To think that children aged 3 & 4 sholdn't be eating food unattended at school

[Pennies]

DDs (aged 3 & 4) go to a preschool which is attached to a main school. We are asked to provide fruit for them for their break time. I've just learned that the children sit and have their milk and are then let into the playground, which has access to wooded areas where they can be out of sight from staff, with their fruit pots (provided by parents, consisting of what ever fruit, in whatever form their children prefer, inc. grapes, whole apples, olives, carrots etc).

So, what if one of them chokes?

I posed this question to the teacher today and was told "we've done it this way for years".

AIBU to think that this is a risk they should not be taking?

pigeon shit!!

you are overthinking this. balloons and pens are more dangerous than grapes at this age!!

Erm, actually, Psychomum, choking is the third most common cause of death among young children in the UK. 100 children a year die, and many more are hospitalised

but that is babies and toddlers, not nursery children. I just think that sometimes people see danger when there really is not that much risk.

ach, I have no energy to squabble. I think one thing, clearly I am alone in my thoughts of everyone else going OTT tho, so will step back and apologise before aggravating(sp?) the masses.

it does happen

It's a very small risk, but we are talking about a nursery here. Yes it is different at home. You can hear them, you know you have given them small pieces etc. But a nursery doesn't have the right to take that (very tiny) risk with someone-else's child. There's plenty else that could happen other than choking, and they simply should not be left un-supervised. They are paid to supervise them. End of!

Duchesse is right.

On two occasions I have prevented ds from choking on apple, I witnessed my friends daughter struggling for breath and as a 3 year old I lost consciousness and an ambulance was called when I choked on a sweet. It isn't over-reacting at all! Our guidelines state that grapes should be chopped but a lot of parents choose to ignore this advice, I watch the children like a hawk and I explain to them why it is important that we sit down to eat. There is no way that I having a dead child on my conscience.

I have seen a couple of news reports over the last few years of children choking to death on grapes. Why do people not recognise the dangers!

if you look at the link, there's the grape in the supermarket kid.
and a couple of other chidlren who choked to death on food at school.
these were supervised admittedly... but then it would be sad to hear that your child was found dead in the playground, and nobody saw or was even able to help...
very very unlikely i must admit- but one of those was the friend of a freind of mine

If it were my child I would prefer them to sit and eat the fruit with adults about and then go and play but I have real anxiety issues with choking as my DS4 (who has SN which effects his muscle tone and swallowing) has choked on fuirt three times, badly, once involving a 999 call.

I am crap at meal times with all my boys, the slightest cough and I am at their side waiting to hoist them upside down .

I realise that this is an extreme case but I don't think the OP is BU.

....just thought of another point. If God Forbid, a child choked and died whilst in the care of a nursery, you could bet your bottom dollar that they would be found guilty of neglect for leaving them alone!

I'd also have thought that running about with a mouthful of say, apple could increase the risk of choking.

the 6yr old is a tragic story, but she was sat down, eating sausages.

this shows that if they are gonna choke, they will regardless of precautions. same as anything really........you can try to prevent things, and they still happen.

so, I reckon they should have fun eating outside with their fruit

I agree with you psychomum, if it's going to happen then it will. BUT...... If a child is unsupervised there will be no-one to assist them if they do choke, highly increasing the chance of serious injury. They should most definately enjoy their fruit outside. It seems that the nursery are half way there in allowing them to do so, but there can't really be any good reason for them to be left alone....surely?
They should have more than enough staff for even just one person to be with them at all times. It just doesn't make sense to me.

but they are not completely alone are they. only might be out of site of staff for moments.

I just still think that this is OTT panic TBH. yes, be aware of risks, but not stop them doing stuff completely.

I have had three car accident, (ok, different tack here), I might have another, but I don;t stop driving.

a ball might fall from the sky one day and land on my head, again, I don;t stop going outside.

we cannot dictate our lives over possible risks...........

i do agree, but i'd hate to be the person who has to tell the mother that they jsut found a child dead in the playground. ie the child choked to death on thier own out of sight and nobody knew.
It just sounds so sad somehow.
at least if the child chookes and is near an adult then everyone will know what happened and that every thing possible was done to help.

But nayway, i also don't need to dwell on such thoughts.

I think the OP is not unreasonable expecting supervision in eating for 3-4 yr olds.

nd there's other people who so think it is a bit OTT.

Have a lovely day, all

I wouldn't be happy with the arrangement you describe. Children need to learn to sit down to eat, for reasons of health, security, hygiene and good manners.

Bonsoiranna, we agree, how fab!

In the bath, they could drown. It's very rare. But they could. I bet you would want your child supervised in the bath though. Our youg children need supervising. Because IF something happeens, they will need an adult to assist them.
(Don't read this as arsy, it's honestly not )

I think they should be sat down to eat, not running around and playing with it. Many children will be too caught up in playing to actually eat.

At my DD's pre-school the children are sometimes given fruit for their pudding which the dinner ladies carry out to the park/play area in a bag. The children are offered clementines, bananas etc which they eat outside in the sunshine but they are required to sit on a bench until they have finished eating.

YANBU. I don't think it's a good idea to encourage children of any age to run around while eating. They should sit until they've finished.

Nobody is saying they shouldn't have their fruit outside psychomum, just that they should be properly supervised. Maybe a picnic style snack time would be more appropriate

but psycho - you are an adult. the op is talking about 3-4 year old children. They are the responsibility of the adult in whose care they are in (clumsy sentence). I wouldn't expect a group of young children to know what to do if they or a firend started choking if they were in the woods away from adult supervision.

IMO the chances of choking on food is surely increased if you are running around with a mouthful.

oh I know. and TBH, I also do the 'sit down until finished' thing with mine, good manners and all, but I don;t do it over choking risks, cos choking happens anytime, regardless of running about/sitting. I would guess that the majority of children who choke are not choking on fruit while running, but from objects while sat playing.

and most children sat playing are not 100% supervised!

and I not being arsey either, just argueing the toss cos I can

oh, and cos I am here again after a week of feeling like I am dying, so probably enjoying the argueing a tad too much..................

actually, thinking about the place that they are eating in and running around in............

I think the biggest risk would be running into a branch while stuffing a banana into their mouths, gouging their head open.

that scares me more........happened to my DS1 last year.

oh, and the food...........he never choked, he threw it up in shock!!!

ok, changing my mind. they should be supervised better, having picnic style fruit while sat, and then run about in the wooded area

LOL - that was a quick turn around . My lot do the scareiest stuff, climb huge trees, make massive bike ramps and crash but I kind of accept it, give onre of them a grape and I am a jibbering wreck.