To ask nursery to cut their grapes into quarters?

[AliceTheCamelHasFiveHumps]

So, DD14m attends nursery.

They give fruit snacks out each day.

They cut grapes in half lengthwise. (I know this for gross reasons 😷)

I tend to do quarters for safety, as per advice.

AIBU to ask them to cut the grapes into quarters??? Or am I being precious 🥺😳

I used to work at a toddler group and was advice d by another member of staff to cut into quarters, it was a nightmare! Also the proper advice is that halves is fine

Are there really parents that have never heard of cutting grapes? Really?
It’s nothing to do with the ability/inability to chew. It’s the shiny, non dissolvable surface and the size and shape which is perfect for lodging in the wind pipe. I put a whole one in my mouth a few months ago and slightly breathed inwards which was enough to suck it to the back of my throat. Very scary. I would never not cut grapes for my children.

I work in a nursery and the advice is in half lengthways.

To those 'amazed they and their children are still alive' as they have never sliced grapes... Well yes it may not be the number one way to die, however within a few years of each other two young children near us have died choking on a grape. Both of which were supervised... Unfortunately for their parents being close enough to 'supervise' your young child choking to death was heartbreaking.

So instead of being 'amazed' maybe you should be relieved and think of those mothers who can't hug their little ones tonight or any night!

I’ve always cut mine width ways but now you mention it, quarters would probably be safer...length ways probably better than width ways though 🤔

I used to work at a toddler group and was advice d by another member of staff to cut into quarters, it was a nightmare!

I’m not really sure how to react to someone who thinks cutting grapes into quarters is ‘a nightmare’.

@IFoundMyselfInThisBar

I used to work at a toddler group and was advice d by another member of staff to cut into quarters, it was a nightmare!

I’m not really sure how to react to someone who thinks cutting grapes into quarters is ‘a nightmare’.

Exactly- a real nightmare would be watching a child choke to death. Not having to cut up some grapes a few more times.

I always quarter grapes long ways for my kids until they are about 3. I still half them for my 4 and 9 year old.

@SneezyGonzalez

I’ve always cut mine width ways but now you mention it, quarters would probably be safer...length ways probably better than width ways though 🤔

Cutting a grape width ways does nothing to make it safer. It needs to be length ways in order to reduce the risk of it getting lodged, or at least to stop it completely blocking air access.

Hi I managed a nursery for a lot of years up u til recently. All
The advice we were given is they must be cut length ways in half or either quarters. If the grapes are longish the half is fine. If they are round then we would slice in quarters just to be safe. At home I usually do half’s for my son but when he was younger I would always quarter. It’s what ever you feel more comfortable with. I don’t think that the nursery will mind if you have a word with them and just say form your experience you think he eats better when quartered and makes you feel more reassured and offer to provide a pot with quartered ones in. I’m certain they will say not to worry and will Accommodate this. We had many requests in my time at the nursery or preferences with foods and offer kept a list in kitchen so we knew each child’s prefered way of doing it. No harm in having a word with them.

I work in early years childcare, it’s Friday night so I am enjoying a very much needed gin and haven’t read all the replies!
The advice is to cut food do it is less likely to get lodged in the throat if inhaled, so sausages, grapes etc into half lengthwise.
Children have unfortunately choked and died eating soft foods (mashed potato) so it’s important that they are watched while eating and given safe foods to learn to chew properly.
We cut lengthwise, into sticks, and supervise.

@FFSAllTheGoodOnesArereadyTaken

Unless they eat in high chairs, requesting that your child doesn't have grapes might not help...in my childs nursery they eat around tiny little shared tables and they all pick up each others food (even when one of them has spat it out or dropped it etc)

Yuk! I’d move my child to another nursery!

I don't know how helpful this is but I used to cut my DC's grapes into 1/2s until they were about 12

I cut mine for years as a little boy known to one of the childminders at baby group died. child who could not be left alone to eat well past normal age.

@notacooldad

I used to soak them in warm water to peel them and then cut them in half so I’d say I’m more on the cautious side I'd rather not buy grapes°😂😂😂😂

Same , my youngest is nearly 6 and I very rarely buy because of the worry

@JamesMiddletonsMarshmallows

And for those thinking they're precious - my kids are 5 and 8 and I still cut up their grapes

Same!!!

Not necessary to give a baby/very small child grapes and not worth the risk. I would say you are nervous about them being a choking hazard, even cut in half and see what they say.

I cut my daughter's grapes into 16s

They need to be cut up small. Don't take any chances. My friend's little nephew choked to death on a grape that his dad gave him as a snack. He was buried on the day that his baby brother was born.

Grapes are not the ideal food for small children but, if they are served, they should be cut into little bits.

@BakewellGin1

I take it that your comment about being 'amazed' that children are still alive includes my comment about my children never having anything other than whole grapes. Well I'm not 'amazed' that they're still alive or in fact that I am having never been mollicoddled with sliced grapes, its just a fact that my generation and my parents/grandparents etc going back however many generations didn't pander to kids and certainly not to societal snowflakes.

Someone has said something about sitting in cars without seat belts, yes, we did it when we were kids but that safety issue is a bit different to food.

If we're being petty about choking hazards, the smaller the item, the further into the throat it can get, so as much as I wouldn't personally be worried about it, I would think that the helicopters would be more worried about something like peas or sweetcorn because they have similarly textured skins to grapes and can go further back into the windpipe than half a grape and the smaller it is, the harder it is to get back out if it does get stuck.

Can you choke on mashed potato? Really? How?

It's like mush, gloop, soft and squigy. Just thinking about it now.... yummy... I'm off to make some.

I have to admit I have never cut ds's grapes. I'm not exactly proud though. Things change. Like I said on another thread this week, I also put ds in his own cot early, and made ice cube trays of carrot and mashed potato, because BLW wasn't even a 'thang'. So I am not condoning or suggesting this, just acknowledging that things change.

Actually I did do a bit of BLW. It just wasn't called that at the time. BLW started in 2005.

But. Grape cutting is only recommended up until age 5.

its just a fact that my generation and my parents/grandparents etc going back however many generations didn't pander to kids and certainly not to societal snowflakes

Yes and more children died, advice was given around risks and now less do. How inspirational you are.