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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU...grapes...

203 replies

LokiBear · 04/02/2018 20:26

Dd1 is 6.5. I still cut her grapes in half. She wants me to stop. She helped me make her lunch for tomorrow earlier and asked me to leave them whole. I said that she must make sure she eats them properly. I'm not sat here debating cutting them up. Wwyd?

OP posts:
NewBallsPlease00 · 05/02/2018 20:09

Can I also add- giant marshmallows also v dangerous

brownelephant · 05/02/2018 20:10

Shock I never cut a grape in my life

SweetheartNeckline · 05/02/2018 20:10

DD1's school don't allow whole grapes to be taken in in lunchboxes. I guess if kids try and argue they take a different fruit instead.

I still cut my 6 year old's grapes in half... it takes a few seconds.

idontlikealdi · 05/02/2018 20:11

Dts are 6.5 and I still cut grapes in quarters. They’re not allowed to eat them at parties if they’re not cut up. They’re also no allowed mini eggs.

DH is a teacher and they had a paramedic doing a class visit who said the most common thing kids choke on in School is banana because of a piece does get stuck the texture makes it very very difficult to get back up again.

softkittywarmkitty28 · 05/02/2018 20:15

We had a 8 year old locally who was in intensive care after choking on a grape. Not sure how they are doing now.
I don't cut them up for my 9 year old but would only give them to her at home or somewhere like that sat down.
I wouldn't send them in her lunch box or for a school snack

user1471443504 · 05/02/2018 20:18

Now you've done it Newballs. You've introduced another food to be mocked Wink
But I completely agree. A close friend who is a Dr told me of cases of children choking on marshmallows and how people don't realise how they can expand and swell. I'm sure someone will be along shortly ready with the insults and jibes though.

user1471443504 · 05/02/2018 20:21

Oh and Lokibear I'm glad you have sorted it out with your daughter and she understands why you want to cut them. She sounds like a sensible 6 year old. Smile

TheCaptainsCat · 05/02/2018 20:25

I wish those of you who don't cut grapes for your young children - a sixteen month old?! - would. I choked on one when I was seven. Wasn't eating like a pig either, my mum gave me one grape, so I was savouring it in my mouth, when it slipped down and stuck! My mum had her back to me cooking and I couldn't make a sound to tell her I couldn't breathe, I can remember the panic I felt so clearly. Everything was starting to go dark when the grape came loose and went down properly. I shouldn't have been messing around and should have bitten it, but I was a pretty sensible child, so a younger child can't be expected to ALWAYS eat a grape carefully. Better to chop!

NotAnotherEmma · 05/02/2018 20:25

"Yes that's exactly it notanotheremma. I can't be bothered to teach my kids to eat properly as its easier to chop it all up and tip it in their pig trough......."

But wouldn't not cutting them up be even easier? Then the grapes would just roll into the trough.

SuperBeagle · 05/02/2018 20:29

I'd stop, but then I've never cut up grapes for any of my children. Don't think that's a "thing" here. DD2 (12 months) and my cousin's baby (16 months) were picking grapes from a platter on Sunday with no concern from anyone.

NotBadConsidering · 05/02/2018 21:06

As a family member who works in peadriatrics I would be cutting them length ways for as long as possible- she had 11yo in serious states because of grapes...

But it's still very rare. And as I said up thread, hotdogs and sweets are a much more common cause of fatal choking. Where are all the MN threads urging us to cut sausages lengthways for kids? Or breaking up sweets into pieces that won't obstruct? There's something about grapes here that throws everyone into a panic.

MrsDc7 · 05/02/2018 21:10

I cut them up (lengthways not across) for all my kids - the eldest is nearly 8 Blush I'll probably cut them in half till they leave home Grin I don't care, I'd rather be over cautious than lose one of my children Sad

TheEagle · 05/02/2018 21:19

Not sure I’ve seen any panic on this thread?

I cut sausages lengthways too, my brother choked on a piece of sausage when he was about 4. Terrifying.

If only my lazy ass parents had been bothered to teach him how to chew Hmm

Pollaidh · 05/02/2018 21:21

I cut them up. Had stopped when DC was 7, but then we had a message from the school saying keep cutting them.

callmekitten · 05/02/2018 21:27

Small round food, roughly the size of an esophagus? Cut it!

MarthaArthur · 05/02/2018 21:29

I cut up grapes for everyone. My granny is a prolific choker on grapes and tomatos. Ditto my uncle. I am very cautious if i eat them whole as have choked on other stuff before.

MarthaArthur · 05/02/2018 21:31

Grapes are the worst thing for choking as their texture and size gets jammed in the oesophegus and wont budge. Cut them up.

UnaOfStormhold · 05/02/2018 21:36

About 3 I taught DS to bite grapes before he put them in his mouth. It's a tricky balance of risks but I felt it was safer for him to learn to do that while I was supervising than allow him to get used to gobbling down grapes, which I think would then put him at higher risk if someone gave him non-cut ones.

NotBadConsidering · 05/02/2018 21:38

Grapes are the worst thing for choking

After hotdogs and sweets.

lilybetsy · 05/02/2018 21:39

I cut them for DS3 13 ... I know OTT ..

BluebellTheDonkey · 05/02/2018 21:47

I'm going to start cutting up DS's grapes, he's 8 and often has them in his lunchbox. I guess I knew the risk but this thread has brought it home.

beela · 05/02/2018 21:48

I don't understand why people are mocking others who cut grapes up Hmm

A colleague's ds died from choking on a grape at school, he was 7.

StealthPolarBear · 05/02/2018 21:48

Because some people are chopping them up for other adults.

NotAnotherEmma · 05/02/2018 21:52

"TheEagle

If only my lazy ass parents had been bothered to teach him how to chew hmm"

Well at least they had time to learn from their mistake. 😊

PaintingOwls · 05/02/2018 21:56

I am baffled by this grape thing... I never had my grapes cut up for me as a child and I managed not to choke on them. The only thing I did choke on was porridge as a baby!

OP I would not cut them up, I think she's old enough.

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