@ grapes and kids?

[ringstrue]

When are we out if the woods for worrying about DD eating grapes? She LOVES them but I know they are a big choking hazard. Shed prob be on the later end of the age range cuz she's never been a big eater and doesn't have a great track record for not gaging.

[IIOY]

When you are comfortable that she chews her food properly. It's very much a parental instinct thing. My DD could eat whole grapes at an earlier age than my son.

[thejackpot]

I wouldn't stop cutting them until you feel comfortable. Sometimes I cut them for ds and he is going on 4. Just because he is capable doesn't mean that he is focused on eating properly.

[Kristinmo]

I just watched him until I could see he was putting them between his teeth to chew them right away not letting them float around his mouth. I think it was right around when he turned 2.

[hopecounts]

I'm starting to trust DD with uncut grapes but she prefers cut ones so she gets those mostly.
It's definitely a parent instinct thing, DD is good at taking bites out of her food and not stuffing whole pieces in her mouth so I am ok with it as long as she's properly supervised.

[UMaineTeach]

I know that they were cut at least in half for every age group I have worked with in daycare (up to non-school 5), but that they come whole for the kindergarten kids breakfast.

I agree that you should keep cutting until you know she can handle them whole. It's not really age related.

[Deleted]

It is not about chewing competently as much as it is about the size and type of food. I just recently stopped at age 5. Why risk it?

[statlerwaldorf]

I stopped cutting them pretty recently.

[aw]

I want to say I stop cutting them somewhere between 2.5 and 3, depending on the kid and whether or not they are known to inhale their food without chewing.

Hot dogs, on the other hand, I just stopped cutting for my older kids, because they used to stuff ten pieces in their mouths at once.

[Deleted]

DS is almost 4 and I still cut his grapes.

[ringstrue]

Argh, lol ok thanks.

[jena]

Daycare requires they be cut even for the 4yo pre-K class. I do feed them to my kids whole at home - even my 2yo. But that's when I'm watching. If I wanted to let them eat them in car, I would cut them.

FWIW, DD did choke on a grape at 3. Only once, but it scared the crap out of me, I turned her over my knee and whacked on her back and it popped out. I kept whacking at her though until my MIL said, "she's crying, I think you can stop now" - because of course the one and only time it happened, it had to happen in front of MIL, right?

[teflep]

Lt is 16 months. I rarely cut, just know to watch and that they are not big.

[MixedBerryJam]

]I wouldn't stop cutting them until you feel comfortable. Sometimes I cut them for ds and he is going on 4. Just because he is capable doesn't mean that he is focused on eating properly.[/quote]
[/i]
This was me. I kind of felt like an idiot doing it, but I quartered grapes until probably my older one was in school. I knew I probably didn't have to, but I did. Disclaimer: when I was a toddler (I don't remember this, of course; I've just heard the story a thousand times) another toddler friend of the family choked to death on a hot dog slice at a barbecue. So we have always had a heightened awareness of this. Don't go near anyone in my family with any plug-shaped food.

[emmybean]

Quartered grapes?!

It's amazing MPT is still alive. He hasn't had anything cut up for him like that (besides hotdogs) dice he was 2.

[meg]

Ugh. Weeklong vacation with the ILs last week (fun) and MIL gave henry a whole, huge grape. SHe is a freaking nurse. And this was after I asked her not to because I was about to give him his bedtime snack of oatmeal ("Hey mil please dont I am about to give him this" "oh well I am giving him a grape anyhow" cue WTF face and "well you have to cut it, grapes are a choking hazard")

I don't remember it but famously choked on a carrot when I was little. So, definitely cautious about that stuff.

[GailGoldie]

i cut up grapes until a few months back... so around 2.5-3yo. I don't ever give them grapes as snacks at school or any time i'm not going to be right there when they are eating them - b/c I'm a freak about choking (a friend choked to death when i was 14yo).

When i was babysitting many years ago the little girl, around 3yo, choked on a grape - my mom was there (was watching her in my house- i was young, maybe 12) and my mom got that thing out- shot across the room.... it scared me for sure - so i always watch closely - or cut them up if for some reason i'm not watching closely (ie- if they are in the stroller eating them, etc)

[meshaliuknits]

BabyLiu won't eat grapes if they're cut. Apparently the pop of biting into the skins, so I stopped cutting them a while ago.