gum

A mom writes in asking for advice about giving gum to her child. She says her 4-year-old daughter has been begging to have gum, but this mom is worried that her daughter will either swallow it or get it stuck in her hair, which would then need to be cut. She also has concerns that giving gum to her 4-year-old will make her 3-year-old son want the same, and she would rather avoid that annoyance. So, what say you? At what age is it appropriate to give a child gum?