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Parenting
By Emma Wells
Updated: Sep. 8, 2017
Originally Published: April 7, 2017
A mother recently shared an x-ray showing a grape stuck in a child’s throat, and it sent chills down my spine. I have this irrational fear of choking — like when I see someone take an enormous bite of steak, I’m already gearing up to perform the Heimlich maneuver. So, you can bet that introducing solid foods to my kids was quite the experience.
I chop everything into tiny pieces. I can’t help myself. My son is now six years old, and I still slice his grapes in half! Sure, my husband teases me about it, but I’m about to send him this Facebook post I just found to make my point clear.
The x-ray was shared on the Facebook page for the blog Finlee and Me by Australian blogger, Sarah Thompson. The post explained, “This little one had to undergo surgery under general anesthesia to remove the grape. He is VERY fortunate that part of his airway remained open; otherwise, this could have ended tragically. So please remember, not all kids chew their food properly, especially when they’re eager to run off to play.”
Exactly! Kids are like little tornadoes, stuffing food in their mouths and zipping around without a care. If there’s something simple I can do to calm my nerves, why wouldn’t I?
According to HealthyChildren.org, food is responsible for over half of choking incidents. They recommend keeping foods like grapes, hot dogs, raw carrots, and peanuts away from young children. It’s best to cut food into pieces no larger than half an inch, encourage proper chewing, supervise meal times, and ensure kids sit down while eating. Also, keep an eye on older siblings, as many choking accidents happen when they share dangerous items with younger kids.
It’s also super important to share these safety tips during playdates. Don’t just assume every parent is on the same page. I went to my child’s preschool for a holiday party a few months back, and they were offering whole cherry tomatoes to three-year-olds! One parent thought it was a brilliant idea, and the staff was actually handing them out. The same went for a fruit tray full of giant grapes. I kept scanning the other parents, hoping someone else would voice their concern. Eventually, I just had to ask, “Aren’t you going to cut those in half?” I felt like the odd one out, having to sneak into the kids’ room to cut them up. But you know what? I embrace my worry. I cover children’s news for a living, after all.
As Sarah wisely puts it, “When in doubt, just cut the grapes!”