Pumpkin Seeds - Choking Risk?

[TwoLittleDumplings]

I sent dd2 to school with a little pot of her favourite snack - pumpkin seeds - in her lunchbox. When I came to collect her I was handed said pot as if it was likely to explode and sternly told that she could choke on them and was not to bring them to school again. Rather taken aback I enquired about raisins - similar size but apparently fine. It turns out nobody knew what they were and the head had to ask dd1 (why they didn't believe dd2 I don't know) what they were, then they spent the afrternoon in her office!! Does anyone else really think they pose a choking risk to a 4.5 yr old? I'm so disappointed to have finally convinced 1 child out of 6 years parenting that something healthy is a treat and have it banned by the school!

I wouldn't have thought so personally. Even proper nuts are supposed to be fine for 5 year olds, and pumpkin seeds are smaller and softer.

oh heck, i gave DS2 (18mo) several spoonfuls of my cereal including pumpkin seeds this am!!!
such a bad mummy.
Choking risk is a valid concern and we still chop up cherry tomatoes for DD (3) but I can't for the life of me see what the issue is with pumpkin seeds.
surely they could just as well chocke on eg little bitten off bits of raw carrot, which is DS1's fave breaktime snack.

If raisins are ok, I can't really see the big deal with pumpkin seeds. I get the impression from your post that they were just freaked out by being confronted by a foodstuff they'd never seen before! Do they by any chance have a nut ban - and did they think these were nuts? Maybe a plea on the grounds of the marvellous nutritional and yummy qualities of the pumpkin seed is called for.

My DS(4) is in reception and is doing a project on healthy eating. He came back the other day telling me that he loved pumlin seeds! They had been tasting them at school as part of their project. Hardly think they would do that if they were seen as a choking risk!

Thank you, renewed approach called for! Just wanted to check I wasn't a dangerous mummy !