Horrible stories have been flying around social media for the last year or so of children choking on grapes, and although I'm sure a lot of children have been choking on grapes for years, its only just started to be something that is highlighted in media and warnings are sent out to parents to be extra careful about giving there children grapes.
Grapes are even putting so much fear into parents that some are even opting out giving them to there children. Only the other day I was speaking to a mummy of a 15 month old child and she said she wasn't going to give her child grapes until she was older.
I explained to the parent that she doesn't have to make her daughter go without grapes and she can simply cut them up to make them safe.
On the very same day I was with another parent who started cutting up her grapes incorrectly and I had to show her the safe way to chop grapes up. She admitted she really didn't know that she was cutting them up wrong and had been cutting them like that for ages.
So even though it has been on social media a lot about the safety of grapes and how to cut them correctly, there are still parents out there that don't know how to cut up a grape so a child is less likely to choke.
This has brought me to decide to write today's post on how to chop up your grapes. Brilliant if you already know how, but if you don't then I hope that I help at least one person learn how to make grapes safer.
Firstly, this is the wrong way to cut a grape. Grapes are hazardous to choking because of there slippery skin but also there shape. The shape of the grape is the perfect shape to get lodged into a child's throat and its where the grape is at its widest that its most dangerous. So when cut down the middle, although your making the grape smaller, you not actually changing that shape.
The best way to cut up the grape to change its shape is chopping it lengthways. This makes it a lot thinner and isn't as easy to lodge in the throat. If a child does start to choke on a grape at this size, (as its always possible like with anything), then the grape would be a lot easier to get out by the usual first aid you do to a choking child.
You can also go one step further like I do and chop them again. It may take a little longer to do but what's time when it comes to our children's safety. The shape now is completely different and so a lot harder to choke on.
In fact I always chop most things up lengthways, apples, carrots, cucumber so if your going to start chopping your grapes lengthways. Why stop there.
And don't forget, Its always important to be around your child when they are eating any foods, not just grapes.
I hope this helps some people and if you could spread the awareness by sharing this that would be great.
Thank you for taking the time to read and share.
I didn't know this !
ReplyDeleteThanks for the information I'll be more careful in future
I didn't know this !
ReplyDeleteThanks for the information I'll be more careful in future
wow you learn something new every day
ReplyDeleteThis terrifies me! Will definitely be careful about how I cut them up in future!
ReplyDeletethankyou ..as a grandparent not all safety tips are known, will certainly cut like this in the future
ReplyDeleteI didn't know until the poor boy was in the news a few months ago. It shouldn't take a child dying for people to be made aware.
ReplyDeletei never gave grapes to my little one when they were too small simply because i was afraid that they could chock
ReplyDeleteWe used to always do this at work at snack time. I chop them up even smaller for my little girl as I think better safe than sorry, regardless of how long it takes :) Great article for those who were unaware though!
ReplyDeleteI'd probably chop them lengthways and quarterly. At least I now know I'd be doing the correct thing!
ReplyDeleteI have to admit I didn't know this - I'm sure my Mum always did them lengthways! x
ReplyDeleteThat's horrible to think that kids are choking on something which should be so good for their bodies x
ReplyDeleteWhat a great post, it is something so simple that can save a life, I have aways cut mine lengthways not sure why maybe it is something that I have read years ago and it stuck with me
ReplyDeleteOh wow, I had no idea grapes were such a hazard to kids! I'd be chopping them 4 ways for sure if I had children.
ReplyDeleteCorinne x
www.skinnedcatree.com
It makes sense that the shape would affect the child's ability to swallow and cutting them lengthways is an excellent idea.
ReplyDeleteAs a parent I have become so cautious with grapes and anything of a similar shape since I heard all this, you can never be too careful.
ReplyDeleteSo important to share this information as it's something many of us wouldn't really think about.
ReplyDeleteIt's been a long time since I chopped up grapes for my little girl but I always used to chop them lengthways, I remember my youngest sister choking on a grape as a child and it will always haunt me how blue she went because she couldn't breathe!
ReplyDeleteThis post is a life saver. I have been cutting grapes wrong all along.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately I've had to ask nursery NOT to cut Toby's grapes as he flat out will not eat them! BUT he doesn't eat a whole grape, he bites it in half first... strange little man haha! H x
ReplyDeleteI must admit I normally cut mine quite small for my little man but can appreciate that not all parents think to do this. A good thing to highlight, there is no point in children going without.
ReplyDeleteNow this is excellent information. Cutting them that way is so, so, SO smart! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteI have heard about kids choking on grapes, thanks for highlighting this it so parents are aware , these things sometimes get over looked.
ReplyDeleteI've known this for a while. It is really scary isn't it.
ReplyDeleteI remember hearing about this somewhere a while ago but couldn't remember which why it was to cut it. What I thought was right but the pictures really helped to show it properly!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the heads up! I'd never considered that cutting them horizontally doesn't actually help. I think I'd be one of the paranoid mothers that just avoided grapes aha
ReplyDeleteI had no idea that it was even necessary to cut grapes, but that's probably because I'm not a parent. I can see why little children could choke on them though.
ReplyDeleteI'd never heard about this. it makes so much sense to cut them lengthways though when you think about it.
ReplyDeleteGreat tip, such a small task could make all the difference!
ReplyDeleteGreat info! Thanks
ReplyDeleteDidn't know this. Thank you x
ReplyDeleteI never fed my little one's grapes but useful to know
ReplyDeleteI never fed my little one's grapes but useful to know
ReplyDeleteI'm so careful to do this, it's such a worry!
ReplyDeleteVery interesting and important to know. My mum told me this the other day xx
ReplyDeleteMy little one will be weaned soon so this is well worth knowing
ReplyDelete