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??

Absolutely cut the grapes. Children below the age of 6 are most at risk from choking on grapes due to their small windpipes. This doesn't mean that over 6s won't choke on them though.
We took a belt and braces approach. From age 2, I taught my children how to safely eat grapes (and similar fruit such as cherry tomatoes) by biting them first, rather than putting them whole into their mouths. This considerably reduces the risk of choking as a) the pieces are smaller and b) they have a wet part that's less likely to stick if the grape ends up in the windpipe.
Remember that your children won't always be under your direct supervision and people won't always cut the grapes. Therefore teaching them to eat safely is important and if the children would be eating grapes at home next to me, I'd leave the grapes whole and make sure they ate them by biting first so this was reinforced.
Whenever I wasn't going to be with them when they ate (packed lunches etc), I cut the grapes. And did so until age 10+ I think.

I work in a school and we are not allowed to give grapes unless cut up - so many children say but at home I have them whole! We wouldn’t ever take the risk!

@Chonk for me mitigating the risk is teaching safe eating skills such as holding the grape tight, taking bites, always sitting down and never eating when distracted. If he's not in the mood to listen, I cut them. If we are out and about, I cut them. Fact is, at some point he will grab, find or be offered a whole grape and I want to make sure he knows what to do with it.

I think current advice is actually cut into quarters as there has been choking incidents with halves!

No to grapes and sausages while. The springiness of them means they mould to the shape of the airway. We had a local child choke on a sausage at a barbecue a few years ago- there was a paediatric anaesthetist there, and even once the ambulance arrived with equipment he wasn't able to dislodge it, and the child died.

I have taught my 3 year old to bite her grape with her front teeth before putting it in her mouth, if we are out and about and for some reason they haven't been chopped. It gets a bit tedious as she loves saying "like this?" With every single one but of course I'm glad that she does.

My 5 year old - I'm a bit more relaxed but still cautious and watch carefully.

I think teaching them to bite and chew consciously ince over 3 years is a bit more sustainable. As you never know when you're out and they will be offered a grape before you havea chance to jump in and cut/break it!

Ps I'm super relaxed about most things but will happily face the 🤔of family members when I ask for grapes to be cut. Its so frustrating- as with car seats, they think "well I never cut grapes/put you in a car seat past the age of X,and YOU were fine." Drives me mad, no logic there at all.

I think when caution is reserved for things with potentially catastrophic outcomes, that's just fine. Carry on, OP

The 7 year old who choked to death in Pizza Hut will always stay with me.

I had to take one for the team and eat all the mini eggs in an Easter egg DD was given last year. The hardship!

The Child Accident Prevention Trust have some great resources for preventing choking accidents. They are currently trying to raise awareness that Mini Eggs are not suitable for under 4s due to their shape.

My DD is 4 years old and an absolute food hoover. She wouldn't understand instructions on eating safely due to her autism so I chop all her berries, grapes, sausages etc or lengthways. She definitely couldn't be trusted with mini eggs.

Personally I don’t chop up grapes anymore for my 3 year old although he would have to eat them in front of me and I explain he needs to chew them a lot (which I have done many times and he always does to be fair)

My daughter is 9 and I still cut her grapes length ways

I still cut up grapes and my girls are 7 and 8. My 7 year old chocked last night on a grape that hadn't been cut. Not seriously, luckily. I was furious she was given uncut grapes. The few seconds it takes to cut them up is worth it.

Totally reasonable, I've read that it's best to do it until they are at least 8. They are a significant chocking hazard even for adults.

I still cut DD7 grapes up. The school sent out a email to parents recently requesting all parents cut grapes still due to choking hazard.

NRTFT but my DD choked on a grape last summer at 9, basically I'll be chopping them for as long as she's under my roof.

Nope we don't cut grapes now and haven't got a while. Son is 3.5 now probably haven't cut them in a year.
Anything could be a choking hazard really. 🤷

I cut my DCs grapes up, DD is in reception and they ask that they're cut if you are sending them in with a packed lunch.

I still cut my.7 Yr olds up

I just did a 4th birthday for my child and chopped the grapes! I think it's a courtesy tbh, it caters for the youngest or least able child/most anxious parent so everyone can relax a little. In the context of a party buffet when children might be helping themselves and their parents might be too busy chatting to notice what their kids have on their plate, it's just an easy way to reduce the risk. I don't really care if anyone thought I was fussy for doing it.

Hmm yeah it's not like delicious smooth round windpipe-sized objects pose any greater choking hazard than anything else is it?

I taught my child to sit down and eat his grapes slowly and I watched him. I stopped cutting them up when he was quite young.

My 4yo can scarf half a punnet of grapes in a single sitting. No way he's waiting for me to cut them up

That's an even bigger risk if he's wolfing them down so quickly, as it means he's unlikely to be chewing thoroughly. What will happen if he has to wait an extra minute for them to be cut?

I stopped at about five as he peels the skin off and bites them, I did however start chopping them up again when his little sister started weaning, we we’re worried incase he ever gave her one, she grabbed one etc.

I still half lengthways my DS grapes and he's 6. Can't take risks with choking!

Same with Olives.