No...I do not and for the same reasons as you. I am also pretty overprotective, and the fact that my 6yr old son is my only child makes things a little worse. He is afraid to try a lot of things, and I have come to realize that it's unfortunately because of me. I'm always the parent that cautions my son against things because he might fall and get hurt, and now I see that it works against him because he's really afraid to fall and get hurt. Now I try to gently push him in the opposite direction and get him to try new things...so far it's not working so great, but I'll keep it up.

Making cookies is not any fun if you don't eat the dough!
I thinks it's fine. I always did it, my boys do it, no illnesses here. I just would never eat an egg I didn't crack myself.

I don't, because my kid is allergic to eggs. Plus, more for me!

I don't think you need to apologize for that or worry that you're being too cautious. You're right about being cautious. Look what spinach did. Spinach!

I had the same argument (only with myself) the other day and didn't let my kids eat the raw cookie dough "just in case".

I don't let my kids eat it either. I was never allowed when I was a kid, so I just always thought that raw egg is bad and you shouldn't let your kids eat it. I also freak out when the kids lick knives. Nevermind that they are butter knives. You just aren't supposed to lick them. I don't have a good argument for that, other than my grandmother said so.

Salmonella would suck and just think how bad you'd feel if Gabby got it. I'm willing to risk it myself, sadly...(food issues here???), but not my kids. And you bet if I ever got it I'd never do it again! THE odds are pretty low (like 1 in 10,000 eggs), but why risk it. Sometimes I make cookies with egg beaters just so my daughter can have some. They're pasteurized so it's okay and they taste just as good. By the way, I am not overprotective and think it's just smart parenting

Nope, I don't. For the same reasons as you. I wasn't allowed as a kid either. Sometimes I sneak a bite when my kid's not looking now though. ;-)

I don't have any kids, but I do eat an awful lot of raw cookie dough.

It's not so much the raw eggs that I worry about in my case. More like the calories....

FTR, my boyfriend won't eat any of my dough that has raw egg in it. So, I think that he would side with you.

No, my daughter is not allowed to eat cookie dough. Because of the raw eggs. But I eat it. Because I am a fucking hypocrite!

:-)

I am totally NOT an overprotective mom. I probably don't worry ENOUGH. But raw eggs? Nope. No way. Not when he is this little, anyway.

No raw eggs for my kids either. EEW.

eew ew ew ew EEW.

Hell no, they can't eat it.

It's mine.

Every time I make cookies (every day or two...they go quickly) I give the boys each a bowl of cookie dough (about two Tablespoons)

Every. Single. Time.

And I do a lot of licking-my-fingers/licking-the-spoon

Nobody has gotten sick yet :)

I was never allowed to eat any as a child. Didn't exactly stop me, but I still think you're right.

I'm far from being an overprotective mother, but I agree with you on this issue. Sure, we all used to eat a bit of raw cookie dough (with egg) all the time when we were kids. That was before the downsizing of quarters in commercial egg production facilities; overcrowding has raised the incidence of salmonella in commercially produced eggs.

On the other hand, if I happen to be baking with eggs from my neighbour's chickens or if I've paid extra to get pasteurized eggs, sure, eat the dough.

The risk of a broken limb, in exchange for the freedom to move freely through one's childhood, climbing trees and riding bicycles? Worthwhile. The risk of contracting salmonella just for the taste of a bite of cookie dough? Not worth it.

Sorry, you are being nuts. She's not an infant and the sugar in cookie dough has an anti-bacterial effect. She's a billion times more likely to get sick spending 5 minutes at a fast food playland or mall kiddie play place than she is from eating raw cookie dough. Suck it up, have some faith in 10,000 years of evolution and it's immunity building ability and give the kid a spoon.

I see your point, but I've eaten pounds of the stuff in my life and never gotten sick. You gotta let her have a little!

My little monkeys will NOT be eating raw cookie dough if it has egg in it. I'm with you, Y! But, I'm also an anxious basketcase when it comes to stuff like that -- especially raw eggs (leftover from my pregnancy anxiety...). My hubby, on the other hand, would TOTALLY let them eat it..., as would most people I know.... But, you and I are RIGHT! ;)

Jusst jumping in to the frenzy to say that I let both of my kids eat a bit of raw cookie dough when I make cookies. Not tons of it, but at least a bite or two.

I always ate cookie dough as a kid, but I guess my husband didn't, because when I offered him some over the holidays, he was all, "But..eggs! Bad!" And I said, "I've been eating raw dough my whole life and I haven't died once. Not once!"

But, I can understand the fear of feeding it to little kids. That's why, when I read this post, I immediately thought of this recipe that I found last week for safe-to-eat cookie dough. I haven't tried the recipe yet, but the reviews look good, and I bet it would make baking with kids more fun, since tasting was always the best part!

Seriously??!! People DON'T let their kids eat cookie dough? I do!! I've been eating it religiously since I was a little girl myself. And I've never gotten sick from it! :-)

By the way, fantastic picture of your daughter. You're getting really good. :-)

Yeah, raw egg IS bad... BUT... while every mother/father has the right to say no don't eat that cookie dough... I let my kids eat a little bit. I'm not talking a whole bowl... but just a little. I always did as a kid and I do now days. My kids do too. It's weird to know that something could be bad for you and you still eat it (just for the pure joy of eating it)... but I think it's not more dangerous than ordering a steak anything less than well-done because we all know that all meats carry stuff to and typically we are okay with the risk that comes along with eating "undercooked" meat in a fancy restaurant.

BUT, I think it's a parent's choice on if they let their kid do it... and if it worries you so much, then don't let them (unless they start sneaking it.. hehe).

By the way, fantastic picture of your daughter. You're getting really good. :-)

Actually, I put a raw egg in my kid's sippy cup in the morning...it just takes TOO LONG to cook it!

Kidding.

But seriously, I do let her lick cake batter off the spoon, which also has raw eggs.

Well, I don't have any kids to either allow or not allow. But I can offer the following:

- I ate lots of dough as a kid, mostly when my mom wasn't looking. Cookie dough, cake batter, cheesecake insides, refrigerated biscuit dough, etc. Never got me sick ever.

- AND, I think my mom might be the ONLY Mom in the entire world who did this, but when I was a kid (I'm talking baby-kid here, maybe two) my sisters fed me raw egg with a little spoon, sprinkled with salt. I still remember the shallow yellow Tupperware container and the whirring sound as they mixed it up so that it didn't separate before MAKING ME EAT IT. RAW. JUST LIKE THAT. Crazy (Cute) Mexican Mom...

I eat cookie dough all the time. But I don't have kids. You could try "Safe" dough? http://www.recipezaar.com/108925

I eat raw eggs in dough and I have no problem with munchkins eating it. THAT SAID, I'm afraid to eat eggs that come out of those factory-farmed golgothas, period. I get organic free range eggs from locals which means they have yolks of gold, shells like an armadillo (and occasionally, a tiny little bit of chicken crap here and there, or an oh-so-real blood spot). "Free range" means there's an unmended hole in the fence and the chickens run across a couple counties before wandering home again.

These are the eggs I feel okay eating raw or cooked, and I wouldn't discourage any kid from eating them either, but those paper-shelled ghost eggs from the regular store scare the crap out of me.

When my kids were still at home (wah) sometimes the dough never even made it to cookies.
I eat biscuit dough too.

Eating cookie dough from my moms batter is a good memory for me. Go on, let her...

Nope. Never. Especially since we live in the land of totally salmonella infested eggs that have poop and feathers on them when you buy them. I don't think taking steps to ensure my kids don't get food poisoning is overprotective at all.

You're right because of salmonella.

I'm not big on cookie dough myself. I prefer cake batter. :-)

My mother taught not to eat cookie dough AFTER the egg was in it. I'm 45 and I still won't eat cookie dough after the egg has been stirred in. I think you're doing just fine.

I am with you. I am not very protective but have always been careful with food. I don't let meat thaw out on the counter and make sure I wash with soap everytime I touch raw meat or eggs. I also had Microbiology recently and am even more careful now. Good for you Y!

Raw eggs freak me out too. And I feel the same about watching them play. So glad my son's Heely phase is over. Dreading whatever is next. Skateboarding? Scary. I'm glad my husband is a but of a nervous ninny like me.

totally let all my five au-pair kids eat cookie dough all the time (and the mom did as well) - they are all great and healthy kids / teenagers. i think that licking the bowl is the most fun part of baking for kids and just part of growing up. BUT it's totally your decision and you're not crazy if you don't feel comfortable doing it. i'm sure she'll live just fine without the cookie dough experience ;)

Y, I'm totally behind you on this one. When I was a kid, I wasn't allowed to have cake batter or cookie dough that had raw egg in it. As an adult, I do eat it, but I'm grown and I'm responsible for the risk.

I think the issue here is that you were made to feel like a jackass about something that isn't your sister's business. Your parenting methods are between you and Tony, and no one else.

Yep, cookie dough eaters here.

I don't get the raw egg thing, really. We eat home-made mayo and spaghetti carbonara too, both have raw egg in them.

Well, I can tell you that when my daughter was on treatment for leukemia we nixed the raw cookie dough due to salmonella concerns (huge issue for immune-supressed patients.) But, all the years prior, and in the time since she finished her treatment, we have been raw cookie dough eaters with no problems whatsoever.

In fact, I can tell you that there have been more than one occasion (shamefully) where we've never even made it to the "baking cookies" stage --- between me and my three kids, we've eaten the entire batch of raw dough! Again, no problems.

While I wouldn't recommend giving her raw egg and tomato juice cocktails for breakfast, I don't think a little dough ever hurt anyone. Probably the possible tummy aches come from simply eating too much of it, much like making yourself sick from eating two dozen baked cookies at one setting --- NOT that I would know about that! :)

My GOODNESS, Y, you're getting so GOOD with that camera! (She's a beautiful subject...)

I've always eaten raw cookie dough and so far my digestive system is still intact.
I would never eat raw COOKAY dough. That's the shit that I would be worried about.

I've always eaten raw cookie dough and so far my digestive system is still intact.
I would never eat raw COOKAY dough. That's the shit that I would be worried about.

Nope, I don't either - never have. I asked my doctor if I was overprotective because my friends make fun of me for having a hand on each kid when I'm out in public, shopping etc. She said I err on the side of caution but as long as it isn't interfering in their childhood, like you said above, it's okay.
This is probably why we've never had a third child! I only have two hands! :)

I only let my daughter, who is four, try it for the first time this year. My son is one and a half, and he ain't gettin' any for a few more years.

I've always eaten raw cookie dough and so far my digestive system is still intact.
I would never eat raw COOKAY dough. That's the shit that I would be worried about.

Dough - cookie or other wise, yes. Meat, no. I ate raw meat as a kid and lived to tell, however I do tell my kids today don't eat raw meat it can make you sick (and in my head I say) and die.

we eat the cookie dough. i always have, never been sick from it.

i would like to hear from someone who at the cookie dough and got sick from it. also, is there something to it being safe because of the sugar? or is everyone eating cookie dough just exceptionally lucky every time?

I'm with you and won't let my grandchildren eat the dough, even if it's a little over the edge...who cares, if the percentage is rare...I don't want to risk it being my kids...

Great post..
Dorothy from grammology
remember to call gram
http://grammology.com

Yes. My daughter eats raw cookie dough. Not sure about the egg content though, since I only use the refrigerated kind and don't actually make it. haha

No raw egg for my kiddies. I make them wash their hands if they crack an egg. BUT, there is usually a point in cookie production where you've just got butter and sugar creamed together, before you add the egg. Yummy!

I ate all sorts of dough as a kid and I never got sick. That said, my son is allergic to eggs, so I don't make a whole lot of cookies or cakes these days, and naturally I don't give him things that have raw (or any) egg in them. What I would do, if the situation came up, is give him some dough before adding the eggs. After all, it's not the raw egg that's the treat -- it's the butter and sugar. ;^)

I also agree with the person above who said that your parenting choices are between you and your husband, and I personally bristle at the thought of anyone making fun of you for being a careful parent. You are obviously *very* loving and thoughtful in your parenting, and anyone who makes fun of you for this should, with all due respect, just suck it. :)

I just KNEW everyone was going to comment and say you're crazy and let the girl eat cookie dough. I cannot believe how many people are depriving their kids of cookie dough. I'm a life time eater as is my mom. The BEST part of cookies is the dough. And I don't cook my cookies all the way either so the middle of them stays dough-y. YUM-E!

i eat it, but i use organic eggs, not conventional ones. even if you use normal eggs, i don't see it as a huge deal. a little won't be lethal. still, it's not the best habit to get in... no one keeps track off how much dough you're eating!

Are you kidding me? We've got a cat named Salmonella - I KNOW how bad it can get..

I always avoid eating raw cookie dough (or anything with raw eggs), but I haven't gotten to the point yet where I've made cookies with my daughter (she's just 17mo) - I'm not sure how we'll deal. I know it's relatively rare for people to catch salmonella, but I wouldn't feed anyone raw chicken, so I doubt I'll be feeding her raw eggs either.

But when it comes to everything else, I'm, if anything, maybe a little too relaxed about mommy hood :D

Do any of you eat eggs over easy? If you want to kill the bacteria in an egg, cooking the yolks over easy isn't going to do it!)

Yes, we eat the raw cookie dough. In fact, we rarely bake the cookies any more - we just eat the dough. We also put raw eggs in our morning smoothies. I've always eaten raw conventional eggs or batter/dough with conventional eggs in it, but I do feel safer when the eggs are from real farm chickens.

We don't eat the cookie dough. Raw eggs. Why chance it?

I am more of the mom that let's them run around and be stupid because they are kids. (Within reason.) They don't get to do whatever they want because they are children.

My oldest son just got a cast off of his arm after having surgery because of a fall that he had in his bedroom. He was swinging between the foot board of his bed and his brothers and just fell it broke his funny bone. I was never worried that he would break himself doing that. I imagined that it would be from jumping on the bed.

It's not bad to be over protective. As long as you are letting them be kids as well.

We eat raw cookie dough here. Actually "they" do and I've never even thought about the raw egg. That's just nasty!

I'm the worst mum in the world because I never make cookies BUT I try to MAKE then try cake batter because licking the bowl is the biggest treat isn't it? My kids are freaks though because they shudder at the offer of choclate pudding, you think they will even look at uncooked dough or cake mix?? She's your girl, you have to do what you feel right doing but look, stare at the bowl of cookie mix...imagine how hard it would be to actually pick that one teeny tiny bit of raw egg that has a gazillion to one chance of having salmonella in it. I think she'd be safe.

Not if I'm using eggs from a huge producer. If I get eggs from the farm down the street, no problem.

When I was a kid I used to eat raw eggs a fair bit. Never died from it. However, conditions on factory farms have become much much worse since the sixties. It's a national scandal. I guess we're just lucky it's only salmonella and shigella and whatnot and not melamine.

YES. Cookie dough is Mana from the Baking Gods. I let my kids have a bit every time I make cookies and nobody's gotten so much as a hiccup from eating it.

Don't sweat it Y.

When I was a kid, we raised our own chickens. Thus, we knew that they were healthy and so were their eggs. Now that I'm an adult, even though I always buy the free range yadda-yadda-yadda eggs, I don't trust them. I don't even eat raw cookie dough myself, much less let kids eat it.

Here are the stats: if you ate one raw egg a day, chances are you would get salmonella once in 55 years. I'm not making this up - check it out:
http://209.85.173.104/search?q=cache:4dZUiSnUWWAJ:www.eggsafety.org/stats.pdf+salmonella+in+egg+stats&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=us&client=firefox-a

Like a number of other commenters, I also eat cookie dough (and cake batter, etc.) and always have since I was a child. (That's nearly 39 years for those who might be counting.) So has my daughter (she's 18) and neither one of us has ever gotten sick from it.

We DO use the "free range" eggs though. When I was little my grandparents had chickens and we got all of our eggs fresh from them, all nice and brown with hard shells and with bright yellow yolks. I don't really trust the ghost eggs they have at the market either. I'll cook with them if I have to but if i've somehow miraculously found the time and energy to bake, I use the good stuff exclusively and everyone takes part in the sampling of the dough!

I do NOT let my children eat cookie dough.
And I do not eat it myself.
GROSS.
Blech.

Nope, no cookie dough here. Nada. I did have it as a kid, cookie dough and cake batter, and my favorite part of cakes was licking the mixer beaters. But I don't let my kids do it. I dunno, I just think that food used to be safer than it is now. Either that, or we were just so used to eating crap that we have iron stomachs, but our kids have no such advantage.

Let the child eat the dough. A little won't hurt her. What about all those muscle heads that drink raw eggs? She'll be fine.

I eat raw cookie dough myself, but I wouldn't let my hopothetical future children have it. There is risk of food poisoning (although it must be a small one since I eat raw cookie dough, um, ALL THE TIME, and I've never gotten sick), plus it's not like cookie dough is healthy and nutritious. If Gabby took it upon herself to shove some raw dough in her mouth and you rushed her to the hospital to have her stomach pumped, THAT would be crazy. What you're doing now is most certainly not.

Shhh.... Yes, I let my kids eat the cookie dough with me. But don't tell hubby, he would freak...

why?

Because he's a freaked out wierdo like you Y dear.

Hell, I can't get my husband to stop eating the damn dough. At least now I've got him using a spoon instead of his (clean) fingers.

My mom used to tell us the very same thing as children, so this worry has been going around for awhile... And I have to say, being told we couldn't eat that yummy cookie dough made it that much more tempting, and so consequently we ate a LOT more of it behind my mom's back that we would have if she'd let us taste it (and yet, we still didn't get sick)

Y - Use EGGBEATERS instead of eggs in your cookie dough. They are pasteurized so it's perfectly safe to eat raw!!! I promise it won't effect the cookies. Eggbeaters are simply eggwhites, pasteurized, with a little coloring to make them yellow.

Oh, let her have the damn cookie dough. ;-) She's going to eat it at her friend's houses anyway. Don't give her a dozen cookie's worth, but a couple fingers-full never hurt anyone.

Dude, how much cookie dough have we consumed in our lives? I don't see an issue with a little cookie dough, but if it really freaks you out, use Egg Beaters. Though, you won't get the same lift in your cookies, for some reason, at least it'll put your mind at ease. :)

I let my kid have just a tiny little bit, less than a spoonful. Cake batter too. He's seven.

But I draw the line at trampolines - NO TRAMPOLINES!

I've always eaten cookie dough and so do my daughters (5 and 7) for the reason frequently stated above: YUM! Is it possible to get salmonella by doing this? Yes. Is it rather likely? No. Is it actually quite unlikely? Yes. Is it a risk worth taking for the higher quality of life in return? Yes, in my opinion. I have personally known only a few instances of anyone getting food poisoning, and none of them had eaten raw cookie dough -- it was always meat or fish or something unidentifiable from a restaurant or food truck, none of which usually have cookie dough on the menu.

Side note: I was told as a child by a babysitter never to eat raw dough for oatmeal cookies -- not because of the raw eggs, but the raw oats, because according to her, they have so much fiber that if you don't control The Oats with cooking, eating them raw will make you poop out your own intestines. Yes, she said that and I believed her. Eventually I got over that superstition, but not without quivering with fear and mentally checking the state of my bowels each time I took a tiny bite of oatmeal cookie dough.

I have always licked the spoon for cookies and cake batter, and never gotten sick. I don't think I'll have a problem letting my future kids do the same. Heck, I'll probably encourage it.

Yes, we are raw cookie dough eaters, just not a whole batch at a time.

Wow, this issue sure seems to make people passionate. Whodathunkit?

Oh my GOD no. NO!

Why would I share the raw cookie dough with them?

(My husband and I actually buy raw cookie dough to put in our ice cream. Chocolate chip Cookie Dough ice cream is the BEST!)

Raw eggs scare the bejeezus out of me. No way are they going in my son's mouth. Investigating outbreaks for a living has taught me that inviting pathogens into your body is a big no-no. So I applaud you.

Though my brother an I ate it by the bucketfull as kids, I never let my kids eat it or lick the beaters after mixing a cake for that matter. I still swipe my fingers around the bowl after mixing up a batch of brownies though and I'm still here which apparently makes me a hypocrite. And slightly unreasonable. And somewhat of a worry wart.

Hoo boy...got all the moms talking about salmonella. Good for you on a Monday.

I don't worry about such stuff. Too many other big things to worry about. But if you're really concerned, I think you could probably coddle the eggs. It's a method that you boil them for a minute or something like that (maybe not that long, can't remember) just to kill the bacteria. The white gets a little cooked right where it hits the shell, but the rest of the egg is just as it would be raw. That's what I do when I make a ceasar salad. Because for some reason, I don't like to eat raw eggs in a salad, but cookie dough is no problem.

I never got sick and I've never known anyone who got sick, but we do have cast-iron stomachs.

And I have to admit, I'm with Candy. Once they start driving? Cookie dough is the least of my worries. ;-)

Of course we (mostly me if I can get to it before they do) eat the raw cookie dough. Homemade is the best but we regular buy those fundraiser tubs of cookie dough for the sole purpose of curling up with a bad movie and a couple of spoons. Ah sweet doughy cuddles.

i think you're fine not letting them eat it; especially young children. its a personal choice. however, i eat raw eggs occasionally in my smoothies and when i make homemade caesar dressing. and i eat cookie dough any chance i get :D the chance for salmonella is VERY VERY small. and not to freak you out, but almost ANY food can become infected with salmonella.

in addition, i get my eggs from a local farmer who lets her chickens roam, so i dont have to worry about the icky conditions of commercially produced eggs. i realize not everyone has access to that, but its something worth looking into! the eggs are MUCH healthier for you as well!

i personally think its just the hyper-paranoia of our world today to sterilize everything. (tho because of where some of our food comes from, its necessary--but WHY would anyone want to eat it in the first place!?!?!) if you and your kids are healthy, and you know where your food comes from, then it shouldnt ever be a problem. that's just my opinion!

OMG, YES! I wrote a post about the same thing a few weeks ago. I'm totally a paranoid FREAK now that I'm a mother, and NO, I WILL NOT let my son eat cookie dough. Until he turns 3. Then, apparently in my mind, raw egg poses no threat to his little self. I'm not sure why I think 3 is the magic number, but I do. So, on his 3rd Birthday (in March) we're making 12 different kinds of cookies and I'm going to make sure that kid gets his fill of deadly raw egg filled cookie dough. Now THAT'S good parenting!

Yeah, I let them. Because if THEY can't, I can't...and DUDE, do I love me some cookie dough. YUM.

I'll let my hypocrisy shine right through. I don't let them eat it when its homemade cookie dough but I let them eat it if its the overprocessed crap in the tube. Becuase at that point I figure its so full of preservatives that they are safe and actually it is so full of crap that the egg is the least of my concerns :) My little ones are so freaked out about the thought of "eating raw egg" that they won't eat it anyway but my older kids throw all caution to the wind :P

I'm actually shocked at how many people agree with you! I'm feeling like a bad mom. My daughter is too young to help make cookies yet but I will totally let her eat a little cookie dough.

I am overprotective in some ways but try to keep it in check. When I was doing social work and working with kids, I was always so afraid of letting someone else's kid get hurt - I was always thinking "I can't take them home broken!"

I definitely don't encourage it! I might let them take a lick off the egg beater, but not very often. And really, I am not the over protective sort at all.

I eat raw cookie dough and did when I was growing up too. My husband refuses though and is convinced I am going to get salmonella.

yep I do....

Nope, I don't. Funny, we were just having this conversation about how my parents used to make caesar dressing with raw eggs when we were little. They don't now because the risk of salmonella is a lot greater now than it was then.

Cookie dough always made me feel sick anyway...blech.

I had samonella poisoning one time, stayed in the hospital for 2 weeks..however, the likelihood of getting it from a few bites of cake/cookie dough is much less than getting from touch a countertop or plate or dishtowel where raw meat has been.......so, yes ,we do let our kids but in moderation, we eat half, they get a few bites!

Yep, raw cookie dough, cake batter, brownie batter, etc... They're 9,7, & 5 and are totally healthy, smart, well adjusted little suckers.

Eggs today are safer than ever before - and as long as you know that when you bought them, they were refrigerated, you kept them refrigerated, they weren't past their "sell by" date, and the shell was clean and free of cracks, you can feel pretty good about them. Also, the teeny amount of egg she'd get in a little cookie dough is really not enough to do harm. Even if you used eggs straight out of the hen house (which I have done, still with no ill effects).

Add me to the list of cookie dough/cake batter eaters. I let my boys have some, too, as well as licking the beaters after mixing cake batter. I grew up doing it, so it just seems natural for me.

I eat cookie dough with no shame and see no problem with letting kids eat some as well. But the good news for germaphobes is that there are viable alternatives -- pasteurized eggs. Yes, they are a little more expensive, but totally worth it for the worry free eating of cookie dough/cake batter, etc.

I agree with some of the other posters about worrying about the need to sterilize everything. Don't get me wrong, I will bleach the hell out of some chicken juice on my counter, but in order to build a strong immune system and antibodies, kids NEED to be exposed to some germs.

I guess what I am really trying to say is that I do not lysol my house on a daily basis.

I never eat baked cookies, only the dough.

Must eat raw cookie dough!!!! How can you deprive your kids of the right to fight over the spoon and the bowl.

We have been known to make cookies simply for the pleasure of eating the dough.

Try it!
(We've never gotten sick from it!!!!!!)

I don't let my kids eat raw cookie dough but that's only because I'm too busy eating it all myself. Seriously, that stuff is like a major food group to me. For what it's worth it's never made me sick.

Statistically speaking, your kids are not going to get salmonella. Eat away!

You let them eat caesar salad dressing, don't you? And holliandaise sauce?

I do let my kids eat it but I feel guilty every time, which is silly really since we've never gotten sick from it.

I think God knew what he was doing when he decided to make me the mother of only girls, he knew I'd ruin boys with my hypercautiousness.

I am AMAZED at how overprotective so many moms are! COME ON!

I have eaten raw cookie dough my entire life and my three grown daughters have as well. No issues, ever. None.

Sorry, this is just ridiculous.

I don't... but I WANT to.

Cookie dough. I eat it, my kids eat it, my wife eats it. We even eat (gasp) Cookie Dough Ice Cream - and it's goooooodddddddd.

I think the thing that grossed me out after taking food science in college wasn't the eggs, it was the insect eggs in flour, but now, WTF....we eat it anyway. The boys also climb trees, run around the campground with no shirts on like wild animals, and got heelys and skateboards for Christmas. We live on the edge.

Anyone mention using pasteurized eggs? Products like mayo or cookie dough use them. You should be able to buy pasteurized eggs in the shell or as a liquid. Your risk of getting salmonella is reduced and you can share the dough without too much paranoia. Of course, someone else will shame you for giving them sugar...

We always eat cookie dough and I love cookie dough ice cream.

No raw egg cookie dough here.

I am not overly protective I don't think but I do make them wear bike helmets and knee and elbow pads in addition when skate boarding and roller skating.

All three times my kids have been to the ER is been because of an accident at a normal non tree climbing activity.

no way! It's MINE all MINE! I routinely hide the good stuff from my kids. If they are happy with junk, why should I share the good treats!?!

I let my guys lick the beaters, and the spatula.

I loves me some Y, I think you're one of the bestest moms ever, but I have to say, raw cookie dough isn't going to kill your kid. I promise. The human race existed for hundreds of thousands of years without things like refrigeration, antibiotics, etc. All this crap existed too (like salmonella and e. coli).

I've eaten entire bowls of raw cake batter. I eat raw egg caesar salad. I eat my beef really raw. Pink chicken doesn't phase me. I've never been sick, and I am really prone to getting sick. People who die of food poisonings "generally" are either quite immune compromised or waited too long or didn't to go to the ER (we know that wouldn't happen with you (teasing!)).

Let 'em eat the cookie dough. You only live once.

ONLY if the eggs are farm fresh...(and I don't know if that even makes any sense or not) - but usually, NO. And I HATE raw cookie dough...

*sheepishly responding* Yes I do let her eat a bite or two of cookie dough. :-\

I also have to add that I find it interesting that some people think that "just a little" has less risk than letting them have a lot. If an egg has salmonella, and you mix it in with the dough, it's everywhere. It isn't the quantity of bacterium / virus that you ingest, it's the 1 in 10k chance that it will take hold.

Do I let my little ones eat raw cookie dough?

All. The. Time. But only right after making it. I would never let the dough sit out long enough to warm to room temperature and then let them eat it. That's when the food poisoning becomes a factor. I actually make extra dough just so that we still have some left to make cookies with! My husband and I occasionally buy one of those tubes of cookies dough at the grocery store and then cut it in half and eat the whole thing raw after the kids are asleep!

Also? I let the kids lick the beaters after mixing up cake batter.

Mmmmmm...cake batter!

I'm floored by the number of comments and opinions on cookie dough! I didn't expect this kind of reaction! HA!

I especially love the passionate "You're ridiculous!" comments.

OVER COOKIE DOUGH!

Totally awesome.

Totally

I let me kids eat raw cookie dough. The chance of getting sick from a raw egg is something like less than 1%. Almost any food has a chance of being contaminated. I still understand what you mean about being over protective though. There are things that my husband and I remember our parents letting us do and there is no way I would let my kids do some of those things now! For example, when my husband was 10 he had this what he called "big awesome Rambo knife" that he got for his birthday. For me, there isn't a chance in hell that I would let me 10 year old roam the neighborhood with a big ass knife!

These are paranoid times we live in, so I feel ya. My hubby is waaay overprotective, but I'm more of the school, if it won't kill em' it'll make em' stronger...kidding. But seriously, it's hard finding the right balance between keeping them grounded and letting them fly. I find my motherly instincts are pretty good when it comes to letting them make choices or choosing for them. One thing my boys know I won't relent on is playing in the front yard alone. If they are together OK, alone...fenced in back yard only. I'm a paranoid freak about someone snatching one of my kids and they are well aware of it. Not a bad thing for them to be afraid of, IMO. Raw eggs in cookie dough? Meh...a nibble won't hurt them. Choose your battles I say!

Delurking to say, HELL TO THE NO MY KID AIN'T EATING NO RAW COOKIE DOUGH! Said my peace.

raw cookie dough is a food group in my house.

When the kids were little, I didn't let them eat raw cookie dough. But I did.

O.K. you can call me a hypocrite.

Now that my daughter is older, she's 13, I let her eat the raw cookie dough but I still don't let the 5 year old. Don't know that it makes sense, but it make me feel safer.

I let my kids play in the mud; climb trees; skateboard; and hang upside down on the monkey bars, but they don't eat cookie dough. Not in this day and age of unhealthy food processing.

Salmonella is nasty stuff.

Add me to the pro-dough list. I am shocked that so many people don't eat it. I thought everyone did.

I think in general I am over-protective of my 2yo and generally a worrier. But this? You're kidding, right? (She has never eaten cookie dough but only because it is unhealthy junk and I save all the unhealthy junk for myself.)

NO WAY. I have major food safety issues. I don't even eat raw cookie dough myself.

It's really kind of sad, now that I think of it.

mmmmmmmm... raw egg.

I'm afraid I'm in the "let her eat it" camp. I mean... I can't very well eat it myself and then not let her have some!!!

My mom is a cook in a hospital, where, as I am sure you can imagine, food safety is critical to the health of the patients. The saftefy she follows at work was just part of my childhood, so definetly no eating cookie dough for me growing up, or my kid going forward.

My husband however, says his mom used to mix raw eggs in a breakfast drink for him when he was little. Eeek! and, Ewww.

Yep, my 6 year old is allowed, but not until she was older than 3. I figured then her body could handle any germs that may be lurking. I am so not a germaphobe by any means. I believe in building their immunity, so something falls on the floor? So what, eat it, just builds your immunity to all the crap in our surroundings. And I'll tell you what, my daughter is rarely sick. She started preschool at 3 and is now in kindergarten, rarely rarely sick.

Oh, and my bachelors degree is in Culinary Arts/Food Service Management, where I had to take microbiology and sanitation classes. The chances of getting salmonella are so slim, that I figure it isn't a big deal.

Soak the dough in Clorox and it will kill the salmonella.
Just kidding!
The reason you hear about someone dying from a food contamination is because, honestly? It is rare!! I promise most of those "scares" are just that. SOmething like 97% of people have had salmonella, e coli or other bugaboos and never knew it. That is what a lot of people call "food poisoning" yeah not pleasant but really how often does it happen?

Anyway my point is this:

I think eating cookie dough builds up immunity myself. That's my story and I am sticking to it! LOL

Raw cookie dough is delicious. It's even better when you heat a chunk of it in the microwave for about 30 seconds. The dough gets cooked just the tiniest bit and the chocolate chips get melty. Scrape it up with a fork and follow it with a glass of milk. Heaven!

The Little Guy is only 6 months old right now but HELL-TO-THE-NO he will not be allowed to eat cookie dough when he gets older. I don't think so. I'd like to keep my kids salmonella free thankyouverymuch. My Sister-In-Laws won't let their kids eat it either. My parents always let us and yes, we survived but, new studies are coming out all of the time and kids have gotten sick from it so definitely not.

Oh, bless you for posting this!!

I have this ... thing ... about raw meat & eggs. So I don't let my kids eat cookie dough and my husband thinks I'm crazy.

I also have this obsession with antibacterial wipes, but that's another post entirely.

And yes, I ate cookie dough all the time growing up.

Guilty....we eat raw cookie dough and lick the batters & bowls. But since we are on the subject...I have always wondered if Dairy Queens cookie dough blizzard has raw egg in it?

Let her eat the dough before you put the egg in it...

Um..... yes, I do let my kids eat raw cookie dough. I didn't when they were little, but my pediatrician told me that little kids get MUCH sicker from salmonilla than do older kids and adults. She said to wait until your kids were 5 and then be watchful, but let them have a taste.

However, once they had a taste, oh my God, they were like wild animals when I baked. They'll eat ANY batter or dough, no matter what kind it is. And once we had one of those cookie dough fund raisers at school and I bought a ton of the stuff, like 6 different kinds, and they ate it ALL raw. I don't think I baked one freaking batch.

So, yeah, I'm a bad mom evidentally, but my kids are 15 and what am I going to do, take the spoon out of their mouths? I think not because THEY make the cookies these days!

I remember going to someone's house as a child and I could not believe they wouldn't let me eat it, that was because raw flour will make you sick. Could not believe it - it was like a tradegy at the time :)

I feel so much like you being over protective, so with two boys I totally reign myself in and just let them play. My husband is more protective in some ways, but took the kids sledding over a jump, and is the "plays with them till they hurt themselves" variety of dad :) So I feel like we balance each other out.

And for me with cookie dough I tell them both it'll make them sick, with the result that the overly cautious non-sweet eater doesn't eat it, and the other only eats a little rather than scarfing the whole bowl.

yes. I am 40 years old ate it as a kid and have three kids, neither me or my kids have ever gotten sick from it.

No, of COURSE I don't let my son eat the raw cookie dough.

That limits how much I can eat.

I ate all that stuff growing up - bits of raw cookie dough, cake batter, etc. Boyfriend eats raw pie dough. We're all fine. I have let my son have some, but not much, because I MUCH prefer eating freshly baked cookies, still warm from the oven. So yes, my son HAS eaten it and he's fine, too.

I always let them eat the cookie dough--what is the point of making cookies if you don't eat the dough, after all?
My mother-in-law FREAKS out if she sees this, and I just add that to my "the many reasons mother-in-law is the most annoying person on the planet" file. (don't worry, she's got the same sort of file on me, and number 17 is "she lets MY grandchildren eat raw cookie dough! that has RAW EGGS in it!)

Have you ever eaten cookie dough? Don't you agree that it tastes even better than cookies? How can you deny your children that pleasure? :)

xo

N.O. I do NOT let them eat cookie dough. We ate it back in the day because we didn't know better. We also didn't wear bike helmets or use seat belts (I'm totally dating myself).
I was watching my kids skateboard yesterday and had to go inside, my butt was tired of being puckered. The edges on the rail they grind are sharp!!!!! I suggested they all wear cups to insure my chances of future grandchildren but they just laughed at me, kinda like the way your sister and BIL laughed at you!!

no, they cannot eat cookie dough. and my 4 year old will chant "not yet!! there's eggs in there!"

Let her eat the cookie dough. Or, if it makes you feel better, buy store-bought, and let her eat that. That way, if she gets salmonella, you can sue Pillbury and get rich. (I kid!)

But now I really want cookie dough. Since we just started dieting TODAY - you suck. :-)

Cookie dough is the best part of making cookies.

hmmm looking at that cute little angelic face... I would say she already ate some on the sly.

My Mom used to say the same thing about raw cookie dough, but we still ate it when she was not looking, and we were always fine.

Me and my three boys have eaten a ton of cookie dough and never any bad experiences. They have also eaten dirt, touched dirty shopping carts and sat in restaurant high chairs and none of them have ever gotten sick or had an allergy to anything.

I know .... I worry and fret about a lot of things but I worry more about the parents that run around squirting everything with antibacterial stuff than I do about things like cookie dough. Now THAT is going to end up killing all of us!!!

I eat it, and I'm going to let my kids eat it too. However, I wash the eggs before cracking them with a little alcohol in water, because the salmonella is on the OUTSIDE of the egg shell. It gets there from fecal matter contamination, so as long as you clean it off before it can contact the interior you won't have salmonella poisoning. yay! :)
(I also buy organic free-range eggs, to cut down even more on the salmonella possibility)

Jeez - I had to scroll forever to get to the comment box! People are really opinionated about cookie dough eatin'!

I was a hardcore 'don't eat the cookie dough' person until I read an article in which some germ-doctorate type person said that you'd have to eat a good amount (a few spoonfuls, maybe?) to actually get sick IF you had used a contaminated egg. So now I believe a lick or two won't hurt, but we don't chow down on it like it's a full dessert.

And if you use pasteurized eggs, there's no need to worry at all, but those eggs are pretty pricey, so you'd want to save them for stuff like mousse. Or, I guess a whole bowl of cookie dough if you're not planning on baking any cookies with it.

I am not a really over protective mom, but I do not allow my kids to eat raw cookie dough. I don't want to clean up after that! Ewwwww
BTW when I was little, my mom told me that eating raw cookie dough gives you worms! I believed her until I was in my early 20's and some friends laughed at me over it. Mom confessed she told us kids that only to keep us out of the dough!

I am not a really over protective mom, but I do not allow my kids to eat raw cookie dough. I don't want to clean up after that! Ewwwww
BTW when I was little, my mom told me that eating raw cookie dough gives you worms! I believed her until I was in my early 20's and some friends laughed at me over it. Mom confessed she told us kids that only to keep us out of the dough!

Just wanted to say that I'm in the "yes, we eat cookie dough" camp- but I'm also the more easy going parent. If it was up to DH, the kids would not eat cookie dough, run on sidewalks, or walk around without helmets. Someone's gotta be the safety guy, right??

Yes, I eat the dough, but in my defense, I only eat a bit. Licking the beaters was always the best treat and because it was my sister and I, my mom could give one to each of us and we couldn't argue over who had more. In all those years and all those batches of cookies, I never got sick. Now would I sit down and eat a stick of raw cookie dough like some do? Hell no, disgusting. Why? Because there is raw egg in that LOL

I like you lots but I definitely let my little guy eat the cookie dough... after all, how can I eat it in front of him? I figure if he can get through full-time daycare and not come down with ebola than a little cookie dough won't hurt him.

Yes, I let my kids eat raw cookie dough and cake batters. If you are THAT concerned about it wash your eggs throughly with soap and water. That will kill the germs.

My friend who has a degree in Home Economics told me that the cookie dough "logs" you buy at the store, as well as the stuff in cookie dough ice cream, uses powdered eggs which have been pasteurized, and thus are safe to eat. I didn't eat homemade cookie dough when I was pregnant, nor would I give it to my toddler right now, but when he is a bit older I will not have a problem with it. Hmmm...I have all the necessary ingredients in the kitchen right now...what to do, what to do...

The Poo has ingested so much cookie dough that I should put her on a sheet and bake her in the oven.

I love your vigilance, but dude. Let her eat the cookie dough.

ps - you can buy pasturized eggs, it it freaks you out that much.

My kids and I only eat organic raw eggs in cookie dough. I can't remember where I read it but free range chicken eggs have less of a chance of having salmonella. It's too good not to eat!

My mentor, piano teacher, and Girl Scout leader contracted salmonella when I was young. I watched her nearly die from it. No more raw eggs for me; it's no longer an abstract concept.

homemade egg nog is made with raw eggs. homemade mayo is made with raw eggs. custard is made with raw egg. all these things are not only meant to be eaten without cooking the egg, but people have been doing so forever. i dont know anyone who has ever had salmonela from raw egg. i do know, however of a few people who got it from touching a counter where raw chicken had been lying. we've been eating uncooked cookie dough forever. you have a much larger chance of getting salmonela from touching a turtle and/or iguana (yes they carry salmonella and it's recomended that anyone under the age of 7 doesnt even touch a turtle or iguana) than from raw egg.

at the same time, certain parts of parenting are up to the individual parent. if it really scares you that she might eat raw egg, then dont allow her to do it. she'll probably try it at least once when you arent looking as she gets older anyway. but whatever makes you feel better. you should always feel you have done your best to keep your children out of harm's way. so if you are a little over protective by some people's standards, then who cares. at least your kids will be safe and you will have the peace of mind in knowing you've done your best.

on a final note, just an fyi, cookie dough icecream doesnt have egg in it. at least not ben & jerry's. i actually looked that one up just to find out. so anyway, that's safe no matter who you are... unless you're dieting and then i guess it'd be bad, lol.

he's too little yet, but we eat it and so will he. When i first heard about that i switched to free-range eggs as there is ess concern with that than the evil industrialized eggs... i didn't want to worry or give up the dough :)

I don't let my kids eat it either...but I eat it! And, I pretend not to see my mother-in-law give them raw dough.

Ok, in all honesty I haven't ever let my daughter have raw cookie dough. BUT. She is only 16 months old. I think once she's 2, she can have a taste as long as I'm cooking with fresh eggs. (Which kinda sounds like I sometimes cook with spoiled eggs and I swear I do NOT!) I will confess that I eat raw cookie dough even when I'm preggers. And my husband would prefer me to keep the bowl of dough in the fridge so he can attack it with a spoon throughout the day.

P.S. You know about pasteurized eggs, right?
P.P.S. Let her eat the dough. :)

I don't simply because I'm allergic to eggs and miss the yummy dough myself.

Apparently, I am overprotective and petty.

This happened to me as well. My sister in law, who, I call overprotective, laughed me out of the kitchen, when I wouldn't let my kids lick the bowl, spoon, etc while we were baking brownies. But seriously? Salmonella? Dude, it almost killed 19 people in my community when it was cross contaminated at a buffet restaurant, from the prep area to the food line. I was beginning to wonder if I was being weird too, but I still say, its dangerous. ?? Might make us the meanest mommy in town, but i say better safe than sorry. I also don't let my children go to restrooms alone in restaurants, Wal-mart, or the mall. My oldest is 11 and says I need to lighten up. I dont think so.

there is absolutely nothing wrong with that! Yes it's overprotective but who cares? Everyone does things a bit different so I don't think they should have laughed at you. You're just making the choices you think are best for your family. Cookie dough might sound like a silly topic but salmonella totally isn't.

Ok, am I the only one who does this??

When I melt the butter to soften it in the microwave, lazy me. I put the eggs in with it. Yeah, the melting butter keeps the eggs from cooking.

I think they get hot enough to kill salmonella.

I eat the dough with my daughter we both love it. We both would be sick if it made us sick.

Not to freak you out or anything, but does she ever eat mayo? It has raw egg in it. So does Ceasar dressing.

Let her eat it.

We have a better chance of contracting salmonella in our house from playing with Godzilla, our bearded dragon. (And really, even if I kissed him on the lips every day the chances are something like a .00000000001% chance in my entire lifetime.)

People who say shit like, "you are being nuts" and "suck it up" are fuckers, for the record.

Here's the deal: Raw eggs CAN give you Salmonella, aka FOOD POISENING. It's all nice to say, "Oh, let her have some fun, we eat it all the time, ladeeda, you're being too paranoid..." But if you've ever HAD food poisening, would you wish that on your little kid, when you could have prevented it easily? HELL NO. I've had it twice, and it is HELL ON EARTH.

You people realize that you wouldn't get food poisening every time you sucked on a piece of raw chicken or hamburger either, right? But you don't do it because you MIGHT.

Oh, but it doesn't taste all good, so, you know...

Really - you can make cookie dough that doesn't have eggs in it (and buy it premade) and eat the shit out of it, so, when there are SO MANY other things in life to have fun doing, why chance giving your kid salmonella?

PS: Even if the odds of something happening are 1 in one million, did you know that that ONE could be the first time or the last, with the same probability?

Damn, I love me a good rant.

I'm in the "pro raw dough" camp. As kids, if we ate too much, my mom would admonish us with the warning that we'd "get worms" if we didn't stop. This worked only if accompanied by "THE LOOK."

My kids all know how to make it from scratch, and they all fight over the beaters, spatula, bowl, etc. They make a double batch because there would be no cookies otherwise.

I haven't lost anyone yet.

Well she's not allowed to eat it but not because of the raw egg thing, it's because it's all MINE, MINE, MINE. Oh wait, did I just say that outloud?

No raw eggs for my children! Having, myself, spent a week in the hospital last year with salmonella poisoning I now know just how serious the health issues associated with food borne illness can be. Many years ago, while living in the Midwest, I would buy pasteurized eggs, which are safe to consume raw. Can't find them on the East Coast.

Wow. I didn't know cookie dough was such a hot topic. I think it's safe to say that we all have our opinions and what goes in one house might not go in the other.

My doctor friend, who's a bit of a germaphobe herself, says she believes most of the salmonella cases come from germs on the outside of the shell, which the raw egg picks up as it slide past the broken shell on its way into the bowl or pan. Her answer is to wash the eggs with soap and water right before cracking them.

I don't eat raw cookie dough, because the whole raw egg thing sounds nasty. But a batch of cookie dough, wrapped up and hidden in the back of the freezer, would never make it to the oven if my boyfriend ever suspected it was there. He hasn't died from eating it either.

I am not a mom but a very active aunt and generally speaking I am not an over-protective person (I want the kids to be safe but also enjoy the one time in life where you should be a bit fearless) but even I won't let them eat raw cookie dough. Never.

Eating raw cookie dough (and cake and brownie batter for that matter) is part of growing up. I eat it and won't hesitate to give it to my little one if and when we make cookies. But for those of you who are cautious (which is so totally okay) they sell eggs that are paturized that you can use in baking or in recipes that call for eggs and don't get cooked. Check them out, use them and let your kids eat cookie dough safely.

A few things to add after reading through the latest comments -

Store bought mayo, dressings, and egg nog are no doubt made with pasteurized eggs.

I have also heard that the salmonella is on the shell, not actually within the egg, but the problem with that is there can be superficial cracks in the egg's shell that you may or may not be able to see with the naked eye which would allow the bacteria to creep into the egg. So simply washing your egg isn't going to 100% protect you.

Ambrosia is right - those products ARE made with pasteurized eggs. That is why it is safe.

Eating raw, unpasteurized eggs is NOT safe. I can't believe how many parents will actually allow their children to eat something that could make you so severly sick.

Check this out: (This is the USDA Website)http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/Focus_On_Shell_Eggs/index.asp

The bacteria is not only present on the outside of the shell at times, but can also be present on the INSIDE of a shell!

From the website:
"Bacteria can be on the outside of a shell egg. That's because the egg exits the hen's body through the same passageway as feces is excreted. That's why eggs are washed and sanitized at the processing plant. Bacteria can be inside an uncracked, whole egg. Contamination of eggs may be due to bacteria within the hen's ovary or oviduct before the shell forms around the yolk and white. SE doesn't make the hen sick. It is also possible for eggs to become infected by Salmonella Enteritidis fecal contamination through the pores of the shells after they're laid."

And Who's at the MOST risk?
From the website:
"Young children, older adults, pregnant women (the risk is to the unborn child), and people with a weakened immune system are particularly vulnerable to SE infections. A chronic illness weakens the immune system, making the person vulnerable to foodborne illnesses.

No one should eat foods containing raw eggs. This includes "health food" milk shakes made with raw eggs, Caesar salad, Hollandaise sauce, and any other foods like homemade mayonnaise, ice cream, or eggnog made from recipes in which the egg ingredients are not cooked. However, in-shell pasteurized eggs may be used safely without cooking."

I don't usually go overboard like this, but I really think it's ridiculous for anyone to explain that they put their children at risk for Food Poisening by saying that eating raw eggs (in cookie dough or anything else) is a normal part of growing up, or because they all did it.

My grandmother told me that when my father was a baby, they didn't even make infant car seats yet.

Of course, he is still alive.

I'm glad he didn't decide not to use them with us just because that was what happened with him.

And that's how stupid it is to say your kid should eat raw eggs just because you ever have.

Dude, my doctor really needs to put me on psychotropic medicine, doesn't she?

No kiddos here.. but hubby and I often consume cookie dough in large quantities.

Dudes, seriously. Calm down. If you are that afraid of your kids getting sick from something don't EVER kiss or touch them. You have a billion times more germs in your mouth and hands on a daily basis (yes, even after brushing and hand washing) than eating one tiny portion of something which has maybe ONE raw egg in it (think amount per volume).

Don't ever drive your kids anywhere either. You're putting their very lives in danger, whether you use a car seat or not.

We make personal choices for our children based on the *amount* of risk in everything we do. It's all about personal choice and to call someone a shitty parent for a personal choice just rubs me the wrong way (whether or not I'm pro-cookie dough).

Don't agree with pro-cookie doughers, but don't call names or diss parenting skills because someone chooses not to follow your concern bordering on paranoia. That's just rude.

And for the record, yes, I have gotten food poisoning, and I wouldn't wish it on anyone, let alone my kids. But it doesn't stop me from eating food either. ;P

A little doesn't hurt, like a teaspoon or two. So what about cookie dough ice cream? Is there raw egg in that? I don't know, but it sure is good.

Hells no!

I am so not crazy or overprotective but 3 year olds have smaller systems than adults or older children and they can't handle bacteria as well as them either.

Better safe than sorry, Y. You are NOT crazy!

Hmm....I guess I haven't gotten to the point in my daughter's life where this has come up. I figure I probably wouldn't give her raw dough if I had to give an answer. I just looked it up on the FDA's website, and it says that it is "risky" to give kids raw dough. It mentioned nothing about sugar acting as an antibacterial agent. It did say that only 1 in 20,000 eggs contains salmonella, but when it comes to my own kid I wouldn't take those odds.

Pasteurized Eggs.

I gotta say...we all seem to get so worried when we become parents. When I was a kid one of our specialities at home was making homemade egg-nog with raw eggs. We used to LOVE it...and we never got sick. Plus one of my favorite things as a kid was eating the cookie dough (or the cake dough) when baking...I am still kicking.
I am sure if you were running a cooking class you wouldn't want to feed the kids this stuff - liability issues as always. The New York Kids Club, for whom I work for, offer a bunch of really cool cooking classes. If anyone is in the New York area you should check them out. They offer a range of fun classes.
I have a 6 month old bambina, Eyala is her name, and I think that I would not hesitate to share cookie dough with her (when she is a tad older that is). Remember when we all used to stand up in the car as it went around the corner, or used to sit at the back of the station wagon with no seat belts. I think that is part of the joys of life that are lost as we become increasingly paranoid. Of course, in the end, we all have to do what makes us feel like good parents.
I do love the photo of the cookie dough experience...!!!

I wouldn't recommend eating raw eggs EVERY DAY or feeding your children RAW EGG MILKSHAKES but not only did my mom let me eat cookie dough, I didn't even know it was a possible risk till, like, I was an adult when I made the connection because someone else I know (who would probably fall into the same category as you of not wanting their children to eat raw eggs) said, in horror, as I eat raw cookie dough, "OH MY GOD WHY ARE YOU EATING THAT! YOU COULD GET SALMONELLA! DON'T KNOW YOU KNOW THERE ARE RAW EGGS IN THERE?"

Um. I still eat cookie dough. And also cake batter. I'm 31 and haven't gotten sick yet.

My mother didn't care and let us have the raw dough/batter all the time. Her mother, though, would tell me that I would get salmonella every time I licked a brownie bowl around her.

Of course, I wouldn't necessarily follow my mother since she used to let us swim in the streets when the storm drain clogged after every heavy rain. Chest high water. Well, she *did* keep me out when I had stitches in my legs, so she kinda knew it wasn't safe. Heh

My daughters are 18 and 14 and have been eating raw cookie dough and licking the beaters when I bake a cake practically their whole lives. They have never gotten sick and neither have I.

I personally think it's one of those urban legend type things like not being able to swim for 30 minutes after you eat.

I'm with Joelle, yes to the cookie dough, no to trampolines...

ok, i eat it till the cows come home and have ZERO fears, but i will NOT let my children eat it. Too neurotic. at least i won't let them till they clue in about how yummy it is.

ok, i eat it till the cows come home and have ZERO fears, but i will NOT let my children eat it. Too neurotic. at least i won't let them till they clue in about how yummy it is.

your daughter is sick an awful lot, so i would err on the side of caution about the whole raw egg thing, with normal kids it shouldn't be a problem though

Hmm, I'm trying to remember what I did with my kids. They are adults now so that was quite a few years ago. I'm pretty sure I didn't give them raw cookie dough, but I don't really recall that they asked for it, either. Even though the risk of illness is probably small, I wouldn't give a child raw cookie dough. But anything without raw egg, they can lick to their hearts content. Get a big spoon and let them go for it.

I never let the kids eat cookie dough when they were little. Now that they are bigger and more capable of fighting illness...we always eat the dough...but just a little bit!

Not to freak people out but if you let your kids play outside in the dirt or in water, ESPECIALLY in public pools, they could get Giardia lamblia (it affects 3 million people a year)! Or if they walk around barefoot in the back yard in dirt or at the beach, they could get hookworm! Or a tapeworm! Or pinworms! These are much more likely to infect your kid vs. them getting anything from raw eggs.

The odds of dying in car wreck are 1 in 193 vs. the 1 in about 20,000 of getting salmonella from eggs. It's also more common to get in an airplane wreck, die from a fall, etc. I think people just aren't aware of the risks we take everyday. The media hypes stuff like food poisoning so much that it seems so common.

So srsly, unless you want to keep your kids in a tiny room with nothing it in, they are going to face risks every day. Sure you can reduce them, but most of them you have no control over and are more likely to happen.

I'm shocked at how many of you say no to a little cookie dough. Seriously? Un-clench and breathe....it's not going to kill your kids.

Maybe I have no say in this subject since I have no kids and am still in College...but I am the kid in the situation of the over-protective parent and I guess I can't see some of the logic employed in this situation. "Why would you let your kids eat something that could potentially get them severely ill" is what I'm hearing from a lot of moms...you take the same risk in eating foods such as Sushi or even spinach anymore! So do you stop eating everything ever connected to salmonella? Or on a riskier note, why would you let your kids ride in a car that could potentially kill them? Or why would you let your kids breathe polluted air that could potentially give them lung cancer? Or why would you let your kids stand under a light fixture that could potentially fall and kill them. You take precautions but odds are odds and odds are, it won't hurt them. You can't control what DOES hurt them most of the time no matter how careful you are. I had to explain that to my own parents several times growing up. If they are wee little, perhaps its a better treat to wait until they are older but no childhood is complete without at least one taste of cookie dough. And if they aren't allowed to eat it now, I guarantee they will consume amounts so large in college, that no human being should be alive at this point from the sugar in their bloodstream. :-)

Even though my twins aren't yet at that age (they're six months old) I'm going to let them.

I figure, they put cookie dough in ice cream and people purchase it for the purpose in eating it raw. What's the harm?

Never ever ever do I let my kids eat raw cookie dough, precisely for that reason.

I also constantly worry they're going to get seriously hurt/die. Nothing like pulling away from dropping your child off from school and hoping that isn't the last time you ever see them again. Yes, I do that daily.

My Home Ec teacher used to tell us we'd get worms if we ate raw egg in dough. But we did. Dunno if that's right, but I'm still kickin.

We ALL(as in my whole family, kids included) eat cookie dough AND cake batter!! I ain't skeered! :) But more power to you if you don't let your own kids. :)

Wow..reading through all these comments makes me feel like I don't care about my kids. :) They eat raw dough, forget to wash their hands sometimes (I know, gross, but whatever), they run around barefoot outside, take their helmets off (many times over after we make them put them back on), eat leftovers that have been sitting out since dinner, go to bed late on occasion, drop a bite of food on the floor then pick it up and eat it (even after the 5 second rule!), jump off the top bunk and on and on. I remember letting my then 3 year old ride in my dad's full size van all the way to North Carolina from Indiana in 1994, NOT in a car seat! Not saying it's right, but I guess I'm just lucky. So, yeah, I lean toward the go for it side. Ha..I just said all that out loud. The teh internets.

I've eaten raw eggs (great in milkshakes too), and grew up eating hamburger raw too. Still alive, so far as I know. Don't do it so much anymore, since I'm no longer in the middle of nowhere in MT and know where the food comes from...but I do what I can (eggs sunny side up, please, and the beef rare).

Would I let our little ones eat raw egg? No. Raw hamburger? 'round here, are you kidding? Heck no!

Yes! I always eat the cookie dough! I always ate it as a kid. My mother told me stories about eating raw eggs as a kid (though there is no way I would ever do that!). But seriously, have you EVER met anyone who actually KNOWS anyone who became ill from a bit of cookie dough?

I've had salmonella as did my brother. I have long lasting effects and he nearly died. Seriously, it was close and he was a healthy 9yo. I was 14.

So, no, I don't let my kids eat cookie dough. I may be paraniod but it's not a chance I'm willing to take.

Plus, I use a lot of bean flour and that actually IS poisonous.

-Jen :)

Nice good blog!

Nice good blog!