has a great link to information on choking prevention from the US Food and Drug Administration here.
It was information like this that prompted David Zak and his wife Susan to create the Midwest Monkeys company and in January of this year the Safe Sizer Plate was unveiled. See the little white circle above the female astronaut on the plate? Inside the circle measures one-half inch which is the size that any round firm food should be cut to, according to the AAP, to be considered safe. The plate can be used daily just like any other plate but the size-reminder is great to help parents and caretakers keep safety in mind.
We placed our daughter’s usual chicken pieces cut up on the plate and were surprised by how large the pieces were compared to the recommendation. I suppose chicken is somewhat chewy but still, it was eye opening. While I feel confident in my own estimate of what is safe size-wise on my daughter’s plate, I’m sure many of us may have other caretakers (a helpful mother in law perhaps?) who could use a gentle reminder. Pack the plate on the next overnight visit with grandma! 😉
3 readers are going to win a Safe Sizer Plate from Midwest Monkeys in the design of their choice. To enter, just leave me a comment here telling me which design you would pick if you won and who it would be for.
For additional entries:
~ Follow me (join this site with Google Friend Connect)
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Please ensure your profile is public or leave me your email address in your comment. This giveaway will end on September 6th at 9:00pm CT. I will use Random.org to choose the winners, email the winners, and post the win here. Giveaway is open to Canadian and US addresses.
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