Would you feed these to your toddler?

[carolc]

At playgroup yesterday, I was a little surprised to see one of the moms giving her 20mo whole grapes for a snack. Nora wanted some--like, really wanted some--but I was nervous about giving them to her whole because of the choking risk, so I ended up biting them all in half for her. :rolleyes: I think the other mom thought I was NUTS. Her kid did seem to be chewing them just fine.

Am I paranoid? I'm starting to wonder. I still cut or break up most of Nora's food. Do I need to get over myself?

For instance, would you give your under-3 toddler, for him/her to bite and chew him/herself...

Whole grapes?
Whole cherry tomatoes?
Whole olives?
A whole toasted bagel? A whole piece of bread?
Whole corn chips?
Whole crackers?
Whole pieces of harder vegetables and fruits (apples, carrots, cucumber?)

(wow, the word "whole" looks really weird to me right now)

If so, when did you start giving them? Just FTR, I wouldn't give Nora (18mo) any of those except the whole cracker, and only if it was a softer kind of cracker. Am I being OCD?

[Renrel]

21 months:

Whole grapes? - no, thought that is not to say he may not have occassion managed to grab one here and there. I have also bitten them in half when necessary.
Whole cherry tomatoes? see above
Whole olives? - see above, though given the hole in the middle I am less vigilent here.
A whole toasted bagel? A whole piece of bread? Yes, but he eats more if I cut them up, so I usually make bite size pieces for that reason.
Whole corn chips? yes
Whole crackers? yes
Whole pieces of harder vegetables and fruits (apples, carrots, cucumber?) - I go back on forth on these. I am more comfortable with them cut small but at daycare they give slices and they are more consciencous of this kind of stuff then most parents so I have eased up a bit.

I don't remember when we started with all of these, but I would say by 18 months all the same answers applied except maybe for carrots which I may still have insisted on cooking. I still rarely give them to him raw.

I believe the shape of the food is the big thing with grapes and cherry tomatos. The oval shape is easy to get lodged in the throat and difficult to get out. I kind of feel the same about the shape of carrots - kind of cork like, designed to get stuck. The other stuff I feel he can handle and should learn how to hold, bite and chew. But he also started eatting finger foods on his own fairly early and liked them, so he has alot of experience eatting and enjoys it. I might feel different with a late or tenative eatter. We all have lots and lots of teeth including molars.

Hard to believe I forgot this, but Gabe was actually eatting whole apples, peachs and such before one year. He would grab them out of the fruit bowl at grandma and eat pretty much the whole thing while the adults watched making sure he did not get the seeds or pits. He also shocked me in the supermarket when I gave him a bagel to suck/gnaw on and the started taking bites out of it.

My mom just warned me tonight about giving lettus to Gabe. Apparently my sister's nephew and recent my niece through the other sister have both choked on this. It gets stringy and sticks in their throat.

[Littlelamb11]

AW HELL no, LOL. Annie's 3 on monday and i just cut each of her grapes into 8 pieces today at lunch!!! i STILL cut anything smooth and round up into small non-round pieces. so that would include cherry tomatoes and olives if she ate them. :p

i don't think we did a whole bagel to gnaw on until she was around 2. DD still hasn't eated raw veggies (so no raw carrots or cucs) and when i cut up an apple it's either in teeny tiny pieces or starting around 2.5, i would cut her a big wedge (too big to fit whole in her mouth) so she could take bites off since she hates the skin so she eats around it, LOL. whole crackers like fishy size she was fine with a lot younger, like 18 months but something bigger like a square saltine she was ok with just after her first birthday. corn chips she's never had. I don't think she ever ate a chip until after her second birthday.

[Kay]

My DS is almost 3 and I still won't give him whole grapes or cherry tomato. He is ok with bread and crackers. Carrots I go back and forth on.....if the slices aren't too big I let him have them otherwise I cut them in half. I also won't give him popcorn. I saw a woman give her two year old popcorn once. I am just too afraid he will choke on it.

ETA: I meant cooked carrots. I still won't give him raw carrots

[KristyK]

I was a paranoid mother and cut my sons stuff up really small until he was about 4. Didn't matter, at 4 he still choked on a hot dog. And I watched a child need the heimlich when they gave their 2.5 y/o a dorito. Yet, at work, they were giving the less than 2 y/o lifesavers?? I'm still paranoid when watching little ones, and the things their parents give them makes me a nervous wreck!

[knzbound]

Wow, I feel really lax! DD (20 mos.) has been eating whole grapes for months now. I'd say maybe even since around 14-16 mos., can't quite remember. She has no trouble with them. Maybe it depends on what kind of eater Nora is? I know some kids will just shovel a ton of grapes in their mouths at once and gulp rather than chew? DD eats one at a time and has never had a problem. She also has almost all of her teeth, so maybe that is part of her ease with these foods?

I do give her bagel halves and slices of bread to chew on. I break the bagel up sometimes, just because it's easier for her to eat it that way, not because I'm worried about her choking on it.

I also give her all kinds of crackers, whole, although they are mostly small and pretty soft. (Carr's crackers, Kashi multi-grain & cheese varieties, saltines, really almost anything unless it's really hard like a Triscuit). I also give her pretzels, but usually pretzel sticks. I avoid the small traditional pretzel shape and I think many are too hard anyway.

She has had trouble with apple chunks esp. w/skin on them in the past (given to her by another mother while I was in the room) so I peel the apples, cut off quarters, and then slice very thin, almost like for an apple pie, and she has no trouble with these.

I've probably been giving her all these things since well before 18 mos. since it seems like they've been in her snack repertoire for ages and ages. And, to boot, I've given her most of these snacks while driving in the car, with her carseat RF! I've been more worried about her suffocating on the plastic ziploc that holds the snacks than choking.

I steer clear of raw carrots (although she has nibbled on a few here and there), any kind of chip, and popcorn.

Haven't tried cherry tomatoes, although I would probably halve them since I sometimes have trouble eating a cherry tomato whole when the juice explodes and rushes down your throat, ya know?

I don't know about OCD, maybe just extra cautious. I don't necessarily think it's a bad thing. No sense stressing yourself out about N choking at meal- and snacktime, but it probably isn't a bad idea to let her practice on some of the things that aren't all that chokable, like a piece of bread.

[mamahammer]

thomas eats all of those things whole and has since he started eating solids around 18mos

[1_mommy]

my dd will be 2 next month and eats all those foods whole.

[tinkerbelljenny]

my dd will be 2 next month and eats all those foods whole

This is my son too. I have a 2 year old and he has been eating most of these items whole for months except tomatoes-don't think he has ever had one. But whole olives he eats almost every day, I put them on his fingers and he eats them.

[beachlvr]

Thomas is 23 months and he eats whole foods all of the time. He's been eating grapes and tomatoes for months now. And I've never thought twice about bread, bagels, or cornchips, either.

The only thing I'm really weird about is whole baby carrots and hot dogs. Those I slice in half for him. And we don't keep hard candy aropund so that's not an issue.

[dal]

My daughter just turned two a couple of weeks ago.

Whole grapes? No. I cut them in 4s.

Whole cherry tomatoes? No. She doesn't like tomotoes but if she did, I'd cut cherry tomatoes in 4s too.

Whole olives? No. I don't give her olives.

A whole toasted bagel? A whole piece of bread? Yes to both.

Whole corn chips? Yes.

Whole crackers? Yes.

Whole pieces of harder vegetables and fruits (apples, carrots, cucumber?) I cut apples into slices. I don't give her raw carrots (only very cooked). I cut cucumbers into slices.

[carolc]

Fascinating, I say. Quite a variety of responses.

Nora is not a mouth-stuffer, but she isn't that great at chewing. She coughs on food a lot, but has never actually choked. I think it must be the frequent coughing that makes me nervous. Also, she just got her first molars and was a very late teether, so I was cutting things up in tiny bits for Miss Gummy for quite a while. I think it just became habit.

I asked about corn chips because I've heard more than one choking story involving a corn chip. I don't know if I would have been antsy about them if not for that.

[nancy drew]

stella just turned 18 months...

Whole grapes? yep, for about 2 or 3 months now.

Whole cherry tomatoes? no, i think she is allergic so i havent even tried tomatoes

Whole olives? no, no one in our house likes olives so ive never tried those either

A whole toasted bagel? A whole piece of bread? ill give her a sandwich that is cut in 4s, but she holds it in one hand and picks pieces off with the other. sometimes she will chew on the whole thing, so i guess yes. i give her a bagel half that has been torn in 2-3 pieces, but she takes forever to eat it that way so i usually break off smaller bites but thats just to hurry her up.

Whole corn chips? yes, she bites them and make a mess

Whole crackers? yes but i do usually break them in half

she used to gag on everything i gave her. cheerios broken in 4 pieces? gag. gerber puffs broken in 5 pieces? gag. but now she only gags when she eats too much food at once. if it makes a difference i started most of the "whole" foods when she started getting her molars.

[mamax2]

Whole grapes? no
Whole cherry tomatoes? no
Whole olives? no
A whole toasted bagel? A whole piece of bread? no to the bagel, but I would give her bread in 1/2 or 1/4s
Whole corn chips? yes
Whole crackers? yes
Whole pieces of harder vegetables and fruits (apples, carrots, cucumber?)
some... she gets fruits like pears & apples in slices and does very well taking bites. She's starting to get into baby carrots & dip *sometimes* (mostly just using them to lick the dip though
:rolleyes: ) and I sort through and only give her the very skinny carrots, or I use a knife to slice them in half

Overall, DD does really well w/taking bites of things, but I'm just worried that she'd try to start talking or laugh and accidentally lodge a grape or something in her windpipe; however, that doesn't seem as likely w/a cracker, for instance.

[amom]

I would feed it all whole to my almost 3 year old and have for quite some time...probably since 20 months or so.

[lynnh]

Yep - he eats most of those whole (17mo). I haven't given him cherry tomatoes and I always cook veggies. But, I don't just give him the grapes and walk off. I'm watching him to make sure he chews. I do cut them some of the time, but I've found that Aaron eats better when I let him eat things whole. He gets upset when I cut them up too much. I do cut up hotdogs in tiny pieces, and he doesn't mind that. Doesn't make sense I guess.

[T&M'sMommy]

Tyler is almost 3. I cut up his hotdogs, peel the skin off his cucumbers and if he ate grapes would slice them in half. However he does eat popcorn and loves it.

[StephB1170]

grapes- no
popcorn- no
hotdogs- no, I still slice them lengthwise
cherry tomataoes- she won't eat them anyway- same with raw veges...
whole bread, bagels, corn chips, etc- yes...

DD is great at eating, rarely do I hesitate to give her things. Except for the above mentioned....will be two in Oct.

DD #2, who is 16 mos, chokes on everything.....I won't be as lax with her...

[Mrs. M.]

DD can eat all of these foods whole. She eats very delicately though and will nibble on them one-by-one, she never stuffs things into her mouth. She never eats all by herself either.

We also took baby first aid and CPR classes, so we would know what to do (hope we never need it).

[lauren f s]

DD is almost 20 months old and eats all of those things with no problem. I always supervise her whenever she eats, but she's never had a problem with any of those food and she's been eating them for months. She does have all but 4 of her teeth and has always been a good eater, so that may be why I feel okay giving her these things.

[phart]

Yes to all and DS is almost 21 months. He's been eating whole grapes since he was probably close to 1.

[Sarah]

Well my DD is just 3, but she had all those things whole since she was eating them at all. We never cut apples and stuff up- just gave her the apple to gnaw on, same with bagels, bread, etc. Probably starting at around 12 months? The exception is grapes- I always just bit them in half or cut them in half until she was around 2.5ish. I still make her eat them carefully, one at a time, only at the table (some other foods she can have while playing in the LR or wherever). Oh, and I cut up hot dogs until she was around 2 or 2.5.

[maggieb]

Originally Posted by carolc
Whole grapes? no, I halve them every time
Whole cherry tomatoes? yes
Whole olives? she won't eat olives
A whole toasted bagel? A whole piece of bread? no
Whole corn chips? yes
Whole crackers? yes
Whole pieces of harder vegetables and fruits (apples, carrots, cucumber?) no

Helena does stuff food into her mouth, so I have to be very careful with her. Just the other day I have her cut up pieces of an apple with the peel and she stuffed way too many in her mouth while I wasn't paying attention and she started to choke. Scared the bejezus out of me. She managed to cough it up, but from now on I will peel her apples for for and only give her one piece at a time.

I don't think you're being too cautious.

[linda_loo]

in November, my kids will be 3.5 and 2

Whole grapes? no, i cut them in half
Whole cherry tomatoes? same as grapes
Whole olives? yes
A whole toasted bagel? A whole piece of bread? yes
Whole corn chips? yes (but i can't remember the last time we can them)
Whole crackers? yes
Whole pieces of harder vegetables and fruits (apples, carrots, cucumber?) whole apple, yes... whole carrots, no... whole cukes, no, i peel them first.

[dziner]

Whole grapes? no, cut in fourths
Whole cherry tomatoes? doesn't like
Whole olives? usually cut unless they're the soft kind in a restaurant salad
A whole toasted bagel? A whole piece of bread? she can't eat that much, but I'll give her a half or whatever
Whole corn chips? yes, and boy does it keep her happy for a while!
Whole crackers? sure
Whole pieces of harder vegetables and fruits (apples, carrots, cucumber?) no carrots, but thin slices of apples and cukes. really just nibbles on the cukes; spits out the apple skin. I often cut blueberries in half, not b/c of the size but b/c she still has trouble with skins.

carol, you think Nora is a late teether?? Ava had only two teeth till she was 17 months. Currently she has six. I know plenty of kids with full sets who still have a hard time chewing. You know your kid; I know what foods Ava's likely to shove down and what foods she's likely to gnaw on and try to go with that.

[maplekitty]

I just found this thread looking for posts about popcorn...
Anyways, DD is 17 months old and eats all of those thing whole. She's not a food stuffer though and chews things pretty well, so I've never had any concern.

And as for those that still cut up grapes for their 3 year old, I'm sorry but I do think that's a little paranoid. They are going to be in school soon, if not already in preschool...and what if they share food with friends and encounter whole pieces of food. I think by three, you really need to be teaching your kids to take bites properly and chew properly instead of still treating them like babies.

[LeslieR]

I just found this thread looking for posts about popcorn...
Anyways, DD is 17 months old and eats all of those thing whole. She's not a food stuffer though and chews things pretty well, so I've never had any concern.

And as for those that still cut up grapes for their 3 year old, I'm sorry but I do think that's a little paranoid. They are going to be in school soon, if not already in preschool...and what if they share food with friends and encounter whole pieces of food. I think by three, you really need to be teaching your kids to take bites properly and chew properly instead of still treating them like babies.

Did you read the thread EJH posted a while back about a 2 year old at her daughter's daycare that died from choking on a grape? To each their own and all, but personally I'd rather be safe than sorry.

[karlatta]

I just found this thread looking for posts about popcorn...
Anyways, DD is 17 months old and eats all of those thing whole. She's not a food stuffer though and chews things pretty well, so I've never had any concern.

And as for those that still cut up grapes for their 3 year old, I'm sorry but I do think that's a little paranoid. They are going to be in school soon, if not already in preschool...and what if they share food with friends and encounter whole pieces of food. I think by three, you really need to be teaching your kids to take bites properly and chew properly instead of still treating them like babies.
Wasn't there a thread here sort of recently about a child who died after choking on a grape?

I cut grapes because, due to their shape, if they get lodged in my DS's throat they're going to be very, very hard for me to get out. I could more easily get out a cracker, or a piece of bread, or a bite of apple. And my son is learning how to eat properly - key word learning. Bread, apples, crackers, etc. - those are all foods to learn with. Grapes are not.

[Bloomwood]

Did you read the thread EJH posted a while back about a 2 year old at her daughter's daycare that died from choking on a grape? To each their own and all, but personally I'd rather be safe than sorry.

I gave DD (now 22 mos) whole grapes until I read that thread by EJH. I know she gets whole grapes from our sitter once in a while and she's grabbed a few to eat whole before I could stop her, but she actually tells me to cut them most of the time - she knows she's supposed to only eat them cut. She does a very good job chewing and biting, but I choose this to be my paranoid "thing." Of the original list the only thing I'd let her eat is a whole cracker.

I only recently learned that it is okay for her to have raisins and that she has, in fact, been eating them at daycare. Nuts, popcorn and larger dried (not freeze-dried) fruit are still no-nos for me.

[catmom]

Funny how different people think about different food items- i have a friend who cuts up dried cranberries (which are the size of raisins) for her 3 year old, but she gives him whole almonds and cashews. I would think the nuts would be a much bigger problem, and I don't give those to DD at all.

Grapes have been freaking me out since I read that other thread. Fortunately, they've been out of season a while so I haven't had to think about it. Since my DD has developed the bad habit of storing food in her cheeks (chipmunk-style), I'm a little more worried about choking than I used to be. I swear I am on her about this almost every day lately.

[jay&erinn]

Older DD (now 4 years) can have anything whole. However, I've always strayed on the safe side of foods that could be choked on. DD's always been a careful eater, but I could never live with myself if something horrible happened because I just didn't take the time to cut them smaller. She didn't receive whole grapes, tomatoes or popcorn until around 4 years. I think if it was just being paranoid, the Amer Acad of Pediatrics would change their recommendations to a younger age. I'm pretty sure they recommend 4 or even older now.

[Bloomwood]

I've always heard they can't have peanuts or popcorn until they can spell it!

[MichelleRenee]

I almost died choking on a grape when I was a kid. (probably 8 or 9 years old) I tried to bite down on it and it slid right back into my throat. My 2 year old nephew choked just today on a cracker while my mom was watching him. She panicked and if he hadn't gagged and thrown up she doesn't know what would have happened.

People always tell me I am too paranoid but food, but if a little paranoia could save his life - then I'll just take that as a compliment! I still get nervous when I see my 5 year old nephew sucking on a hard candy and I am not shy at all about letting my sister, mom, MIL, SIL or anyone know that such foods can be a choking hazard.

[dana b]

And as for those that still cut up grapes for their 3 year old, I'm sorry but I do think that's a little paranoid. They are going to be in school soon, if not already in preschool...and what if they share food with friends and encounter whole pieces of food. I think by three, you really need to be teaching your kids to take bites properly and chew properly instead of still treating them like babies.
my dd is almost 4 and her school doesn't even allow grapes at school.

dd eats pretty much everything now. i'm uncomfortable letting her have popcorn though. i had popcorn for the kids at ds's birthday party and my 6 yr old niece choked pretty bad on some, not one of my better ideas.

[EJH]

Wasn't there a thread here sort of recently about a child who died after choking on a grape?

I cut grapes because, due to their shape, if they get lodged in my DS's throat they're going to be very, very hard for me to get out. I could more easily get out a cracker, or a piece of bread, or a bite of apple. And my son is learning how to eat properly - key word learning. Bread, apples, crackers, etc. - those are all foods to learn with. Grapes are not.

Yep. One of the 2 year old's in my DD's daycare died choking on a grape at home one night.

I had been giving my DD whole grapes and won't consider it since that happened.

[Mrs. M.]

She panicked and if he hadn't gagged and thrown up she doesn't know what would have happened.


I think that anyone who watches kids should at least know basic first aid skills which include how to react to choking. Maybe suggest a class to her?

[jmvan74]

I started cutting DS (2 1/2) grapes after EJH's thread about the child dying. I don't worry so much about apple slices, bread, bagels, crackers, etc.

He does eat popcorn with me. One peice at a time. He also loves peanuts and pistachios.

[jesseybell]

DD is 19 months old. We've been giving her raisins for 1-2 months now. We still cut up her grapes. At her 18 month appt I asked about hard foods - carrots in particular and he said she could eat them. I give her the thin petite carrots but I watch her like a hawk with them. My mother was freaking out the other day that I gave it to her - I simply told her that if she doesn't feel comfortable doing it, then she doesn't have too.

[f1eur]

My dd is 18 months and I'm very paranoid/careful with what she eats. Anything that is easy to choke on, like grapes, gets cut up. I don't even give her anything to eat while in the car either -- if she were to choke I would have to safely pull over in order to get back there and help her. Not worth the risk, IMO.

[BTB]

A thousand times, no. An occupational hazard, I guess, but I've seen too many of the consequences that come from thinking a toddler can reliably anything, even chew. I'd rather be the paranoid mother of a living child than the laidback mother of a dead one.

[ellidew]

I have a 16 month old with 8 front teeth and 1 molar just popped through:

Whole grapes? Whole cherry tomatoes? Whole olives? No. We slice them in half or in 4ths.

A whole toasted bagel? No

A whole piece of bread? Yes

Whole corn chips? No. He's grabbed these off the table at a restaurant 2 different times so we let him try them and on both occasions i had to quickly yank him out of the high chair and beat his back until it came up. I HATE that!

Whole crackers? Yes. Saltines, gold fish, club crackers, etc...

Whole pieces of harder vegetables and fruits (apples, carrots, cucumber?) Sometimes. He's been given slices of cucumber and radish and he chews on them. Carrots, no way! We haven't tried apples yet and i probably wont until he has more teeth.

[mgrace]

Whole grapes? no, cut in quarters
Whole cherry tomatoes? doesn't like tomatoes
Whole olives? doesn't eat olives
A whole toasted bagel? A whole piece of bread? no--broken in pieces
Whole corn chips? no
Whole crackers? yes for ritz, but no otherwise
Whole pieces of harder vegetables and fruits (apples, carrots, cucumber?) Nope

I admit to being paranoid, but no way am I giving my kid whole, round items that are known choking hazards. I nearly flipped when a friend gave our kids a whole grape.

[kat]

My twins just turned 2.

********
Whole grapes? Whole cherry tomatoes? [Whole olives?]
Nope (they've never had olives, but the same rule would apply). In fact, our pediatrician's office tells all parents at the two-year appointment that they should still be cutting these things up in small pieces. Our ped's office is one of (if not *the*) largest in Chicago, so it's not like it's unconventional advice or anything.

This, btw, is *regardless* of a child's chewing ability. Both of mine can chew just fine (and so far have never choked on anything), but that's not really the point -- the ped told us to cut these things up as a safety precaution, not because they couldn't handle them whole 99.999% of the time.

A whole toasted bagel?
Maybe. (They've only had bagels once or twice and didn't like them much)

A whole piece of bread?
Yes, assuming it's soft.

Whole corn chips?
They've never had, so I dunno. Probably not.

Whole crackers?
The only crackers they really eat are the "Cheddar Bunnies" (like goldfish crackers) that are really small -- so, yes, they have those "whole," but I doubt that's what you meant. :)

Whole pieces of harder vegetables and fruits (apples, carrots, cucumber?)
I've given them slices (not pieces) of apple on occasion but they've never had raw carrots or cucumber (I *do* give them cooked carrots in large pieces (like half a whole carrot)).

[MichelleRenee]

I think that anyone who watches kids should at least know basic first aid skills which include how to react to choking. Maybe suggest a class to her?

We all signed up for a refresher course that very evening.

[BusyBee21]

Caden is 18 months and I still cut up all his fruit for him, except bananas, which he gets in 3 chunks. I still even squish blueberries a bit. I am just paranoid about that stuff, and quite frankly, I am okay with that. He's my kid, and I can be a bit paranoid if I want to. :p

He does, however, eat tortilla chips by himself, with mommy or daddy standing close by. He wouldn't eat a veggie except steamed squash or sweet potatoes, so carrots, lettuce and tomatoes aren't a concern (although I wish he'd try something new!).

[jbenny75]

And as for those that still cut up grapes for their 3 year old, I'm sorry but I do think that's a little paranoid. They are going to be in school soon, if not already in preschool...and what if they share food with friends and encounter whole pieces of food. I think by three, you really need to be teaching your kids to take bites properly and chew properly instead of still treating them like babies.

I feel like this a little bit of a harsh judgement. We all have to do what we're comfortable with and what we feel is right for our children. To each her own. I agree with Karlatta that teaching to chew and letting them practice it can be done on less dangerous foods. At age 3 or so, I think you could also teach your child to bite things like grapes in half if they were given without you around to cut them up.

I had been starting to only halve DS' (21 months) grapes instead of quarter them until I read the thread about the toddler choking on a grape. Now, I quarter them. He loves cherry tomatoes, and those are quartered as well, if not smaller. He goes nuts over tortilla chips, but I break them up into little pieces. He is not allowed to have peanuts or popcorn. Most things he eats are cut up pretty well. He eats whole crackers and that's pretty much it. He is starting to stuff things into his mouth and that really makes me nervous, so we'll be doing little pieces for awhile. Like a PP stated, I'd rather be the paranoid mother of a living child than the laidback mother of a dead one.

[heather 8^)]

DD is 20 months old.

Whole grapes? Whole cherry tomatoes? [Whole olives?] Nope, we cut them at least in half.

A whole toasted bagel? Theoretically, yes. I don't worry about choking, but she'd never finish the whole thing so I'd rather save part of it. :)

A whole piece of bread? yes

Whole corn chips? yes

Whole crackers? yes

Whole pieces of harder vegetables and fruits (apples, carrots, cucumber?) Most of the time I cut up apples, but I worry more about little cubes than I do about think slices. So I'd rather give thin apple slices than little cubes that maybe/maybe aren't small enough (no skin either way). No hard veggies, and no raw veggies that I can think of. Oh, I have given her sliced raw mushrooms.

Honestly, I just follow her lead. I never would have thought cantaloupe would be bad, but 3 times now DD has gagged on super-sweet, soft melon, no matter how I cut it. I'm not giving her any more for a long time because my heart can't take it.

[charissa]

thomas eats all of those things whole and has since he started eating solids around 18mos

ditto... DS always bites into everything first to "taste" it anyway... he's a biter.

[AlisonCO]

My kids are 4 an 2 and if they are sitting at the table, I will give them grapes whole unless they are huge then I cut them in half. I usually cut tomatoes in half. The eat whole bagels, crackers/chips and pieces of toast. They also regularily eat a whole piece of fruit like an apple or pear, although I take the skin off for DD. If we are out or on a picnic, I do cut grapes in half. My kids are not food stuffers and we almost always eat at the table sitting down.

[bunnybeth]

DS is 16 months old, 8 front teeth, 1.5 molars (the second is poking out)

Whole grapes? Whole cherry tomatoes? [Whole olives?]
Nope, quarters

A whole toasted bagel?
He does untoasted mini bagels

A whole piece of bread?
Nope, that would be hard for him to hold. I tear/cut it into smaller pieces that he can hold, but he still has to bite and chew them.

Whole corn chips?
Nope, we're not doing corn chips yet.

Whole crackers?
I usually break them in half unless they're small like the Cheddar Bunnies.

Whole pieces of harder vegetables and fruits (apples, carrots, cucumber?)
Haven't done much harder stuff yet, but apples are cut into chunks.


The only crackers they really eat are the "Cheddar Bunnies"

DS would LIVE off of Cheddar Bunnies if I let him... ;)

[kindermom]

I have a 12 month old DS and a 30 month old DD

Whole grapes? Whole cherry tomatoes? Whole olives? DS/ DD: Nope. They are sliced into 1/2's the barrow way or into 1/4, depending on the size.

A whole toasted bagel? DS: No / DD: Yes

A whole piece of bread? DS: No / DD: Yes

Whole corn chips? DS: No / DD: Yes

Whole crackers? DS/ DD: Yes

Whole pieces of harder vegetables and fruits (apples, carrots, cucumber?) DS: No / DD: Yes

[MizLarner]

All of the items - absolutely. DS is 29 months next week, and he's been allowed to eat all of those for so long I couldn't even tell you when we started.

I'm pretty sure at 18 months I still bit grapes in half for him, but at that time he still only had like 2 teeth. He had a tooth explosion last summer and had all but a couple of canines and his molars by 24 months.

I give my kids half-bagels, but not from a fear of choking. They're just likely to put the thing down and forget about it, so only giving half or less of a bagel means less mess for me.

Chips and crackers tend to get soggy when they're sucked on for 5 minutes ;) so I haven't worried about those. My 2yo hates tomatoes, so that's not even an issue. I think he'd disown me if I didn't hand over the grapes and walk away, though!

We do try to cut apples with a slicer, but Adam has been known to grab an apple on his own and eat it down to the core. When he does put it down and forgets about it, his brother (3) picks it up and finishes it for him.

Popcorn I do worry about sometimes, although I will let the kids have it in small quantities. They don't need so much salt and oil anyway, though.

hotdogs - DH slices them lengthwise to cool them down, otherwise they're not a concern for us.

[Sarah]

DDs are 5 and 2. I give them whole grapes, whole cherry tomatoes, and a beer when they act up. :)

[{b}]

DD is 18 months, has a whole mouthful of teeth and has been eating a whole (ok, ripped in half) slice of bread for a while now. She eats crackers, too.

She has not had cherry tomatoes, grapes, corn chips or apples, carrots, cucumbers

DH tried to give her whole olives while I wasn't around (I would have nixed that as a choking hazard), and DD just played with them and threw them around the dining room.

[adoredh]

I think this depends on what type of eatter you have, and teeth. DS hasn't had his two year molars come in yet (he's 28 months) so I cut up a lot of things that I don't have to cut up for the little girl I watch, who is only 19 days younger then DS. That and she is a very danty eatter, one piece at a time, where DS shovels food in.

For DS:

Whole grapes? cut in half, if they are large, cut in 4ths
Whole cherry tomatoes? he doesn't like tomatoes
Whole olives? same as grapes, halfs or 4ths depending on size
A whole toasted bagel? A whole piece of bread? yes, and yes - we've stopped taking the crusts off his sandwhich now too.
Whole corn chips?never had them
Whole crackers? yes, saltines, and weat thins
Whole pieces of harder vegetables and fruits (apples, carrots, cucumber?) I take a whole apple, peal it, and we sit down and share the apple whole. He takes smaller bites if he has to eat the apple off the core, then if I cut them up. If the apple is cut up in a bowl, he'll shovel pieces in! Carrots, I don't use the baby carrots, I'm old fashioned, I get the kind you have to peal, then I cut them into long skinny french frie sizes. Cucumber, I cut into small pieces for my salads, so that's how he eats them too.

Lettus, I just cut the whole salad into supper small bite size pieces, he loves salad!

[Ellyn]

DS is 2.5 yo now...

Whole grapes? nope, cut in half
Whole cherry tomatoes? doesn't like tomatoes
Whole olives? tried them (as in licked it) and didn't like it :rolleyes:
A whole toasted bagel? He gets half at a time
A whole piece of bread? Yes
Whole corn chips? Yes
Whole crackers? Yes
Whole pieces of harder vegetables and fruits (apples, carrots, cucumber?) No...we slice apples very thin and them give them to DS - I think letting him bite off a piece is better than cutting them in cubes. We usually peel them too.

SIL is SOOOO laid back with her son (and she does daycare). I would never take my kids to her. Her DS (who is almost 2.5 yo) has been walking around with WHOLE apples, carrots, etc. since he was very small. He actually choked on an apple in a restaurant when he was little and she had to get up and turn him over and pound on his back to get it out. It always makes me so angry to think that she is not only responsible for her son, but others too and she is so lax with her own son, I can imagine what her house is like during the day. :(

Do you let your DC walk around and eat? We've always made DS sit down at the table and eat. It drives me crazy when we go to relatives houses and their kids are running all over with food and candy and gum and DS sits so good in his chair and eats, trying so hard to ignore the "fun" going on around him...I can tell he's frustrated, but it is for his safety.

[snoopy30]

DS is 27 months...

I cut his grapes in half (I would do the same for cherry tomatoes and olives IF he ate them)
He gets whole crackers, pieces of bread, etc.
He likes to bite from a whole apple and prefers that over slices...won't eat carrots or cukes :rolleyes:

I certainly allowed DS to have whole food items gradually as he got better at biting and chewing. I don't think it's paranoid to cut things up though at some point it helps to let them "practice" with whole items so that we don't have to cut their food up until their 18 ;)

[mgrace]

And as for those that still cut up grapes for their 3 year old, I'm sorry but I do think that's a little paranoid.
I'll probably still be paranoid at age 5.

[BusyBee21]

Me, too! I will continue to cut up DS' grapes probably until 4 or 5. I will never forget our ped telling us the only time she lost a child to asphyxiation (during her residency) was when a 3 yo choked on a whole grape. That will forever stick with me.

[amew]

My DS is 21 months. I give him whole/large pieces of lots of things--half a grilled cheese, a whole (small) cheeseburger, crackers or chips, corn on the cob, slices of watermelon, etc.--and have for months now. He got teeth really early and has always been a good eater. That said, grapes are really the one thing that give me pause, just because I have heard some bad stories.

Whole grapes? I generally cut them in half, but he has grabbed a whole grape and eaten it before I could cut it up on more than one occassion.
Whole cherry tomatoes? Doesn't like tomatoes
Whole olives? I've never given him olives
A whole toasted bagel? Sliced in half, yes
A whole piece of bread? Yes
Whole corn chips? Yes
Whole crackers? Yes
Whole pieces of harder vegetables and fruits (apples, carrots, cucumber?) He prefers both apples and carrots cooked and therefore generally eats them that way.

[twinnyme]

I'm in the paranoid camp - and this is one of the very very few things I'm paranoid about when it comes to my kids. My DD1 is 4.25 and I still often cut up her grapes. Until she was 4, I *always* did, but she has started to ask for them whole (same with hot dogs) - because I think the kids at school eat them whole. So I started giving them to her whole, but now that DD2, who is 1, is eating grapes, too, if DD1 has them at home, I cut them up (into 8ths) just in case, god forbid, DD2 gets hold of them.

My mother is a pediatric ICU nurse, and has put the fear into me about grapes. I've also heard locally about a story where a 3yo choked on a whole grape and died. Plus, DD1 had no teeth until 14.5 months and though I know she would have been fine eating without teeth, it made me quite cautious. Very different story with DD2 in general, but I still worry about the grapes.

Whole cherry tomatoes? olives? I see cherry tomatoes and whole olives the same as grapes and cut them up.
A whole toasted bagel? Sliced in half, yes
A whole piece of bread? Yes, just started doing this with my 1yo
Whole corn chips? No - I break them up, but she has had whole ones from other people :mad: so I know she can do it, I just still worry about it.
Whole crackers? No, I break them in half
Whole pieces of harder vegetables and fruits (apples, carrots, cucumber?) No to raw carrots but my 1yo has had a whole apple a few times - she gnaws on it and I'm right there and it seems to help her teeth feel better.

[cr8zyforaf]

And as for those that still cut up grapes for their 3 year old, I'm sorry but I do think that's a little paranoid.

Put me in the paranoid camp. I recently started letting my 3.5 year old eat grapes whole, but only when she is sitting and near me. I complained (as did a bunch of other parents) at one of her schools holiday parties because I saw them serving whole grapes to the kids (they were all 3) - the kids were talking and laughing with each other and not really focusing on eating/chewing - that seemed dangerous to me.

I was extremely paranoid until my oldest turned 3, now I am only semi-paranoid.

[Loud_curly]

Wow, I have to confess that I'm clearly not paranoid enough. DS is 17 months, and I don't cut eveything up into small pieces. Hot dogs, yes. Grapes, depends on the size. Crackers, bread, chips - I try to give him smaller pieces, but he can certainly manage on his own. Apples/plums/pears - we peel off the skin, and then he can eat it whole (we watch him for the seeds/pit).

[sem426]

After seeing my 12 year old cousin- yes 12 yr old- almost die from her wind pipe being blocked, after talking/laughing while eating a hot dog, hell yeah i'm going to be paranoid.

Grapes/Tomatoes etc cut into halves, I sometimes even do 1/4's for big grapes for my 3 1/2 year old. Hot dogs- no skin and cut into bite size pieces.

[mcgwigan]

I cut stuff up- grapes, apples into very small, small pieces.

Hotdogs, kielbasa, italian sausage etc, I take the skin off all of those sorts of things and cut them into slices and then quarters.

He had cube steak the other night and I cut that up very small as well.

Crackers, chips etc things like that I do give to him whole. Toast - I cut it into thirds for him, just because it may be easier for him to hold that way.

My DS is 15 months and he still occassionally will take too big of a bite or shove multiple pieces of something into his mouth, so his mouth is too full. He has all his teeth too, so that's not even an issue. Call me paranoid-doesn't matter, every one has their own comfort levels.

[GlamaGal]

I don't cut things like grapes anymore for my 3 1/2 yr. old. But, we have a rule that she cannot walk around with food. She must be seated while eating. I also never leave the room if she's eating. Choking could be on anything, so I'm fearful of all of it. She's a slowwwww eater, too.

However, it's always good to remind each other of the risk. For anyone of any age. I think that's why we pass these stories around.

So I think I'll go back to cutting up grapes. I can make it fun for her by letting her do it with her mini butter knife. I also want her to be aware that brother will be eating things soon, so she can "teach" him. She'll do anything to be a big sister and show him how to do something.

[boilermaker]

At 26m, I let my DD eat a lot of whole/large stuff so long as we are in a controlled setting and eating is her main focus. For the times where she has food and is on the go or in a social situation, I am much more picky about food safety.

grapes & tomatos - I generally still cut them, but DD gets a kick out of pulling them off the vine and I will let her help me that. She'll eat several while doing this and it doesn't bother me.

olives - I buy them pre-sliced most of the time. If we are having a salad at a restaurant with whole olives, I let her eat them as is.

hot dogs and the like - I tend to cut them in half lengthwise and give them to her that way.

I let her eat apples, pears, peaches, corn on the cob, etc whole given my previous caveat. She eats baby carrots as is. I cut whole carrots into sticks.

I know that accidents can happen regardless and I support any parent who takes food safety to a level above me for their comfort. But I am comfortable letting DD have some control/experience over whole foods. It helps with her independent streak and is one battle I often haven't found worthy of the fight.

[catmom]

Whole grapes at 20 months? Probably not. Grapes in particular worry me because of the size/shape and because they are so slippery. I am always on my 4-year old, because she wants to chipmunk handfuls of them into her cheeks (of course, I did the same thing but that's not the point!). I think she stared eating whole ones when she was around 2 or 2.5, but I always watch her closely with them.

My oldest has also always been really bad about sitting still with food in her mouth. Even while sitting at the table she will throw her head back while she's chewing- so frustrating.

[allyray231]

My son will be 4 next month and I still cut his grapes up-usually in half because they are good

[TracyDP]

DD (20m) is a shover/big biter/non-chewer so I tend to still cut a lot of stuff up. I've been working with her taking smaller bites and chewing for a while now but she just turns it into a power struggle and I'm not going to play that game (I offer her a banana to take her own bite and she grabs my hand and tries to shove the whole banana in her mouth). So, Grapes/olives (which she LOVES)/apples/bananas/hot dogs etc. all get cut up. She has gagged/choked on things on several occasions because she tends to swallow without chewing sometimes.

She does eat cheetos, some chips, french fries and a few other things whole (taking bites). I think she likes the crunch of the chips and cheetos (cheetos in our house is usually Trader Joes version of Pirates Booty baked corn puffs, but DD calls them CHEEEE-toes). She will eat a tortilla chip like a little chipmunk nibbling it with her front teeth.

[suzfuzsunflower]

Whole grapes? - I cut grapes into 4-6 pieces.
Whole cherry tomatoes? Doesn't like.
Whole olives? Cut into small pieces.
A whole toasted bagel? A whole piece of bread? He hasn't had a bagel, I break the bread into small pieces.
Whole corn chips? Has not had.
Whole crackers? He will take little bites off of a whole graham cracker.
Whole pieces of harder vegetables and fruits (apples, carrots, cucumber?) I will give him small cut up pieces of apple, and VERY soft cooked baby carrots. I don't always cut up the carrots, but maybe I should.

[jenji]

DS is 19 months and I will let him have all of those. He won't actually eat a whole raw carrot, but sometimes he chews on them. He also isn't a fan of cherry tomatoes.
I do usually cut his grapes in half if we are at home, but if we're out somewhere and I don't have a knife I will let him eat them whole.
DS has always been a fairly cautious eater, though. he'll only eat a small amount at a time and he chews things really well and wont' take another bite until that one's done. I wouldn't leave him unattended with whole grapes or olives or tomatoes, but I do let him eat them

[mcgwigan]

jenji It must be nice to have one that will take a bite and not another until that's gone. I cut up a hot dog over the weekend for DS -first in half then lengthwise in halves and the quarters, so it was like he had a narrow hot dog stick. He stuck one of those whole pieces in his mouth at once!:eek: Of course, he had to take it back out, since he did realize that he had too much to chew, but jeez!!:rolleyes:

[scout]

My dd is 21 months, and I cut grapes in half, as I do with anything that's round and could become lodged in her throat.

The other things you listed, I don't cut up (I do give my dd apple slices, not the whole apple).