At what age would you let a child eat unsupervised?

[wishIwasonholiday10]

A recent thread about a 2 year old choking got me wondering at what age is it safe to leave a child eating unsupervised? I worry I have become too lax about this recently. I’m mostly thinking about situations like eating a snack on the sofa in front of TV while I’m doing something in the kitchen one room away or popping to the loo while they are eating a snack rather than eating a whole meal alone as obviously we eat main meals together.

TBH I don't think you can put an age on it. You have to be lead by your own child. And probably the food they are eating.
Cut grapes and sausage long ways so you avoid ending up with a circle, that's the right shape to choke on.

They'll always be the freakish incidents where an older child or adult chokes on food.

Anyone could choke on a grape or a blueberry at any time. I've been paranoid about it since my DD had a couple of choking episodes a decade or so ago. Nowhere near as bad as the one in that thread though - I read that thread and felt my legs go weak. But to answer your question, I think it largely depends what the food is. I still don't let DD eat grapes and blueberries alone, or chew gum while walking or in the car. She's 12! In my defense she has low muscle tone and this does make choking more likely, and she still often has times when something just goes down the wrong way and she has to have a bit of a cough.

I definitely wouldn't leave an under 5.

Thanks all for the responses! I will definately be a bit more careful about this from now on as DD is only 2 years 8 months. I only ever leave her for a few minutes without checking in but I know this would be long enough to choke. I already cut up her food carefully and have only just stopped squishing or cutting her blueberries (but now wondering if I should start again). I still cut grapes and cherry tomatoes and I never let her eat when strapped into the car seat. She does actaully have low muscle tone like the child mentioned above although I'm not sure how much it affects her eating.

At 50 mumble years old I can still choke quite easily, I don't know how it happens and fortunately I have managed to dislodge / cough up what ever food it was but I'm actually more prone to choking on drinks .
Fizzy ginger beer coming out your nose hurts !

Perhap learning the correct position and firmness to slap your dds back and the Heimlich manoeuvre would help you not to worry and obviously help her should she need it

Never under 5 but then again I still cut up grapes for my 6 year old.

I wouldn't be given a 2 year old full blueberries uncut. I am more on the cautious side though I am aware.

Id still cut up grapes until they are old enough to walk to the shop and buy some themselves 😅

Mine were about 3 when I'd go into another room, but more like 4/5 before I'd alow snacks in the car while driving, because of the time to pull over before being able to help.

I still cut grass for my 5yo, but not my 8yo. Think I stopped some time around 7.

At home all food was eaten together as a family until the children got to secondary school when food was almost always eaten together.

I probably left my 3rd child quite early on. Hard to manage as I was dealing with toilet training/random emergencies with my other two.

but ideally 5.

My DD is almost 3 and I would never leave her alone to eat.

The Op is talking about snacks not proper meals.
You can't honestly say your secondary aged kids are supervised with every apple, sweetie or pack of crisps?

From 2y for my 2nd but and maybe 3y for my 1st I started feeling okay to be in the neighbouring room while they snack. Neither has a history of choking and I'm fairly sure the other child would come and find me if something was happening. I'm more cautious if it's a high choking risk food and will watch them finish it.

Meals are together but yeah my 4 year old is leave with snacks watching tv when I’m getting baby down for a nap or whatever

We didn’t have snacks at home and all meals were eaten in the kitchen together. My dentist was very anti snacks. My adult children do as they please now but I still avoid snacks.