Not cutting up DS’ grapes?

[moryn]

I was approached by a member of staff at pick up today, to tell me that the kitchen staff expressed concerns that DS’ grapes were whole and not cut up.

He’s 7.5. He chews properly, sits still to eat etc.

I was under the impression that the guidance is for children aged 5 and below.

AIBU here?

Choking tragedies do happen at any age. But a 7 year old isn't more likely to die from choking on food than a 12 year old is. Grapes are particularly problematic for very young children, but by 7 cutting up grapes is not necessary.

I think that it isn’t just the issue of suddenly choking while eating. It’s the fact that in school kids are distracted and laughing/chatting to friends. I’ve seen one child almost choke after throwing their head back to laugh at something.

Remember that kids can also do random, silly things that they don’t think through. I work in a school and once found some ks2 kids throwing whole grapes up into the air to catch them in their mouths. These were normally sensible kids who didn’t twig why tipping their heads back to catch whole grapes was not safe - they were adamant they were fine and wouldn’t choke!

It may sound overkill to cut the grapes, but is it worth the risk?

Things change. People now know how easy it is to chicke on grapes due to their size shake & texture, almost impossible to move if they are lodged in someone's throat, even by paramedics.

Just because you/your kids (luckily) didn't choke, doesn't mean we can just forget about the people that DID choke & die & not make the risk known to other people.

It takes seconds to cut them lengthways & eliminate the risk, it's just playing Russian roulette not to & frankly it's not a risk I'll take with children.

A grape can choke anyone of any age due to the size and shape. They’re trying to protect the children and it’s easy to cut grapes up so just do it or don’t send them

Agree.

It’s amazing the human race has survived as long as it has

Exactly!!

I mean, how hard is it to cut a few grapes in half?

Maybe one of these posters claiming it to be wrapping in cotton wool/ ridiculous will understand a picture as they seem
unable to comprehend explanations?

🤞🏼🤞🏼

I wonder if it’s a bit like SIDS and childbirth, where historically death rates were higher but due to modern research deaths in both areas have really reduced? Unsure about choking stats though.

I personally think it’s fine for schools to have their own rules about higher choke risk foods, there have been a few fatal choking incidents in schools over the years and it’s understandable they want to do what they can to reduce this. Obviously do what you want in your own home.

Not true. Adults can still choke TO DEATH on grapes, due to their size, shape, texture, but the smaller the child the more likely it is. A 7 year old is still more likely than a 12 yo to die due to their smaller size, but 12 yo's & adults do die too.

Yeah, but not every single human survived to a natural old age death, and weirdly we TRY to prevent premature deaths.

I still cut grapes for my 9 and 13yo’s and for Dh and myself and think I always will. If I can do one quick little thing that may prevent a terrible accident I’m going to do it and won’t apologise for it. Both my kids can sit nicely and chew perfectly fine as can I and Dh but I cut grapes for everyone. It’s not worth the risk.

Yes they should be cut up, why would you risk it! If they choked you would be blaming the school for not supervising. As someone who knows a child who nearly died choking on a grape, I don’t get why people take risks with this when it is so easy to just cut them. We also didn’t wear helmets on bikes and scooters as kids or have car seats should we not bother with those either?

They’re a choking risk at any age. I’d consider doing it for school lunches as they act the idiot at lunchtime, joking around, not concentrating.
I am a grown up who has choked not once but twice from not concentrating while I was eating. Thankfully I wasn’t alone.

They don't taste as nice though so I'd definitely not do it for me.

What a silly and ill thought out comment. The human race have survived, but some individual children haven’t. It’s so easy to cut grapes up, I really can’t understand parents who try to be cool or whatever over this.

Our schools policy was that things like grapes and cherry tomatoes had to be cut up. The head teachers daughter was a paramedic and had dealt with a few cases of chocking due to these foods, some on children much older than 5, so she was insistent that things were cut up. Her daughter and another paramedic did a talk to parents about it and funnily enough after hearing their stories, the previous cocky parents did STFU.

Are cherry toms the same risk? Guessing pitted olives are not as they have a hole through them.

I never cut my kids grapes.

I did tell them of the potential choking hazzards, and taught them they need to bite the grape in half and chew it well.

Yes definitely cherry tomatoes. Olives should also be cut up. Sausages should be cut lengthways.

The thing I didn’t realise was a risk when my kids were little, until the awareness talk at our school, are marshmallows. Not that you would really send them in for school lunch, but worth mentioning for anyone who isn’t aware.

That’s good. Just be mindful that when at school with friends, children often do things differently than when they’re at home. They can forget themselves, act silly etc.

An eight-year-old boy died in Texas in February because he choked on a grape at school. There is much less supervision for children of that age during school lunch times, and more of a propensity for messing around and not eating properly (i.e. chewing thoroughly). Why wouldn't you acquiesce to what the school have requested? They are trying to keep your child safe and I am sure that over the years they have seen lots of choking situations and are just trying to prevent another one. It seems really churlish to refuse when it takes literal seconds to cut up a handful of grapes.

I'm over 60 and wearing seat belts wasn't a thing in my youth. But since the days of "clunk click every trip" I've buckled up without fail. And I buckled up my dc and now my dgc. But I've never been in a car accident. So by your logic, should I not bother? I mean, my friend Julie was scarred for life when her head went through the windscreen, but it won't happen to me or mine will it?

I never ever cut grapes .i didn't know about it. God saved my twins 🙏🏿

Exactly.

These sort of attitudes, trying to be cool or hard or whatever it is, are more like what I’d expect from teenagers about not doing their homework, not adults who are parents talking about children potentially choking and dying.

I did a paediatric First Aid course and the trainer said that even adults should cut their grapes because they are such a choking risk. I just don't buy them. Plenty of other fruit that doesn't have the same risk.