Surestart centre giving whole grapes to babies and toddlers

[delicioso]

I've been to my local surestart centre a few times and they often have a snack table.

Sometimes there's a formal snack time and other times the table is just left ouf for children to help themselves.

They often serve whole grapes as a snack - I know they maybe don't have time to cut the grapes up but I have a friend who is a paediatric nurse and has seen more than one fatality in children who have choked on grapes

I'm probably going to be told IABU because it's the parents responsibility to cut them up. I do bite them half for my 15 month old, but today as I was sitting with her distracted talking to someone the surestart lady held out the bowl of grapes to her and she took one and started eating it and I had to fish it out of her mouth.

Lots of the parents don't sit up with the children at snack time and I guess I just think it's a bit dangerous if one of the little ones chokes on one. I just wonder why they don't serve something else instead if they aren't going to cut up the grapes.

quarters seems overkill :o I still cut them for my 4 and 2yo, if they are taking them off to eat in the lounge or hatever. If they are sitting at the table, I would let the 4yo eat them whole while shrieking BITE THEM FIRST every time he looks at them

I run a toddler group and would absolutely not serve whole grapes to babies or toddlers. 3yos, yes probably, but not younger children.

They are a well-known risk and plenty of the parents don't supervise their children very well at snack time. I'm amazed at the responses OP is getting, particularly those who think it's funny. Choking is very far from funny and it happens often enough that it's worth avoiding the risk.

Offering to help out would not help on the 95% of occasions when she is not in the room. A SureStart centre ought to know better.

Stealth these grapes were hooge seriously never seen such mutant grapes Somebody else did the shopping i usually got for the small seedless grapes , but i didnt quarter them all just the apple sized ones

YANBU. I cut up grapes and snip the skin of orange segments for DD, mind you she is only nine months.

I do think you could have broached it differently though, OP; not just 'I don't give my DC whole grapes', but explaining the risks and guidance. I also don't think you help your case in your response to Hecate and others. Of course you can't tour Sure Start centres cutting up grapes, but the gesture of helping out on one occasion may demonstrate your point to staff and to other parents and carers.

Disgraceful. What's wrong with jam samwidges

YANBU. I am surprised at some of the hostile responses here. Personally I would ask the Sure Start centre to stop serving grapes altogether.

One other thing that would bother me: if the Sure Start staff aren't aware that grapes are a choking hazard for small children, have they received proper training? I'd have thought h&s was a fairly basic element of training for anyone who was going to be caring for small children.

Just one more thought: don't speak to them about it, write them a letter. If they receive something in writing, they are much more likely to do something about it, because if a child were subsequently to choke on a grape, they couldn't get away with saying they didn't know about the dangers.

A child at my neice's nursery died choking on a grape, so yes, I always cut them up for my 2yo.

I think the hostility comes from OP's snarky tone to other posters. Asking whether she had mentioned it to the centre is pretty reasonable IMO. And trying to whip up an internet forum into righteous rage when you haven't bothered to speak to the management about the problem is not reasonable.

I still cut up grapes for my 7 and 8 year olds! They are just the right size to choke on and they fidget about at mealtimes. I will probably stop when they are 18 or so!!

My 16months baby must be a cleaver child, I give her whole grapes and she cuts them with a teeth before chewing them. Having heard that childen have died from eating grapes, from now on I will be cutting the grapes.

I also know of a young child, 16 months at the time, who choked on a grape. Given to him by his grandmother. The paramedics managed to extract it but at the lack of oxygen left him brain damaged and at 8 years old he still is in need of constant care. He is a smiley happy child, who can sign to communicate, but will never have a normal life.
I do think they should be cutting up the grapes, definitely mention it and stress how important it is.