Not cutting up DS’ grapes?

I’ve never cut a grape up ( except when I make my infamous grape frangipani tart )
My DC are in their 30s and learnt to squash them in their mouth and then sort of spit the skin and pips out
They survived

Right?

Yes, the risk is very very low at that age. But what’s the alternative if you are the 0.1%? And it takes 2 mins. The school don’t supervise kids eating plus kids show off to their friends. so I can see why they advise it to be honest. It’s a lot different at home where you are there to tell them off if they pop a grape in their mouth and swing on a chair for example.

Thought this was going to be like cutted up pear 🍐🤣

Same.

🙄🙄🙄

I did a paediatric First Aid course and the trainer said that even adults should cut their grapes because they are such a choking risk. I just don't buy them. Plenty of other fruit that doesn't have the same risk.

Exactly.

These sort of attitudes, trying to be cool or hard or whatever it is, are more like what I’d expect from teenagers about not doing their homework, not adults who are parents talking about children potentially choking and dying.

I never ever cut grapes .i didn't know about it. God saved my twins 🙏🏿

I'm over 60 and wearing seat belts wasn't a thing in my youth. But since the days of "clunk click every trip" I've buckled up without fail. And I buckled up my dc and now my dgc. But I've never been in a car accident. So by your logic, should I not bother? I mean, my friend Julie was scarred for life when her head went through the windscreen, but it won't happen to me or mine will it?

An eight-year-old boy died in Texas in February because he choked on a grape at school. There is much less supervision for children of that age during school lunch times, and more of a propensity for messing around and not eating properly (i.e. chewing thoroughly). Why wouldn't you acquiesce to what the school have requested? They are trying to keep your child safe and I am sure that over the years they have seen lots of choking situations and are just trying to prevent another one. It seems really churlish to refuse when it takes literal seconds to cut up a handful of grapes.

That’s good. Just be mindful that when at school with friends, children often do things differently than when they’re at home. They can forget themselves, act silly etc.

Yes definitely cherry tomatoes. Olives should also be cut up. Sausages should be cut lengthways.

The thing I didn’t realise was a risk when my kids were little, until the awareness talk at our school, are marshmallows. Not that you would really send them in for school lunch, but worth mentioning for anyone who isn’t aware.

I never cut my kids grapes.

I did tell them of the potential choking hazzards, and taught them they need to bite the grape in half and chew it well.

Are cherry toms the same risk? Guessing pitted olives are not as they have a hole through them.

What a silly and ill thought out comment. The human race have survived, but some individual children haven’t. It’s so easy to cut grapes up, I really can’t understand parents who try to be cool or whatever over this.

Our schools policy was that things like grapes and cherry tomatoes had to be cut up. The head teachers daughter was a paramedic and had dealt with a few cases of chocking due to these foods, some on children much older than 5, so she was insistent that things were cut up. Her daughter and another paramedic did a talk to parents about it and funnily enough after hearing their stories, the previous cocky parents did STFU.

They don't taste as nice though so I'd definitely not do it for me.

They’re a choking risk at any age. I’d consider doing it for school lunches as they act the idiot at lunchtime, joking around, not concentrating.
I am a grown up who has choked not once but twice from not concentrating while I was eating. Thankfully I wasn’t alone.

Yes they should be cut up, why would you risk it! If they choked you would be blaming the school for not supervising. As someone who knows a child who nearly died choking on a grape, I don’t get why people take risks with this when it is so easy to just cut them. We also didn’t wear helmets on bikes and scooters as kids or have car seats should we not bother with those either?

I still cut grapes for my 9 and 13yo’s and for Dh and myself and think I always will. If I can do one quick little thing that may prevent a terrible accident I’m going to do it and won’t apologise for it. Both my kids can sit nicely and chew perfectly fine as can I and Dh but I cut grapes for everyone. It’s not worth the risk.

Yeah, but not every single human survived to a natural old age death, and weirdly we TRY to prevent premature deaths.

Not true. Adults can still choke TO DEATH on grapes, due to their size, shape, texture, but the smaller the child the more likely it is. A 7 year old is still more likely than a 12 yo to die due to their smaller size, but 12 yo's & adults do die too.

I wonder if it’s a bit like SIDS and childbirth, where historically death rates were higher but due to modern research deaths in both areas have really reduced? Unsure about choking stats though.

I personally think it’s fine for schools to have their own rules about higher choke risk foods, there have been a few fatal choking incidents in schools over the years and it’s understandable they want to do what they can to reduce this. Obviously do what you want in your own home.

Maybe one of these posters claiming it to be wrapping in cotton wool/ ridiculous will understand a picture as they seem
unable to comprehend explanations?

🤞🏼🤞🏼

I mean, how hard is it to cut a few grapes in half?

Exactly!!