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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Not to cut up apples for an 8 year old

52 replies

Ilikedmyoldusernamebetter · 14/09/2015 14:16

Would you/ do you? There is no reason he can't eat them whole, he just doesn't want to, and he eats about 4 a day (can't pre cut them as brown apple is as bad or worse than uncut apple...). I suggested he cut them himself, as he's quite capable of and eager to chop and peel vegetables for meals and does so several times a week minimum, but he quarters them then calls me to cut out the core, as apparently that is a high risk operation ...

OP posts:

Gatehouse77 · 14/09/2015 15:36

I still cut up apples for my teenagers if they ask and it's convenient for me. Otherwise they go without or do it themselves.

No big deal, either way.

JuneFromBethesda · 14/09/2015 15:53

This thread makes me smile - I have always cut up apples for my 7.5 year old (at least two a day, since you ask ) and my husband has always refused to do so. I'd love her to be able to do it herself but I'm not convinced that she's old enough to handle a knife that's suitably sharp. Not sure about the Ikea gadgets either (we have one). But I accept that I am being over-indulgent and maybe it's time to hover over her while she uses the apple-chopper instead ...

Original poster

Ilikedmyoldusernamebetter · 14/09/2015 16:16

:o :o at steal apple eating boast! :o :o I actually thought some grim faced anti obesity obsessive would come and accuse me of over feeding him, rather than being accused of stealth boasting! :o

He is not accident prone no - obviously he is not immune to accidents (he bent his finger back playing football about half an hour ago and is now wandering about clutching an ice pack), but as 8 year old boys go he is not more accident prone than average. He has been using a sharp enough knife to cut raw carrots and potatoes etc. for at least a couple of years - I let his 4 year old brother use a sharp but round ended knife under close supervision June, all my kids like to help meal prep sometimes and weirdly all particularly love peeling potatoes (I rarely use to even bother peeling veg but a year or so ago I had to buy extra peelers so they could all have a fair share of peeling ... need to get out more :o )

Anyway whatdoIget has saved the day and all 3 kids have just cut up their own apples :o I don't care if they eat them cut up or whole, I just think 8 is too old to need your mummy to cut your apples (unless you're dyspraxic or have some other good reason!).

OP posts:

starfishmummy · 14/09/2015 16:26

I prefer a "cutted up" apple. (But I can do it myself), ds eats them whole.

bruffin · 14/09/2015 16:33

get one of these

Hissy · 14/09/2015 17:00

Cut em up, put in a bag with a squirt of lemon juice. Or cut up and put back together with elastic bands holding prices together. YouTube have demo videos

Original poster

Ilikedmyoldusernamebetter · 14/09/2015 17:06

No need - can't believe I didn't think of just cutting them away from the core instead of cutting them in quarters and then cutting the core out myself! There's a bit more waste, but that goes straight to the rabbits so its not too much of a problem!

If I cut DS1's apples its a slippery slope to cutting apples for the other kids who usually eat them whole ... could be cutting 10 or 12 apples a day... that way madness lies :o (well maybe not...). I do cut them when we have them with bread based meals - a few slices of apple, a few of cucumber and carrot... but that's part of meal prep and also nobody is eating a whole apple/ carrot/ cucumber in that case, 'tis a different thing than asking for an apple then yelling for me to cut it multiple times a day!

DS2 ate 3 carrots on a recent long car journey by choice while his siblings ate sweets - now that's a steal boast :o except that carrots are the only vegetable he'll eat, and then only if they're raw, and he's so fussy he doesn't like chewy or hard sweets, which was the only reason he chose the carrots - he loves biscuits and chocolate, but they are too messy to eat in the car

OP posts:

Original poster

Ilikedmyoldusernamebetter · 14/09/2015 17:08

To be clear I am not cutting them for the 8 yo - the wonder of MN means he is now cutting is own as in the picture :o

OP posts:

hibbleddible · 14/09/2015 17:58

I see you found a solution, but if you are looking for the cutting gadget it can be bought from eBay/Amazon.

Reading this thread I think I should get one!

Jw35 · 14/09/2015 18:04

8yo often have teeth issues, apples are one of those things that come back in lunchboxes for this reason!
If worried about going brown you can slice then put back together and wrap in cling film. At least he eats apples! I'd cut one for my Dd in a second since she's gone all picky about fruit and mainly has bananas

FourEyesGood · 14/09/2015 18:08

DS (7) has very gappy teeth at the moment, and can't bite into whole apples comfortably. I'll continue to cut them up until his teeth are less gappy or he can do it himself without supervision.

Original poster

Ilikedmyoldusernamebetter · 14/09/2015 18:12

I tried the lemon juice thing once about 6 months ago for packed lunch and he came home outraged that the apple tasted disgusting - he does seem to have quite an acute sense of taste.

I really prefer him to cut them himself if he has to have them cut, as if I cut them its not just one or two or three apples a day - because if his brother hears me agree to cut one for DS1 he'll instantly need the half chomped whole apple he was totally happy with 2 seconds before cut too... its a slippery slope and I'm too lazy and I prefer them to be able to be self sufficient about little things like eating apples :o where practical.

Appreciate the tooth thing - he is a bit behind tooth wise and has a wobbly one atm so that might be part of the cutted up insistence - although he's alwas wanted them cut.

OP posts:

bruffin · 14/09/2015 18:38

Buy the gadget for him and then get him to do it himself

Yarboosucks · 14/09/2015 18:45

I have a 15 year old and if I cut up an apple for him he gives me the look of total love and adoration! He has trained me well!

fatnan76 · 14/09/2015 19:01

For some reason, this makes apples taste even nicer!

www.amazon.co.uk/17840848-Swift-Rotary-Apple-Peeler/dp/B005UTKYQG

AnnieNon · 14/09/2015 19:21

If I'm visiting my Mum she sometimes brings me a little platter of cut up fruit. I'm nearly 50 I give her a look of adoration. It's such a treat.

OP, I'm amazed that your kids can eat so many apples in one day. It sounds expensive.

Doobigetta · 14/09/2015 19:25

Definitely pears that need to be cutted up, not apples.

HypodeemicNerdle · 14/09/2015 19:59

If you do go for an apple chopper you might want to warn him to push it down on top the Apple and not vice versa. My DS (also 8) was having trouble with the traditional method so decided to turn it upside down and push the apple instead. Obviously his hand slipped and he had to take a little break from apple slicing so I could deal with his newly sliced finger, thankfully he didn't do too much damage

whois · 14/09/2015 20:05

There is something much more tasty about fruit that has been loving cut up for you! Doing it yourself isn't the same :-)

VulcanWoman · 14/09/2015 20:30

Annie, your Mother is class.

RaspberryOverload · 14/09/2015 22:32

I'm 46 and still cut up my apples.

Into quarters, then cut out the core. No biggie.

thornrose · 14/09/2015 22:34

I have a huge sense of deja vu right now. I am convinced I have read and actually been on this exact same thread before.

Magtheridon · 15/09/2015 00:42

The ikea apple slicer which was linked previously, is amazing! I love it!
I got the exact same one but from Asda :) check there if you have one close by

ChipsandGuac · 15/09/2015 02:04

thornrose YES! I mentioned said thread up there ^ Although there was more fighting on the last one. I miss the fighting

I've just spent $25 on that rotary apple peeler. I'm a marketer's wet dream.

Original poster

Ilikedmyoldusernamebetter · 15/09/2015 12:15

Annie apples are about the cheapest fruit though - DS1 in particular is a bit like a teen in his food needs, but he never stops moving. I wish they'd eat peaches as my neighbour keeps trying to give me buckets of the things...

He's chopping them himself now so all sorted - no need for gadgets :o I just hadn't thought of the alternative easier method before I started the thread.

I do things for all 3 kids all day long (virtually, we're abroad and they're home by lunch time every day), I don't think chopping apples is going to elicit a look of adoration if I do it multiple times every day :o

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