To still be cutting up my 4 year old's grapes?

[surreygirl1987]

Was at a party this afternoon. The host had an amazing fruit platter prepared for the kids in the village hall. Grapes weren't cut up. Most parents plonked grapes on their kids' places without cutting them, or let the kids help themselves. These are 3-4 years olds. I plucked a bunch off and tore them into smaller pieces for my 4 year old (as I know grapes are a choking hazard). Am I the one being unreasonable here or are the other parents? I do think I was the only one that was bothered but I thought grapes can still be risky at 4...? What do other parents do??

Yep 👍🏽 I still cut them for my 5 yr old and will probably continue to do so for some time. It's just not worth the risk.

I don’t cut them for mine past 3 because, as someone mentioned above, I’d rather they learn to chew them properly and carefully for when I’m not there. We would never have them at a party though and kids are only allowed to eat at the table in my house which massively mitigates the risk.

My 3.5 year old usually asks for her grapes to be cut up if she's given them whole! Think she is just so used to them being presented that way

Yes, actually my 4 year old picked a few grapes and handed them to me to cut before I even saw that they were there in the first place! No knives so I just tore them up and he happily ate them. He's just so used to them being cut.

Oh was that the pizza hut by any chance? I remember hearing of a little boy that died from the grapes in the salad bar and that's why they only do sliced apples now instead of apples and grapes in every pizza hut in the country.

Holy shit, teens still getting grapes cut up?! I honestly didn't know this was a thing

God no, you are not unreasonable at all.
I have watched a 5 year old die from choking on a grape (work in A&E).
I still make my 9 year old bite them. Not worth the risk!

Or… teach children to chew food properly rather than micromanaging every single thing they eat..?

My husband forgot to cut up my 6 yo son's grapes for school and the teacher wouldn't let him eat them whole, school policy is for grapes to be cut (I knew this, my husband forgot).

I will continue to cut grapes until DS is a teen I think! He’s 4 and I don’t allow him to have marshmallows (unless toasted well) or popcorn and I slice his sausages lengthways.

That poor boy who died by choking on a grape in Pizza Hut was 5 I think? 4 or 5. YANBU

I still cut them for my eight year old. Also cut sausages and don’t allow lollipops or marshmallows either. For me it’s not worth the risk.

I also do this for my 7 and 10 year old.if theu want to eat without me supervising I cut them up.

At school one of the 10 year old choked a few months ago and they sent several reminders in the newsletter to cut grapes in school lunchboxes.

I cut up my 10 year olds grapes!

It's not micromanaging. It's based on hospital admission data. You can teach a child to chew properly, most learn this themselves, but nothing will stop them from inhaling a grape when they start giggling or get distracted.

I have a very good friend who worked in A&E for many years as a Dr. Our children became friends when they were young- she told me firmly and in no uncertain terms, about cutting up a grape. Apparently they have a certain tool to get things out of the throat- and she said a grape forms the most perfect vacuum and makes it nearly impossible to move.

It's obvious really- the lungs are pulling as hard as they can downwards and totally blocks the hole. She said with things like meat, they could usually get a hold of something to move it, or get down the side of it- but not with a grape.

It never really occurred to me but now it makes perfect sense.

This sounds ridiculous but I’ve cut my year 7 DS’s grapes! Because I know they’ll be messing around at break time outside while he’s scoffing them. They were in with other fruit to give the impression of a fancy fruit salad rather than toddler snacks 🤣

Yep still cut them up for my son who is 4y3m. Probs will till he's about 5 or 6. Why take the risk 🤷🏼‍♀️

I only just stopped chopping up my 12 year old's grapes 😳

My sons school insists on their grapes being sliced lengthways.

I’m generally a chilled parent but not when it comes to grapes! I’m still cutting my 7 and 10 year olds grapes and can’t see myself stopping anytime soon which is probably ridiculous. But when you’ve heard so many grape related horror stories it’s hard to relax about them! Im a bit paranoid about lollies and mini eggs too- they can have them but they’re not to run around with them.

Not unreasonable at all, I would still cut grapes at this age and if I was sending them in a packed lunch where I wasn't going to be present I would cut them up all the way through primary school. I also teach mine from a young age that if grapes are uncut you must bite them first and not put them in your mouth whole, just in case they are given grapes at a party/someone else's house.

I've only just started feeding my 6 YO whole grapes but yeah it's a bit nerve wracking!

My son is 4 and I cut up grapes, cherry tomatoes and I squish chickpeas. He doesn't get peanuts either. I saw a picture of a peanut lodged in a child's trachea and it gave me nightmares.

I've taught my 2yo to eat grapes whole but I'm still very aware it's a high risk food

What happens the day you're not there though? Maybe teach your child how to cope with those kind of foods. One day you won't be there to do it. Your reaction is probably creating a greater risk long term.