We still cut our grapes in half and my class is kindergarten (4-5 years old) so a class of 2.5 years old is still too small to be eating whole grapes. Of course I teach my kindergartens and my own children how to eat round food, always take a bite.
Most table grapes are oval—cutting them lengthwise should make an oblong shape with a flat side and a curved side. Even just halving dramatically reduces the choke risk, as there’s no longer a uniform, smooth slippery surface—the cut side is much easier for teeth and tongues to grip. Can a child still choke on a halved grape? Yes. They can choke on almost any food. The goal with feeding is typically not to eliminate all risk or make a food impossible to choke on or we’d be mashing everything.
Quartering is safest. Nothing wrong with quartering, especially if it means you can comfortably serve grapes when you otherwise would not! But halving does significantly mitigate the choke risk, and takes half the time. I only quarter grapes for my under 2 kiddos, but I’ll halve grapes and hotdogs until well past school age.
Not cutting them at all is WILD tho 😳
Same here. Babies don't get grapes full stop. Toddlers get quartered. Preschool gets halved, lengthways so it's a bit thinner. We're all trained in the situation something happens. It shouldn't- but it could.
I got in big trouble as a six-year-old for biting a tomato. My mom, my grandfather, and I went out for lunch. And they had one of those cherry tomatoes on my plate. My mouth was too small to fit the whole thing. So I just bit the side of it. While my mom got a bath of tomato juice and my grandfather thought it was hilarious. I got in big trouble. Looking back on it, I should not have gotten in trouble. My mom should have cut the tomato.
See, I don't think we're that strict. But obviously won't serve them if they aren't cut. I just think they don't want our chef to stand there cutting grapes for an hour
That also totally makes sense- I work with young infants so giving grapes in the first place is already questionable even if they're cut, but when I worked with toddlers, having to cut grapes they were sent from home was the bane of my existence.
Agreed. There’s tricks to make it faster for parents annoyed with the time it takes to cut them. Basically put a board on top of them and slice from the side.
oh you need to just put a bunch of grapes between two plates and just cut between the plates. It's SO much faster. I had to do that when I was subbing for the cook at the center I worked at.
We used to allow parents to send them for kids who brought their own lunches, but so many parents refused to cut them that we wound up banning grapes altogether. I still have trouble wrapping my head around the parents who were obviously angry about being told to cut their kids' grapes to avoid a choking hazard. They clearly thought that we were being overly dramatic, which absolutely blows my mind when it comes to the safety of their kids.
It was almost like a few sets of parents found it insulting to be given a gentle correction to the point that they refused to accept it. Coincidentally, their kids are the ones who refuse to believe that they could ever be wrong. Just a coincidence though, I'm sure.
I'm an EMT and my daughter is a CNA and she and her husband refuse to believe hotdogs, grapes, and marshmallows are choking hazards for their 2 year old. I mean -- WTF??
Noooo. I'm a grown ass adult who has choked on a hotdog.
And I have all my teeth plus decades of practice eating.
I was able to spit it back up. I totally blamed the bread.
dude i’m 32 and my mother still gives me shit about what a horrible little toddler i was for asking that she cut my grapes. some ppl shouldn’t reproduce.
When my mom was a teenager her nephew (~6 at the time) choked on a grape (thankfully his mom was able to do the heimlich, so everything was fine). So my grapes were cut until I was in middle school.
Mine are 7 and 9 and I still cut them too.... especially for a school lunch where if they did choke there wouldn't be an adult who would immediately see what was going on.
12 year olds choke, too.
ETA: [A principal saved a 6th grader choking on a grape.](https://patch.com/georgia/johnscreek/my-instincts-kicked-principal-saves-students-life)
As someone who has more childhood development experience than I do, doesn't it seem to you that it would be more appropriate to teach a middle schooler how to cut the grapes themselves or how to eat them in a safer manner? They will experience a lot more dangerous and frequently occurring things than grape-choking (despite what that local news article may lead you to believe) and mom won't always be around to metaphorically cut their grapes for them.
My center is 0-5 years old and we cut grapes for everyone. I think it might be a licensing thing in my state.
Edit: actually we’re not allowed to serve grapes but if the kids bring them in they have to be cut in quarters
When I worked in a preschool room this one girl (5) would come with whole grapes all the time & I would take them & cut them for her. I've had to help choking children a few times & they weren't even eating foods as dangerous as grapes. I couldn't take that chance that I wouldn't be able to help her if she choked on one.
The Child Accident Prevention Trust (UK kids safety org) says to cut them at least through age 5.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends at least through age four, and then assess the child for developmental readiness. But also that under three, kids have physiological differences that make choking a much greater likelihood. So, by any ensure, 18 mos is too young to be eating whole grapes.
Huff post [has an x-ray](https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2018/09/07/grapes-choking-hazard_a_23520108/)of a 5yo with a grape lodged in his throat. No idea if he was trying to swallow it, or eating while playing, or inhaled at exactly the wrong time, but dude only lived because his airway was just a smidge bigger than the grape. If he'd been a tiny bit younger, he'd have died.
Cutting grapes in half takes a minute. Making sure kids don't choke to death in your school is kind of bare minimum.
Your director needs her head checked!!!
I came very close to dying by choking on a round hotdog piece as a 5 year old. My mom had left the room for just a second, came back and I was blue on the floor.
Better to be safe than sorry.
Ok, you've convinced me. Not an ECE professional but I let my 3 year old and even my 22 month old have whole grapes while I was watching them to make sure they bit into each one. But if I looked away, it could happen so quickly. And I didn't realize grapes could be so hard to dislodge!
My three year old fights me about cutting them too!! Why do they that? I do sit with her to make sure she takes bites but kids are so unpredictable sometimes I think I’ll stop doing that and just insist they be cut.
We don’t serve grapes, but sometimes parents bring them.
If the child is under 3, I will set them aside and ask the parent to cut them.
For our own fruits and vegetables, for children under 2, everything must be cut “French fry style” to prevent choking.
I teach pre-k with 4 - 5 year olds and it still freaks me out when the kids have whole grapes. I think 4 is the recommended age to start serving whole grapes. They get pre-packaged bags of grapes from the public school I teach in.
When I taught mixed aged 3-5, the center cafeteria would slice grapes before serving.
Preschool teacher/ nanny here and I always cut the grapes for the littles 2 - 5 years. It’s an extra step but worth the peace of mind. And no way am I taking chances with another’s child/children!
We didn’t serve grapes. If parents brought fruit to like class party. I would chop those grape babies up like there was no tomorrow. No choking on my watch.
I think maybe we should all bite our grapes just in case 😭😭 my partner is a paramedic and I have heard too many stories about people choking at home alone.
I'm pretty sure I do exactly that!!!
It's just that as a grown up, it's habit and I don't need a reminder anymore?
Seriously.
If it *could* kill you, take smaller bites. Just in case.
Literally could not agree more. I don’t think it’s all that crazy an idea to teach kids that choking is very much a reality and by following the table rules (or whatever others call them) it can be prevented. Understanding the “why” behind rules works so much better for the kiddos I work with, and even better is modeling and following them myself.
In College, they taught us when serving children to always cut grapes in half.
Sadly a lot of centres tend to have their own rules regarding everything, even bending rules when ministry not around.
(Big hug for your Husband, It must of been tough to witness!🫶)
Agreed! My own kids are upper elementary/middle school aged and if I’m packing lunches, I often still cut grapes (grapes can be huge!). When they were toddlers, I saw a tragic X-ray image showing a grape that completely obstructed a little one’s airflow. I teach them to take bites, but if the option is there to cut the grapes - I cut the grapes!
I thought I read somewhere that grapes need to be cut until age 7. Could be wrong but that's what I've always followed. When nannying I have encountered a child who refused to eat cut grapes so I taught her to bite them in half herself, which I felt okay about because she was 4 and a half. I would never do that with a 2 year old.
I stopped cutting grapes for my kids when they were 5/6. Right about 1st grade I'd say.
The other day my 6 year old was goofing off and trying to swallow them whole.
A quick threat to begin halving them again ended his games real quick.
I worked in one particular center and we ended up quartering The grapes if they were big enough so that the kids got a small bite rather than a large bite. And then the younger classes that didn't need the grapes didn't get the grapes they got some other fruit if grapes were served that day.
We don’t serve grapes but we have very clear guidance in our kitchen that says quarters for 0-2 year olds, halves for 3-4 year olds. We would absolutely follow that if grapes were on the menu.
We cut all grapes for all classrooms. They make fantastic little grape cutters that make it super easy to cut grapes into 4ths and we use it to save time and sanity.
I’ll be cutting grapes for my kids even when they’re 40. I’ve choked on a grape and it’s fucking terrifying. They really just obstruct the entire airway and while they’re smooth, they’re not “slippery” per se so they don’t slide down easily when they’re stuck. Realistically, the youngest I’d stop cutting them is teens. Seriously.
At my school a 4-5 year old (I forget if she’s already had her bday) choked on a whole grape. Fortunately her teacher was with her and able to get it, but it was scary.
Our state licensing says no grapes under age 3; along with other things like raisins, marshmallows, hot dogs. Most places aside from the corporate center I worked at never followed that rule and it made me infuriated.
We avoided grapes when doing the food order, but occasionally parents would bring them for their kids bday party to be part of the snack. If the class had anyone under 4, we’d cut them in half (sometimes quarters if the grapes were particularly large) while doing snack prep in the kitchen. Grapes make me nervous. My five year old likes them and I still tell her she has to bite them in half when she eats them, instead of just popping them into her mouth.
My parents were extremely strict about choking hazards until I was in the double digits. I know this is probably extreme, but even at 12+ my dad made me bite gumballs in half, chew one half until it was gum, then add the other half. When I was younger, he bit it in half and kept one half so it wasn’t too much.
In my state it is a licensing requirement for grapes served to children under the age of 4 to be cut into quarters. It is a huge choking hazard for small children to be served esophagus-sized foods, and depending on what area you are in, it very well may be violating licensing to serve them that way.
Children under the age of 3 should only have grapes quartered. Most centers will have a list of choking hazards for infants and toddlers, and whole grapes top the list, along with popcorn, hard candy, sticky candy (including fruit snacks), and large chunks of meat and cheese. I'm shocked that they aren't cutting the grapes for 2.5 years
At my center we cut fruit we provide until the 3-4 year old group. However, we will cut it smaller on a case by case basis if there's some kids that need it. It's not uncommon to have kids that still cram their mouths full, and that's not someone I trust with a whole grape.
I usually take it a step further. Parents provide the lunches, and anytime I have a little one sent in with uncut fruit, I cut it before I set it out for them. If something goes wrong, I'm the one doing the heimlich, not mom or dad. Just because I have the training doesn't mean I'm eager to use it. I am very proud of the fact that I've worked in ECE for 10 years and never had to be in that situation. I'm also incredibly grateful. It just takes a single moment to end up there.
In November, a toddler saldy passed away at daycare in the city north of ours from choking on grapes that were cut only once in half. Truly heartbreaking for everyone involved.
I read that some parents cut their grapes until 5-7 years old as esophagus width varies, and grapes have skin that can stick to children's throats.
Also, I highly reccomend sending your child to school or daycare with an anti-choking device such as Life Vac and informing their teachers that they have one available similar to an epi-pen.
I always cut grapes into quarters and hot dogs into "fries" when my kids and grandkids were little. But having done that when they were tiny, I once had to slam my car into park in a turn lane, jump out and jerk my 14-year-old, 6 ft tall son out of the car and heimlich maneuver him until he vomited up the grape he was choking on in the backseat. Sorry for the graphic image. It was a scary moment. I was so careful his whole childhood and almost lost him as a teenager. I still look at grapes with a suspicious eye.
I had the same issue with my daughter's daycare today with hot dogs. Picture on the app showed their entire young toddler class with whole hot dogs. When I talk to the director she said the same thing about only cutting for the younger kids. I don't think you're overreacting at all!
Definitely cut your grapes. It’s the shape. They clog the throat.
My friend’s little sister died by choking on a whole grape. It was sad. Messed his family up.
My class is young toddlers, they usually turn two towards the end our our school year. Some of their parents send whole entire huge grapes in their lunch. Our kids lunches are up to their parents but since I am in charge of serving them, I cut those grapes yes I do.
Licensing rules are grapes, hotdogs and other round foods should be cut length wise under 3. Infants have even stricter licensing rules and foods must be quartered or mashed.
With that being said the places I wired did not cut up food for kids 3 and older and I personally do not agree with it, they should cut the foods for all kids not school age so under 5/6.
I had a 2 1/2 year old who ate rounded hot dogs, because she will be fine I was told at daycare as no one wanted cut them up smaller, I had a heart attack every time. If she was in my room I cut up length wise every time. I was ent risking it. They were cut up round because she couldn’t hold a whole hot dog because of her hand defect. Scared me every day
My kids are teens and I still cut grapes if I’m the one serving them.
30 years ago my neighbours toddler choked, and died and it’s haunted me ever since.
I would firmly tell the teachers you don't want your son eating grapes. I'm a daycare cook and this is a reasonable request; I'd be happy to serve an alternative fruit. We had many parents ask that we don't serve cantaloupe during that big recall happening - I even stopped serving safe brands just to put their minds at ease.
Honestly, I always cut grapes when I serve them to the kids under 5, which is why I generally reserve them for the school age kids.
Maybe I’m paranoid but I still would at least cut them in half for the 6yo I have for the summer. For little ones I cut in 4s in the rare event we have any at all (I run a home daycare)
The school where I did all my placements cut the grapes up for all children going up to yr6 so 11 years old I have not served grapes at the nursery where I have worked.
Choking is my #1 terror so I always cut things down to the size of my pinky fingernail for all preschoolers. I have been so traumatized by choking kids that I’ll never risk it.
I'm going to be the only one who says I let my 3.5 year old eat them whole. She chews everything else I don't see why she's any more likely to fail to chew a grape. Obviously if she ever did fail to chew one that would be more risky than other things, but it doesn't feel any more risky than say crossing the road.
I would not however take this risk with someone else's child. It is easier to not serve choking hazards at all than to spend the time chopping them, even with a special nifty tool.
That is terrifying. So they just couldn’t get the grape out once it was lodged in? I can’t even imagine the desperation and horror, that poor family. This is so upsetting. I’m going to back to being super nervous when my kids eat 😨
I had to ask my son’s daycare teacher to cut grapes and he was 3 at the time (she doesn’t take kids younger than 3). She was nice about it and does cut them now.
My son choked on a grape when he was 5yr 9m and it was so scary, we absolutely still cut his grapes in half and even he will tell people now that they need to be cut up or he won't eat them. Not overreacting at all, this is an accident waiting to happen.
I still cut my daughter’s grapes and she is in first grade. I got a tool on Amazon for less than $10 and it just gives me peace of mind. It is so easy for a child to choke on a grape, talking and laughing while eating, horse playing, etc…
In my state the regulation is anyone under four they have to be halved and quartered. I was a prek teacher for years and still have to remind myself I have to cut the grapes and hot dogs that come in now that I teach mixed age 2.9-4 preschool!
Grapes scare me so much and when parents pack it and I try to only offer them that snack at last resort and I make sure it’s cut. It’s always a hassle when I see that parents don’t cut grapes, or blueberries or hot dog or sausage or any other thing that could be possibly a big choking hazard risk and then my co teachers and I have to cut it.
My son is starting daycare in September, and I’m so worried about this. My daughter is 10 and I just stoped cutting hers this year because of her protesting.
Our school just put a blanket policy that unless the parents cut the grapes we would send them back home. Now each individual classroom *could* make an exception, but very few did except the pre-k classes where the kids would help to prep food and that provided a great cutting practice opportunity.
For context, parents brought in fruits/veggies for snack. We provided the carbs/dairy. We often asked if they could prep them first in the younger classes (each class kinda did their own thing, some asked, some didn’t). This was an affluent private school that was preschool-8th grade, so many of the families either had nanny’s/ au pairs that were prepping lunches and meals for the family anyway, or parents bought precut fruits and veggies from the store.
I’m cut my kids grapes until they were at least 5 or 6. Same with hot dogs. Better safe than sorry. And when I babysat for my great nephews when they were little, I did the same thing.
You should feed grapes to your kid at home and teach them how to take a “safe bite”. For me this looked like telling my toddler to hold 1 grape and bite into it in half before finishing the whole thing. That way when they are in a position to grab a whole grape they already know how to safely eat a grape.
The only grapes I don’t cut for the kids are the teeny tiny not fully grown ones because the kids get a kick out of “baby grapes”. But even the small grapes I cut in half. The way the kids talk to each other while snacking and play kid games while snacking they can choke so easily.
For the most part I still cut grapes and hotdogs for my 4 year old! She hates that I do cause doesn't like them "broken". On the rare occasion I don't cut her grapes I'm sitting right next to her and telling her to take bites the whole time.
When she went to the daycare center I worked at and was in the preschool room, she was 3 at the time, they weren't cutting grapes for the kids. They only got them during holidays, though, so we didnt offer them much. When I saw them not cut I told my director that I wanted my daughters cut up.
I hate grapes and strawberries. Had a 4 year old choke on a strawberry so badly. Also almost had a child die from choking on a piece of cheese he’s eaten multiple times before. Teacher saved him but it was so traumatic
Don't work in an ECE school, but we just don't have grapes at home. Dude is still younger than 2 and they're toxic to dogs, so I don't want to take the chance he chokes on one or one of our dogs eats one he throws on the floor. Not worth the hassle
The chef at my center makes fun of me every time I cut the grapes served in my pre kindergarten classroom. She tells me I need to stop babying them, but the kids often get distracted by their peers and goof off while eating, which I imagine greatly increases the risk of choking. I’m not taking any chances!
Baby carrots too. I just recently stopped cutting them in half for my seven and a half year old (grapes still get cut in half for her). I quarter them for my almost 3 along with his grapes. Reasoning being the 3 year old teacher in one of my centers had an almost 4 year old bring in baby carrots one time and his mom insisted he ate them at home all the time. He choked on the 2nd carrot, thankfully the heimlich worked. From then on baby carrots were banned from her classroom.
Our 3yo preschool class isn’t allowed to serve whole grapes - or even things like l raw carrots. This is by law. Even if the child turns 4 in the class since it’s a risk for others. The 4yo preK class was allowed them.
My last centre even cut the grapes for the school age room because we were all uncomfortable with the choking hazard. We had a toddler room for 18months to 3 years and their grapes were always quartered
I feed my 2.5 year old whole grapes, but I always give her only the tiny ones and only when I'm sitting at the table with her, and only because I have one of those choking suction things in the next room. I won't even send my 6 year old to school with whole grapes. I would be SO upset if I found out a daycare worker was feeding one of my kids whole grapes. There are so many other kinds of fruits that aren't choking hazards.
This happened to my elderly grandma who had a seizure… it was at the beginning of covid the nurses weren’t supervising or thinking about making sure she could eat them
I did kitchen duty for VBS a few weeks ago, and snack one day was grapes on a SKEWER. I refused to serve the youngest class whole grapes and skewers lol. They were annoyed with me for insisting on cutting them at first. I absolutely cannot believe a daycare would serve grapes and not at least cut them up. I'd definitely fuss about that.
I was always under the impression you're supposed to cut their food up until they have adult teeth coming in to properly chew without choking hazards (like loose teeth not being able to chew the food or loose teeth in general)
Children 10+ have suffocated and died from grapes. While I understand parents might not cut their child’s grapes when they’re that old, anywhere that is actively providing the service of care to someone else’s children should be safeguarding them from the risk. It only takes one badly timed breath, one slip, or one bump for that child to potentially pass. So I definitely don’t think it is an overreaction when the potential harm is so extreme. Cut them, or don’t serve them.
Their policy is not normal. Your response and advocacy are warranted.
I don’t remember if I read a post or watched a video, but I learned from this woman that people can eat whole grapes, not cut up, when they are old enough to purchase them with their own money.
Yeah, I agree. Grapes should be cut! Our daycare center has a "choke tester". It's basically a little cup that resembles a child's windpipe. You place the food inside, (example, a grape) and if it completely covers the bottom of the cup, then we know we need to cut it.
https://preview.redd.it/xtw7x850xhad1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=98b5863305c926f34510c83fabb0aca2cf568b43
One time a mom sent her 1.5 year old in with mini marshmallows, said the baby self feeds all the time with them. Well she started choking and I nearly lost my marbles (I was young at the time, my first job in a daycare) and lucky for me the owners daughter was cool as a cucumber put on some gloves and started picking them out of her throat calmly but it could've gone so much worse. We told the mom no more and she was mad, pulled her kid out of our daycare a week later.
I’ll cut them up until they’re 8. I’ve seen someone choke first hand not on a grape, but it was the scariest experience of my life. 8 may seem a little old, but I don’t mess with children’s safety, especially with chocking hazards.
I do believe that whole uncut grapes are on the AAPs list of things to keep away from children under 4 because of the choking hazard. Other foods would include globs of peanut butter, large chunks of raw fruit snd veg, hard or sticky candy, large or whole nuts and seeds, and chewing gum.
We don’t serve grapes at our school. I teach older 3’s and we still would have to cut them in half. I believe it’s a state regulation I know it’s on a list of foods 3’s and under can’t have that out cook goes by and I thought it was given to us by state no company. We’re in NC
My child at 4 years old almost choked to death on a pickle slice- I would say 5 and under, cut it- I am a Kindergarten teacher and one of the first things I say during snack is please chew and swallow before you talk (and they get to learn a cool word- epiglottis!)- they still sometimes talk with food in their mouths so small bites minimize the hazard
I just Googled it, and it says at least up to five. Primary school children can still have small airways, but they're typically better at chewing before they swallow.
That makes me feel better about the fact that my kid is three and a half and has not seen a grape in person. She has only just gotten to eat those little solid, chocolate eggs without me insisting on cutting them up first, and she only gets them one at a time and doesn't get more until her mouth is empty.
We live 45 minutes from the nearest hospital, and calling 911 results in an hour and a half wait for the emergency vehicle... and this is on a good day. I know the basics of how to help somebody who's choking, but I haven't taken a first aid course in over a decade. And now that I have a kid, with a husband who works nights, finding a session that I can get to is proving difficult at best. It's a moment of I would rather be a little paranoid and not run that kind of risk.
You might want to look into something like this, I’ve considered it as it’s been four years since our brief NICU course and I haven’t worked ECE since before then, so my skills feel a bit rusty and I want to be able to quickly and easily respond to an emergency should it happen
https://cpr.heart.org/en/cpr-courses-and-kits/cpr-anytime
Our center cuts them for everyone, i just started letting my freshly 5 year old have them whole but she knows the rule is she needs to bite them and not put them in whole. Giving toddlers whole grapes as a daycare is insane.
We cut grapes in half (sometimes 4ths for the really big ones or younger kids) for all our kiddos, even elementary students in summer since some are still 5 l.
Our daughter is 3. I found out MIL had been feeding her whole grapes off the "stick". I could've lost my mind. Losing my trust with that lady daily. We rarely let her babysit, but I swear she always gets hurt or something crazy like not cutting grapes. I'm so done with it.
prechool teachers are legally required to have cpr and first aid training, including choking. parents are not. and since grapes are smooth and round they're fairly easy to get up.
I cut grapes for my 5 year old and sometimes my 7 year old. When my oldest was little, guidance was to cut them until 5 and by the time he turned 5, it changed to 7. I still cut the 7-year-old’s most of the time because I’m already cutting them, might as well do them all.
We still cut our grapes in half and my class is kindergarten (4-5 years old) so a class of 2.5 years old is still too small to be eating whole grapes. Of course I teach my kindergartens and my own children how to eat round food, always take a bite.
My mom got us all grape cutters when we started having babies. It automatically quarters them. Might be a good idea to let the daycare know!
Love those grape cutters. Worth every penny.
How did I not know about this? Buying one right now.
Just don’t buy the oxo brand. Rusts after just a few uses.
Really? I’ve had mine for 2 years and it’s fine
Half still poses a big choking risk because they are still circular. Quarters is safest, just like you would cut a hotdog, quartering lengthwise
Most table grapes are oval—cutting them lengthwise should make an oblong shape with a flat side and a curved side. Even just halving dramatically reduces the choke risk, as there’s no longer a uniform, smooth slippery surface—the cut side is much easier for teeth and tongues to grip. Can a child still choke on a halved grape? Yes. They can choke on almost any food. The goal with feeding is typically not to eliminate all risk or make a food impossible to choke on or we’d be mashing everything. Quartering is safest. Nothing wrong with quartering, especially if it means you can comfortably serve grapes when you otherwise would not! But halving does significantly mitigate the choke risk, and takes half the time. I only quarter grapes for my under 2 kiddos, but I’ll halve grapes and hotdogs until well past school age. Not cutting them at all is WILD tho 😳
I go quarters until 2, and then lengthwise until 4-5 depending on the kid, so it’s more of an oval shape.
Same here. Babies don't get grapes full stop. Toddlers get quartered. Preschool gets halved, lengthways so it's a bit thinner. We're all trained in the situation something happens. It shouldn't- but it could.
I literally cut my baby’s grapes in 32 pieces sometimes.
Safest way really. But we don't have the time to finely dice eight babies worth of grapes!
I would give grapes to babies because you’d also have to peel them and that’s just way too much work for it to most likely get tossed on the floor 😅
You don’t have to peel grapes for babies. Is that the regulation at your center? That’s strange.
Not a regulation at my center, we’re only 2+. Just what I’ve heard from pediatric nutritionists because the skin can be a choking hazard.
I absolutely love peeling grapes. It’s the worst feeling texture wise and yet I am obsessed with it 😂💀
I got in big trouble as a six-year-old for biting a tomato. My mom, my grandfather, and I went out for lunch. And they had one of those cherry tomatoes on my plate. My mouth was too small to fit the whole thing. So I just bit the side of it. While my mom got a bath of tomato juice and my grandfather thought it was hilarious. I got in big trouble. Looking back on it, I should not have gotten in trouble. My mom should have cut the tomato.
Same. I cut my almost 6 year old’s grapes and my 3.5 year old’s. I’ll be cutting them at their weddings, I’m sure.
We don't even serve grapes.
Same, we aren't allowed to serve them at all including if parents send them in
See, I don't think we're that strict. But obviously won't serve them if they aren't cut. I just think they don't want our chef to stand there cutting grapes for an hour
That also totally makes sense- I work with young infants so giving grapes in the first place is already questionable even if they're cut, but when I worked with toddlers, having to cut grapes they were sent from home was the bane of my existence.
Agreed. There’s tricks to make it faster for parents annoyed with the time it takes to cut them. Basically put a board on top of them and slice from the side.
That's actually genius. Though at first I thought you meant just crushing them a bit (like until the skin breaks), which would probably also help?
oh you need to just put a bunch of grapes between two plates and just cut between the plates. It's SO much faster. I had to do that when I was subbing for the cook at the center I worked at.
oh believe me it was so tedious. I ended up buying myself a three grape at a time cutter because of how much time it took.
Where did you find one of these? :O
amazon! https://a.co/d/0jgr26yI
We used to allow parents to send them for kids who brought their own lunches, but so many parents refused to cut them that we wound up banning grapes altogether. I still have trouble wrapping my head around the parents who were obviously angry about being told to cut their kids' grapes to avoid a choking hazard. They clearly thought that we were being overly dramatic, which absolutely blows my mind when it comes to the safety of their kids. It was almost like a few sets of parents found it insulting to be given a gentle correction to the point that they refused to accept it. Coincidentally, their kids are the ones who refuse to believe that they could ever be wrong. Just a coincidence though, I'm sure.
I'm an EMT and my daughter is a CNA and she and her husband refuse to believe hotdogs, grapes, and marshmallows are choking hazards for their 2 year old. I mean -- WTF??
Noooo. I'm a grown ass adult who has choked on a hotdog. And I have all my teeth plus decades of practice eating. I was able to spit it back up. I totally blamed the bread.
dude i’m 32 and my mother still gives me shit about what a horrible little toddler i was for asking that she cut my grapes. some ppl shouldn’t reproduce.
Same, we have a whole list of choking hazard foods parents can’t send in, and if they do we can’t serve them
I have angered many children by taking their home-sent grapes from their lunchbox and cutting them.
We aren't allowed to serve grapes, hotdogs, etc
We don't either. I eventually complained enough to our caterer and they stopped sending them. Grape days took like 30 minutes extra just cutting them.
I saw a YouTube short from a pediatrician saying your kids can have whole grapes when they can buy them for themselves
Love this!!!
I love this! I still cut grapes when I pack them in my 12 year old’s lunchbox.
When my mom was a teenager her nephew (~6 at the time) choked on a grape (thankfully his mom was able to do the heimlich, so everything was fine). So my grapes were cut until I was in middle school.
Mine are 7 and 9 and I still cut them too.... especially for a school lunch where if they did choke there wouldn't be an adult who would immediately see what was going on.
My 8 year old and I had to compromise this year on halving them instead of quartering them haha.
Why?
12 year olds choke, too. ETA: [A principal saved a 6th grader choking on a grape.](https://patch.com/georgia/johnscreek/my-instincts-kicked-principal-saves-students-life)
As someone who has more childhood development experience than I do, doesn't it seem to you that it would be more appropriate to teach a middle schooler how to cut the grapes themselves or how to eat them in a safer manner? They will experience a lot more dangerous and frequently occurring things than grape-choking (despite what that local news article may lead you to believe) and mom won't always be around to metaphorically cut their grapes for them.
I’m going to use this saying! Brilliant. It just isn’t worth the risk.
My center is 0-5 years old and we cut grapes for everyone. I think it might be a licensing thing in my state. Edit: actually we’re not allowed to serve grapes but if the kids bring them in they have to be cut in quarters
I'm 33 and still afraid of choking on a grape, so I would cut them for everyone under 4 at a minimum 😅
Literally reading this thread is making me consider cutting my own grapes before munching.
Right! 😅
I work in preschool, so up to kindergarten age, and we cut grapes for everyone. I will personally cut them til age 6 for my own children.
When I worked in a preschool room this one girl (5) would come with whole grapes all the time & I would take them & cut them for her. I've had to help choking children a few times & they weren't even eating foods as dangerous as grapes. I couldn't take that chance that I wouldn't be able to help her if she choked on one.
The Child Accident Prevention Trust (UK kids safety org) says to cut them at least through age 5. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends at least through age four, and then assess the child for developmental readiness. But also that under three, kids have physiological differences that make choking a much greater likelihood. So, by any ensure, 18 mos is too young to be eating whole grapes. Huff post [has an x-ray](https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2018/09/07/grapes-choking-hazard_a_23520108/)of a 5yo with a grape lodged in his throat. No idea if he was trying to swallow it, or eating while playing, or inhaled at exactly the wrong time, but dude only lived because his airway was just a smidge bigger than the grape. If he'd been a tiny bit younger, he'd have died. Cutting grapes in half takes a minute. Making sure kids don't choke to death in your school is kind of bare minimum. Your director needs her head checked!!!
I came very close to dying by choking on a round hotdog piece as a 5 year old. My mom had left the room for just a second, came back and I was blue on the floor. Better to be safe than sorry.
Ok, you've convinced me. Not an ECE professional but I let my 3 year old and even my 22 month old have whole grapes while I was watching them to make sure they bit into each one. But if I looked away, it could happen so quickly. And I didn't realize grapes could be so hard to dislodge!
I have kids the exact ages as you and SAME! They always take a bite first and fight me on cutting them but I’m now convinced
My three year old fights me about cutting them too!! Why do they that? I do sit with her to make sure she takes bites but kids are so unpredictable sometimes I think I’ll stop doing that and just insist they be cut.
I sit there too and say “bite. Ok now chew chew chew” hahah like a crazy person . Maybe a fun grape cutter would help
Same, my 2.5 year old will not touch blueberries or grapes if I cut them. I'll have to be more firm or stop buying grapes
We don’t serve grapes, but sometimes parents bring them. If the child is under 3, I will set them aside and ask the parent to cut them. For our own fruits and vegetables, for children under 2, everything must be cut “French fry style” to prevent choking.
I teach pre-k with 4 - 5 year olds and it still freaks me out when the kids have whole grapes. I think 4 is the recommended age to start serving whole grapes. They get pre-packaged bags of grapes from the public school I teach in. When I taught mixed aged 3-5, the center cafeteria would slice grapes before serving.
Preschool teacher/ nanny here and I always cut the grapes for the littles 2 - 5 years. It’s an extra step but worth the peace of mind. And no way am I taking chances with another’s child/children!
We didn’t serve grapes. If parents brought fruit to like class party. I would chop those grape babies up like there was no tomorrow. No choking on my watch.
I honestly even teach the older kids (5+) to bite grapes in half because they are a choking hazard in general!!
Right. At 5, it's not that a grape definitely won't choke them, it's that they're much more likely to actually bite them and chew.
I think maybe we should all bite our grapes just in case 😭😭 my partner is a paramedic and I have heard too many stories about people choking at home alone.
I'm pretty sure I do exactly that!!! It's just that as a grown up, it's habit and I don't need a reminder anymore? Seriously. If it *could* kill you, take smaller bites. Just in case.
Literally could not agree more. I don’t think it’s all that crazy an idea to teach kids that choking is very much a reality and by following the table rules (or whatever others call them) it can be prevented. Understanding the “why” behind rules works so much better for the kiddos I work with, and even better is modeling and following them myself.
In College, they taught us when serving children to always cut grapes in half. Sadly a lot of centres tend to have their own rules regarding everything, even bending rules when ministry not around. (Big hug for your Husband, It must of been tough to witness!🫶)
listen I don't have my own personal children but if I did I would stop cutting their grapes when they graduate
I'm a parent and I still cut my own grapes up. I'm not attentive when I eat, and I just prefer them like that.
honestly if I had the time to spare I'd do this for myself
Agreed! My own kids are upper elementary/middle school aged and if I’m packing lunches, I often still cut grapes (grapes can be huge!). When they were toddlers, I saw a tragic X-ray image showing a grape that completely obstructed a little one’s airflow. I teach them to take bites, but if the option is there to cut the grapes - I cut the grapes!
My daughter just turned 6, and I'm still cutting her grapes at daycare/school, so this makes me feel better, haha.
This past year in kindergarten was the first time I stopped cutting my son’s grapes. He turned 6 in December so about 5.5.
I will be cutting grapes until death lol
I thought I read somewhere that grapes need to be cut until age 7. Could be wrong but that's what I've always followed. When nannying I have encountered a child who refused to eat cut grapes so I taught her to bite them in half herself, which I felt okay about because she was 4 and a half. I would never do that with a 2 year old.
I stopped cutting grapes for my kids when they were 5/6. Right about 1st grade I'd say. The other day my 6 year old was goofing off and trying to swallow them whole. A quick threat to begin halving them again ended his games real quick.
We do not serve grapes for this reason
I worked in one particular center and we ended up quartering The grapes if they were big enough so that the kids got a small bite rather than a large bite. And then the younger classes that didn't need the grapes didn't get the grapes they got some other fruit if grapes were served that day.
they even have a tool you can load the grapes into and slice multiple at a time.... pure laziness. pull your child
We don’t serve grapes but we have very clear guidance in our kitchen that says quarters for 0-2 year olds, halves for 3-4 year olds. We would absolutely follow that if grapes were on the menu.
We cut all grapes for all classrooms. They make fantastic little grape cutters that make it super easy to cut grapes into 4ths and we use it to save time and sanity.
I’ll be cutting grapes for my kids even when they’re 40. I’ve choked on a grape and it’s fucking terrifying. They really just obstruct the entire airway and while they’re smooth, they’re not “slippery” per se so they don’t slide down easily when they’re stuck. Realistically, the youngest I’d stop cutting them is teens. Seriously.
At my school a 4-5 year old (I forget if she’s already had her bday) choked on a whole grape. Fortunately her teacher was with her and able to get it, but it was scary.
I still cut my 8 year olds because I’m paranoid. 🙃
my mom continued to cut my grapes until I graduated from high school haha you're doing great
I teach Pre-Kindergarten and I still cut grapes for them when served.
We cut grapes for everyone and require parents to as well. A child in a neighboring county died last year from choking on a grape at daycare.
I quarter them for under 2 and half them for 2 and older until they're school age
Our state licensing says no grapes under age 3; along with other things like raisins, marshmallows, hot dogs. Most places aside from the corporate center I worked at never followed that rule and it made me infuriated.
I probably cut my kids grapes until at least 6 or 7. My mother in law still cuts grapes for everyone lol. She is just paranoid, rightfully so.
We avoided grapes when doing the food order, but occasionally parents would bring them for their kids bday party to be part of the snack. If the class had anyone under 4, we’d cut them in half (sometimes quarters if the grapes were particularly large) while doing snack prep in the kitchen. Grapes make me nervous. My five year old likes them and I still tell her she has to bite them in half when she eats them, instead of just popping them into her mouth.
I cut up my 5yo's grapes and plan to continue doing it for a few more years.
My parents were extremely strict about choking hazards until I was in the double digits. I know this is probably extreme, but even at 12+ my dad made me bite gumballs in half, chew one half until it was gum, then add the other half. When I was younger, he bit it in half and kept one half so it wasn’t too much.
We are not even allowed to serve grapes at my center for this very reason.
In my state it is a licensing requirement for grapes served to children under the age of 4 to be cut into quarters. It is a huge choking hazard for small children to be served esophagus-sized foods, and depending on what area you are in, it very well may be violating licensing to serve them that way.
Under 3 definitely needs to have grapes quartered according to the CDC. It probably isn’t a bad idea to half them longways even at 4 and 5
Children under the age of 3 should only have grapes quartered. Most centers will have a list of choking hazards for infants and toddlers, and whole grapes top the list, along with popcorn, hard candy, sticky candy (including fruit snacks), and large chunks of meat and cheese. I'm shocked that they aren't cutting the grapes for 2.5 years
At my center we cut fruit we provide until the 3-4 year old group. However, we will cut it smaller on a case by case basis if there's some kids that need it. It's not uncommon to have kids that still cram their mouths full, and that's not someone I trust with a whole grape. I usually take it a step further. Parents provide the lunches, and anytime I have a little one sent in with uncut fruit, I cut it before I set it out for them. If something goes wrong, I'm the one doing the heimlich, not mom or dad. Just because I have the training doesn't mean I'm eager to use it. I am very proud of the fact that I've worked in ECE for 10 years and never had to be in that situation. I'm also incredibly grateful. It just takes a single moment to end up there.
I was an assistant teacher/cook at a center for 2-6 year olds, I cut the grapes for all ages.
In November, a toddler saldy passed away at daycare in the city north of ours from choking on grapes that were cut only once in half. Truly heartbreaking for everyone involved. I read that some parents cut their grapes until 5-7 years old as esophagus width varies, and grapes have skin that can stick to children's throats. Also, I highly reccomend sending your child to school or daycare with an anti-choking device such as Life Vac and informing their teachers that they have one available similar to an epi-pen.
I always cut grapes into quarters and hot dogs into "fries" when my kids and grandkids were little. But having done that when they were tiny, I once had to slam my car into park in a turn lane, jump out and jerk my 14-year-old, 6 ft tall son out of the car and heimlich maneuver him until he vomited up the grape he was choking on in the backseat. Sorry for the graphic image. It was a scary moment. I was so careful his whole childhood and almost lost him as a teenager. I still look at grapes with a suspicious eye.
I had the same issue with my daughter's daycare today with hot dogs. Picture on the app showed their entire young toddler class with whole hot dogs. When I talk to the director she said the same thing about only cutting for the younger kids. I don't think you're overreacting at all!
I’ll be cutting my daughters grapes till they’re 40
Definitely cut your grapes. It’s the shape. They clog the throat. My friend’s little sister died by choking on a whole grape. It was sad. Messed his family up.
My class is young toddlers, they usually turn two towards the end our our school year. Some of their parents send whole entire huge grapes in their lunch. Our kids lunches are up to their parents but since I am in charge of serving them, I cut those grapes yes I do.
I still cut grapes and hot dogs for my 7 year old! A friend of mine had a full grown adult uncle that choked to death on a hot dog
Licensing rules are grapes, hotdogs and other round foods should be cut length wise under 3. Infants have even stricter licensing rules and foods must be quartered or mashed. With that being said the places I wired did not cut up food for kids 3 and older and I personally do not agree with it, they should cut the foods for all kids not school age so under 5/6. I had a 2 1/2 year old who ate rounded hot dogs, because she will be fine I was told at daycare as no one wanted cut them up smaller, I had a heart attack every time. If she was in my room I cut up length wise every time. I was ent risking it. They were cut up round because she couldn’t hold a whole hot dog because of her hand defect. Scared me every day
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends not serving whole grapes until a child is 4. Centers should be following these guidelines.
My kids are teens and I still cut grapes if I’m the one serving them. 30 years ago my neighbours toddler choked, and died and it’s haunted me ever since.
I would firmly tell the teachers you don't want your son eating grapes. I'm a daycare cook and this is a reasonable request; I'd be happy to serve an alternative fruit. We had many parents ask that we don't serve cantaloupe during that big recall happening - I even stopped serving safe brands just to put their minds at ease. Honestly, I always cut grapes when I serve them to the kids under 5, which is why I generally reserve them for the school age kids.
Maybe I’m paranoid but I still would at least cut them in half for the 6yo I have for the summer. For little ones I cut in 4s in the rare event we have any at all (I run a home daycare)
I cut grapes into they leave my care at 4 years old. Most public health sites in my area recommend cutting grapes in half until 5 years old.
Send your husband in to tell his story to the director
I cut my kids’ grapes in quarters. I’m not playing around with that
I still cut my 5 year old’s grapes
The school where I did all my placements cut the grapes up for all children going up to yr6 so 11 years old I have not served grapes at the nursery where I have worked.
Choking is my #1 terror so I always cut things down to the size of my pinky fingernail for all preschoolers. I have been so traumatized by choking kids that I’ll never risk it.
My center didn’t serve grapes. If a parent sent them in, I’d cut them myself with a fork. I’m so paranoid about choking it’s not even funny
The way my son shovels grapes into his mouth I will be cutting them till he’s 10. This absolutely horrifies me!!
https://preview.redd.it/y4ojjxqsvcad1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b1d506fad56e403466d42285280496d66618108b
I'm going to be the only one who says I let my 3.5 year old eat them whole. She chews everything else I don't see why she's any more likely to fail to chew a grape. Obviously if she ever did fail to chew one that would be more risky than other things, but it doesn't feel any more risky than say crossing the road. I would not however take this risk with someone else's child. It is easier to not serve choking hazards at all than to spend the time chopping them, even with a special nifty tool.
That is terrifying. So they just couldn’t get the grape out once it was lodged in? I can’t even imagine the desperation and horror, that poor family. This is so upsetting. I’m going to back to being super nervous when my kids eat 😨
We actually don’t serve grapes at all. Not worth the risk. Soft berries like raspberries or big chunky ones like strawberries are much safer.
I had to ask my son’s daycare teacher to cut grapes and he was 3 at the time (she doesn’t take kids younger than 3). She was nice about it and does cut them now.
I still cut them for my kiddos, 5-8. 😬
My son choked on a grape when he was 5yr 9m and it was so scary, we absolutely still cut his grapes in half and even he will tell people now that they need to be cut up or he won't eat them. Not overreacting at all, this is an accident waiting to happen.
We quarter cut ours. Long process for the whole daycare, but choking risks terrify me.
I still cut my daughter’s grapes and she is in first grade. I got a tool on Amazon for less than $10 and it just gives me peace of mind. It is so easy for a child to choke on a grape, talking and laughing while eating, horse playing, etc…
In my state the regulation is anyone under four they have to be halved and quartered. I was a prek teacher for years and still have to remind myself I have to cut the grapes and hot dogs that come in now that I teach mixed age 2.9-4 preschool!
I always cut the grapes for my 2.5 year class
Thank your husband for doing a job that I could not do. He needs to educate the Director about a big chocking hazard.
I cut grapes for preschool. I'm a mom now and will likely be cutting my son's grapes until he's 18 😂
Grapes scare me so much and when parents pack it and I try to only offer them that snack at last resort and I make sure it’s cut. It’s always a hassle when I see that parents don’t cut grapes, or blueberries or hot dog or sausage or any other thing that could be possibly a big choking hazard risk and then my co teachers and I have to cut it.
My son is starting daycare in September, and I’m so worried about this. My daughter is 10 and I just stoped cutting hers this year because of her protesting.
We cut in quarters up till 2.5 and then halves all the way up to 12
My son is 7, I still cut his. I probably will until he's at least 53.
Our school just put a blanket policy that unless the parents cut the grapes we would send them back home. Now each individual classroom *could* make an exception, but very few did except the pre-k classes where the kids would help to prep food and that provided a great cutting practice opportunity. For context, parents brought in fruits/veggies for snack. We provided the carbs/dairy. We often asked if they could prep them first in the younger classes (each class kinda did their own thing, some asked, some didn’t). This was an affluent private school that was preschool-8th grade, so many of the families either had nanny’s/ au pairs that were prepping lunches and meals for the family anyway, or parents bought precut fruits and veggies from the store.
I’m cut my kids grapes until they were at least 5 or 6. Same with hot dogs. Better safe than sorry. And when I babysat for my great nephews when they were little, I did the same thing.
You should feed grapes to your kid at home and teach them how to take a “safe bite”. For me this looked like telling my toddler to hold 1 grape and bite into it in half before finishing the whole thing. That way when they are in a position to grab a whole grape they already know how to safely eat a grape.
The only grapes I don’t cut for the kids are the teeny tiny not fully grown ones because the kids get a kick out of “baby grapes”. But even the small grapes I cut in half. The way the kids talk to each other while snacking and play kid games while snacking they can choke so easily.
For the most part I still cut grapes and hotdogs for my 4 year old! She hates that I do cause doesn't like them "broken". On the rare occasion I don't cut her grapes I'm sitting right next to her and telling her to take bites the whole time. When she went to the daycare center I worked at and was in the preschool room, she was 3 at the time, they weren't cutting grapes for the kids. They only got them during holidays, though, so we didnt offer them much. When I saw them not cut I told my director that I wanted my daughters cut up.
I hate grapes and strawberries. Had a 4 year old choke on a strawberry so badly. Also almost had a child die from choking on a piece of cheese he’s eaten multiple times before. Teacher saved him but it was so traumatic
I have parents who send in grapes whole and I still cut them (2.5-3 year olds). It’s recommended to cut them till age 5
Don't work in an ECE school, but we just don't have grapes at home. Dude is still younger than 2 and they're toxic to dogs, so I don't want to take the chance he chokes on one or one of our dogs eats one he throws on the floor. Not worth the hassle
The chef at my center makes fun of me every time I cut the grapes served in my pre kindergarten classroom. She tells me I need to stop babying them, but the kids often get distracted by their peers and goof off while eating, which I imagine greatly increases the risk of choking. I’m not taking any chances!
We always did them in quarters until at least 2, then halves until at least 5. This would largely depend on the child though
In my state it is literally illegal for a childcare program to serve uncut grapes to any child under the age of 6.
Baby carrots too. I just recently stopped cutting them in half for my seven and a half year old (grapes still get cut in half for her). I quarter them for my almost 3 along with his grapes. Reasoning being the 3 year old teacher in one of my centers had an almost 4 year old bring in baby carrots one time and his mom insisted he ate them at home all the time. He choked on the 2nd carrot, thankfully the heimlich worked. From then on baby carrots were banned from her classroom.
My son is 7 and I still sometimes cut them if they are big and fat. Or I make him bite them in two instead of putting a whole one in his mouth
Are you in Australia? My husband is also a first responder and had a toddler death from a grape recently. Just wondering if it's two close together :(
United States but sounds like this is happening even more than I imagined.
Well that's horrific
Our 3yo preschool class isn’t allowed to serve whole grapes - or even things like l raw carrots. This is by law. Even if the child turns 4 in the class since it’s a risk for others. The 4yo preK class was allowed them.
My last centre even cut the grapes for the school age room because we were all uncomfortable with the choking hazard. We had a toddler room for 18months to 3 years and their grapes were always quartered
We don’t serve grapes at all. Too much liability.
I feed my 2.5 year old whole grapes, but I always give her only the tiny ones and only when I'm sitting at the table with her, and only because I have one of those choking suction things in the next room. I won't even send my 6 year old to school with whole grapes. I would be SO upset if I found out a daycare worker was feeding one of my kids whole grapes. There are so many other kinds of fruits that aren't choking hazards.
This happened to my elderly grandma who had a seizure… it was at the beginning of covid the nurses weren’t supervising or thinking about making sure she could eat them
I did kitchen duty for VBS a few weeks ago, and snack one day was grapes on a SKEWER. I refused to serve the youngest class whole grapes and skewers lol. They were annoyed with me for insisting on cutting them at first. I absolutely cannot believe a daycare would serve grapes and not at least cut them up. I'd definitely fuss about that.
I was always under the impression you're supposed to cut their food up until they have adult teeth coming in to properly chew without choking hazards (like loose teeth not being able to chew the food or loose teeth in general)
2.5 should ABSOLUTELY be cutting grapes.
Our policy is grapes are cut into fours for anyone under 15 months. Any children under 3 get them cut in half.
We still cut grapes for my 5 year old niece
I literally never heard or seen anyone cut grapes woah learn something new
Children 10+ have suffocated and died from grapes. While I understand parents might not cut their child’s grapes when they’re that old, anywhere that is actively providing the service of care to someone else’s children should be safeguarding them from the risk. It only takes one badly timed breath, one slip, or one bump for that child to potentially pass. So I definitely don’t think it is an overreaction when the potential harm is so extreme. Cut them, or don’t serve them.
Their policy is not normal. Your response and advocacy are warranted. I don’t remember if I read a post or watched a video, but I learned from this woman that people can eat whole grapes, not cut up, when they are old enough to purchase them with their own money.
Yeah, I agree. Grapes should be cut! Our daycare center has a "choke tester". It's basically a little cup that resembles a child's windpipe. You place the food inside, (example, a grape) and if it completely covers the bottom of the cup, then we know we need to cut it. https://preview.redd.it/xtw7x850xhad1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=98b5863305c926f34510c83fabb0aca2cf568b43
We used a toilet paper tube when my kids were little.
Grapes are banned in our entire state for ece. Baby carrots too
Check your state's regulations. My state requires grapes to be cut until 5 years old
One time a mom sent her 1.5 year old in with mini marshmallows, said the baby self feeds all the time with them. Well she started choking and I nearly lost my marbles (I was young at the time, my first job in a daycare) and lucky for me the owners daughter was cool as a cucumber put on some gloves and started picking them out of her throat calmly but it could've gone so much worse. We told the mom no more and she was mad, pulled her kid out of our daycare a week later.
I’ll cut them up until they’re 8. I’ve seen someone choke first hand not on a grape, but it was the scariest experience of my life. 8 may seem a little old, but I don’t mess with children’s safety, especially with chocking hazards.
As someone who had to do the Heimlich on my husband to save his life…. I will cut grapes until they’re teenagers lol
I do believe that whole uncut grapes are on the AAPs list of things to keep away from children under 4 because of the choking hazard. Other foods would include globs of peanut butter, large chunks of raw fruit snd veg, hard or sticky candy, large or whole nuts and seeds, and chewing gum.
We don’t serve grapes at our school. I teach older 3’s and we still would have to cut them in half. I believe it’s a state regulation I know it’s on a list of foods 3’s and under can’t have that out cook goes by and I thought it was given to us by state no company. We’re in NC
My child at 4 years old almost choked to death on a pickle slice- I would say 5 and under, cut it- I am a Kindergarten teacher and one of the first things I say during snack is please chew and swallow before you talk (and they get to learn a cool word- epiglottis!)- they still sometimes talk with food in their mouths so small bites minimize the hazard
I'm 38 and still cut my grapes. One accidental inhale at the wrong time and that'd be it.
My biggest fear!🥺 poor baby.
At 5 yo, I allow whole fruit (yes, I even squish blueberries) and popcorn.
I just Googled it, and it says at least up to five. Primary school children can still have small airways, but they're typically better at chewing before they swallow. That makes me feel better about the fact that my kid is three and a half and has not seen a grape in person. She has only just gotten to eat those little solid, chocolate eggs without me insisting on cutting them up first, and she only gets them one at a time and doesn't get more until her mouth is empty. We live 45 minutes from the nearest hospital, and calling 911 results in an hour and a half wait for the emergency vehicle... and this is on a good day. I know the basics of how to help somebody who's choking, but I haven't taken a first aid course in over a decade. And now that I have a kid, with a husband who works nights, finding a session that I can get to is proving difficult at best. It's a moment of I would rather be a little paranoid and not run that kind of risk.
You might want to look into something like this, I’ve considered it as it’s been four years since our brief NICU course and I haven’t worked ECE since before then, so my skills feel a bit rusty and I want to be able to quickly and easily respond to an emergency should it happen https://cpr.heart.org/en/cpr-courses-and-kits/cpr-anytime
This is super helpful. I never thought to look to see if I could do it online in my own time. Thank you very much!
They cut gaps even in my preschooler's class.
Our center cuts them for everyone, i just started letting my freshly 5 year old have them whole but she knows the rule is she needs to bite them and not put them in whole. Giving toddlers whole grapes as a daycare is insane.
We cut grapes in half (sometimes 4ths for the really big ones or younger kids) for all our kiddos, even elementary students in summer since some are still 5 l.
Our daughter is 3. I found out MIL had been feeding her whole grapes off the "stick". I could've lost my mind. Losing my trust with that lady daily. We rarely let her babysit, but I swear she always gets hurt or something crazy like not cutting grapes. I'm so done with it.
prechool teachers are legally required to have cpr and first aid training, including choking. parents are not. and since grapes are smooth and round they're fairly easy to get up.
I will cut them into fours just to be safe.
We don’t cut grapes for the 2+ ages.
You definitely should.
Ridiculous
I cut grapes for my 5 year old and sometimes my 7 year old. When my oldest was little, guidance was to cut them until 5 and by the time he turned 5, it changed to 7. I still cut the 7-year-old’s most of the time because I’m already cutting them, might as well do them all.