Sausages in school

[Janebloom]

DS is 4 and started reception. We have been booking him in for dinners which he has enjoyed. Next week they are to have hot dogs and I'm a bit nervous as he has told me the school didn't cut up his sausages the week before. I am aware of a child in our area who died after choking on a sausage a few years ago so I'm always sure to cut DS sausages length ways if we are home or out. Should I speak to the school about whether they do this or not, I'm assuming they don't. If they don't would you still let your child have hot dogs in school or send a packed lunch that day? DS has never choked on a sausage but then I've always cut them up for him

At his age he should be cutting his own sausages.., as a reception teachers he's really irritating how many children cannot use cutlery at all!!!!!

My children are 5 and 7 and have managed perfectly fine since 2 (obv helping them to cut up initially).

Teach him how to use a knife and fork ffs.

I'm so sorry for the horrible responses you've received and suggestions you have out of control anxiety that needs addressing. You are being a brilliant mum showing just the right amount of cautiousness. Choking risk remains high until the age of 5 and your little one has only just turned 4 so you are absolutely right to say that hot dogs or sausages provided in their whole form are a choking risk. This isn't being anxious, it's being educated. You could ask the school about it but unfortunately I doubt they cut them the right way or even would do so correctly if you asked them, so if it were me I would send a packed lunch that day.

I’m a primary teacher and if a child of any age asks for help cutting up their lunch then I happily help them, as do the majority of teachers in my school. When we are not in the dinner hall then our management team and support staff are around to help. His food will just be put in a tray but the cooks so they won’t cut anything up in advance.

Id try him with a hot dog at home and see how he gets on without it cut. If he really wants it cut then try show him how to do it but remind him that if he wants
his good cut up then to ask an adult and they will help him.

A mother who is questioning her child about how his school dinners are served is demonstrating unusual levels of anxiety about food.

Parents do need to accept that they’re going to have to trust the school about stuff.

Thats not being mean. It’s pragmatic.

@IncomingTraffic I agree with , anxiety about whether your child will manage to eat a sausage at school dinners is not normal .

I've never heard of a sausage being a choking risk and it had never entered my head. Luckily my ds is a teen now otherwise I'd probably have worried about this!

My cousin chocked on a hotdog at our house when she was maybe 9, I can't remember exactly but my mum had to give a few really good slaps on the back for it to come out. It was really scary so yes hotdogs can be a chocking hazard!

Teach your child how to deal with high risk foods. 4 is plenty old enough to understand

Yeah OP sounds a little bit nervous but it’s a valid question. In fact this just reminded me that there was something in the news about kids choking on cocktail sausages recently. https://amp.abc.net.au/article/102672064
Some kids pick this stuff up quicker than others.

I think if he’s seated for lunch the risk would be pretty low, but if you are concerned he might not be able to cut it himself, nothing wrong with casually mentioning something to his teacher. Do whatever you need to do for your own piece of mind OP, don’t pay any attention to unhelpful d!ckheads.

That’s a cocktail sausage? Potential to be swallowed whole? Surely a hotdog in a bun has to be bitten off and some element of chewing take place? Sometimes I’m astounded at the lack of responsibility any of us take for ourselves or our children through our responsibilities as parents.

I agree. I assumed that's what the thread would be about when I saw the title.

The food standard agency advises that hot dogs should be cut lengthways for children under 5.

The consistency and shape of hot dogs make them ultimate choking hazard

https://amp.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2010/feb/23/hot-dogs-top-food-hazards

Even that article suggests the application of common sense! If that still exists??? Who can we assign blame to if we don’t apply common sense?!! Que local authority teams now quaking in their boots how they will ensure children know how to chew (must add that to the curriculum) considering how many millions of low grade sausages they’ve served over the years! FFS!

1. Ignore dickhead comments
2. Hotdogs are indeed a high risk food, more so than sausages. (I Don't get everyone saying they're soft so it's fine) sausages are crumbly, hotdogs are firm and springy.
3. Practice at home.

The best advice I ever saw is that your child will encounter high risk foods one day without you knowing or being there. (And this is likely to be in an less supervised setting like a party which increases the risk) E.g. I regularly practice biting whole grapes in half and eating them with my two year old. Modelling what to do and exaggerated chewing etc (but still serve them cut obviously)