Question:
Are children to be trusted to check their own kosher symbols on products? To provide some context, my son, who is 8 years old, is in the hospital and took some bubble gum that his mom had brought him. Naturally, she had already checked that it was kosher when she bought it, however, I am always careful to recheck symbols on food we keep here because all sorts of people come in and out of the room. Anyway, when he picked it up I asked him to check that there was a symbol and he confirmed there was. In the moment, it seemed like a good learning opportunity for him but it occurred to me afterward that perhaps having a child of his age check for themselves was inappropriate. Obviously, there is nothing I can do about it now but wanted to check for future.
Answer:
Hello,
If the food was already checked by your wife, you don’t have to worry that new food was brought in, unless you have specific reason to assume so. Even though people are coming in and out of the room, but they are not bringing food bubble gum, and you can assume that it what you wife already checked, again unless you have a specific reason to assume that a specific person brought something in. Therefore, if you decide to be machmir and check it anyways, there is no need to be extra machmir and not let your child check it.
Best wishes and a refuah shleima to your child.
