Next week our little Maya gets less little: she turns into one! Already 1 year old! A year since when she was born, a year since Basti and I became mamma and papa, one year that I haven’t been sleeping anymore but ok… in anycase a year in which time passed in a very strange way, so slowly and at the same time sooo quickly. It’s a weird feeling, hard to be explained, but that in the end it makes us thinking: „already 1 year!“. For such a special day, I wanted to write an article about a topic that I care much, related to children and honey. Because if you didn’t know, I tell you here now: it’s true, little children can’t eat honey!
Eh??
One day before going out for our daily stroll, I went with Maya just a minute to say hello to Basti’s grandparents. They were having breakfast. Maya, of course, as soon as she saw the food on the table started to get agitated. She had already her breakfast but nothing could keep her calm. That was normal. She’s always hungry like her parents. Granny Eva couldn’t help offering a piece of her bun, with some of our honey on it. I realised it just in time, I stepped back telling ‘Nein nein, Honig verboten, zu kleine‘. (Translated: “no no, honey is forbidden, she’s too little“). Granny Eva was a bit surprised, she stopped in time but she gave a short look such as ‘pfff you re not exagerating?’. From my side unfortunately I was not able to explain much more, but Basti took care of this later. Anyway, this all just to tell you that in this side of the world too not everybody knows that children can’t eat honey, especially old generations.
“Uh, I can’t imagine how much honey Maya eats!”
So often, when we meet people, they tell us: “Ehi Maya, so much honey you can eat, no? Mmm delicious!!!” and me immediately:“Ah nooo, little children can’t eat honey!“. Thoughtful glance. And I continue:“It’s forbidden till the baby is 1 year old, and suggested to avoid till two!“. „Ah, but why?“ and there, the usual sentence:“ but for my little ones I used to dive the pacifier in the honeypot!“
„Eeh better to avoid!“
„Mm actually, now thinking about it, then their teeth got all black and they fell down, do you think it was for this reason? In the past we didn’t know so many things like today“
That’s why children can’t eat honey!
To be honest, I didn’t know that teeth could get black and fall down, but EVERYBODY is telling me so, so we can add this reason too: it’s not healthy for the teeth, that – even if they are the very first ones and the other ones will grow afterwards, it’s better to avoid to let them ending up this way! In any case, little children should avoid sugar and salt, and what is honey if not basically sugar and water? But the very first reason that I knew already thanks to my Midwife (same reason for which me neither I could eat it when I was pregnant – sigh) is…
botulism!
Oh yes, especially our honey, the good one and not treated/pasteurized etc is not ok, for the risk of getting botulism. It’s forbidden to be eaten when raw. Both during pregnancy and for little children. However, this means that for example if used for a cake, cooked at a high temperature in the oven, it can be eaten. At this point you could also tell me: but sorry, you told that they can’t eat sugar, right?
Most important is to use the brain!
If from time to time your child will eat some cookies made with a bit of honey, nothing happens…this is much different from covering the pacifier with honey everyday more than once, isn’t it? As anything else, balance is the keyword!
I must admit that I really didn’t know that it was not possible to eat honey in certain periods of the life. It was a kind of shock. Especially for me, considering that we are beekeepers and when I was close to the duedate I was helping Basti collecting honey…it was quite a pain! But it’s this way, you have to be patient. And you, did you know it??? if you have some pregnant friend or with babyborns, forward her this article…it could be useful for her.
A hug,
The Gaeblini