To not cut grapes

[FreedomBird]

I have a 3 and a 7 year old. And I no longer cut their grapes.

Me and DP had a massive barney about it last night and I’d like to know if I’m BU.

I havent read the thread. But I still cut grapes now for us as a family. Adults and teenagers. I cut them longways so you end up almost having to chew. Also small tomatoes.

I once swallowed a werthers original whole - I still shudder when I think about it.

😂 they really are grapes. Waitrose outdid themselves.

Yup, still cut up grapes for my teens, longways, too much of a choking risk!

Do you still cut their meat up too?

And veg - my fruit and veg box cake with a keep the size of a baseball bat and celery that was a absolutely massive.

I've never cut any grapes! Well perhaps in a fruit salad.

Don't people (including children) chew them? Like tomatoes or eggs or anything else really

And we've got 3 teens, who ate lots of grapes growing up, not a single one was cut.

At the risk of being flamed, I never cut grapes for DD. I didn't know it was a thing and she liked to pick them off the stalk

I genuinely didn't know it was a thing either. Mine are in their very late twenties and I considered myself a fairly cautious parent (e.g. would never let go of their hands in the street until they were well into primary school years). Oh well, I suppose I'll know now, if and when grandchildren come along.

They're the exact size of a small child's windpipe, Lavender. And the shiny skin means it's impossible to dislodge once stuck.

And we've got 3 teens, who ate lots of grapes growing up, not a single one was cut.

And your point is?

But don't kids chew their food?! I honestly have never heard of this. I guess we've been lucky.

I’ve just cut up my six year olds grapes for lunch. Always have done.

I still give my 17 year old cut up grapes. It’s too deeply ingrained in me now to stop, I cut them for myself too

What are you still confused about, Lavender?

17 sent me a text when he was on a school trip last year and I’d made him a packed lunch telling me how embarrassing it was that I still cut grapes and olives in half.

My point is simply that I didn't know about cutting grapes.

But don't kids chew their food

More than one person has pointed out that the natural way to bite a grape is widthways. This still leaves a piece the perfect size to lodge in a windpipe and given the texture of the skin makes it near impossible to remove in time.

The faux naivety and refusal to actually take on board any of the other posts on here is so irritating.

Of course YABU. It’s lazy and a totally unnecessary risk.

It's not just grapes.

www.parent.com/why-i-stopped-cutting-my-kids-grapes/

I’ll repost my earlier comment regarding the chewing of grapes:

is it worth also trying to train our dc (and ourselves) to bite in half and not just pop in your mouth? just a thought, not meant to be goady, just 'popped' into my head as another thing we could do?

Fine in principle but the natural way to bite a grape is widthways. This will still be a choking hazard and, as a previous poster said, actually worse than leaving it whole because it’s more difficult to remove.

Is this a recent thing? Offspring are in their twenties and I've never heard of this.

It must also be much safer to teach your 3 year olds to make sure to chew their food properly (meat, mussels, tomatoes, fruit, whatever) when they're at home. If they don't learn to do that when they're being supervised, surely they're much more at risk if they go out to tea or on a play date or to pre-school and are given whole grape or similar - and don't know that they're meant to chew it?

It seems like this is in the same category as sticking covers on plug sockets or rubber corners on tables.

I genuinely didn't know it was a thing either. Mine are in their very late twenties and I considered myself a fairly cautious parent

I think it was recommended for toddlers. I probably did for the younger twins (it's a bit of a fog but had to be mega prepared), but a grape (or most other interesting foods) would never have passed DS's lips when he was little, so totally safe there - in fact I don't think he has ever eaten a grape in 28 years

My DM also didn’t know this about grapes and she was a nurse. DSis and I are now late twenties. Do you know her reaction when I told her?

‘Oh! I didn’t know that! It’s fairly obvious if you stop and think about it. I’ll always make sure the cut up DGD’s grapes from now on!’

and don't know that they're meant to chew it?
As has been said it isn't always enough with grapes because of the way you naturally bite them.
It seems like this is in the same category as sticking covers on plug sockets or rubber corners on tables
Those two things are not in the same category. Rubber corners could be seen as over protective (not something I've ever done myself) but has a clear impact in terms of reducing the risk of injury. Socket covers however are a terribly flawed concept that actually exacerbate risk and shouldn't ever be used.

My dc are 19 and 14. I have never cut grapes for them as I didn’t know that it was a thing either. When they were young, we were looking out for twiglets and peanuts as choking hazards.

It must also be much safer to teach your 3 year olds to make sure to chew their food properly (meat, mussels, tomatoes, fruit, whatever) when they're at home. If they don't learn to do that when they're being supervised, surely they're much more at risk if they go out to tea or on a play date or to pre-school and are given whole grape or similar - and don't know that they're meant to chew it?

PPs have commented on knowing older children and even adults who have choked to death. I know how to chew my food but sometimes it still ‘goes down the wrong way’ or I swallow it too soon. Don’t tell me that has never happened to you!

I have of course taught my DD to chew her food and she never runs around with food (thanks to the PP for that genius suggestion. Never would have thought of that! ) but I am not willing to risk her choking on a grape when it could so easily happen by accident with me sat next to her and her concentrating.

@BeingATwatItsABingThing People are determined to just read the OP then pile in with their wilful ignorance about it rather than that the question of whether just "teaching children to chew" might possibly have been already considered and answered.