The woman decided she needed to speak out about the incident
Wythenshawe Park(Image: )
A woman has shared a warning with parents after witnessing an incident in the park at the weekend.
She decided to take to social media after visiting Wythenshawe Park on Saturday where she saw a family with twin toddlers in the cafe area and they were eating whole grapes.
“I didn’t say anything at the time as I don’t want to tell parents how to parent,” she said on a local Facebook page. “But whole grapes are a massive choking risk! Grapes should be cut into four, length ways so if they do get stuck it’s easier to help dislodge.”
Her post received a mixed response, with some criticising the woman for sharing the details online, saying the parents would be embarrassed to see the post and ‘no one deserves to be outed on Facebook for a parental mistake’.
Wythenshawe Park(Image: Manchester Evening News)
“I get you’re concerned but you should have mentioned it that day instead of making the whole of Facebook aware that there’s a parent with twin 18 month old twins that goes to Wythenshawe Park and lets them eat full grapes,” said one woman.
“That parent could be reading this post embarrassed to comment because of all the comments. Shame on you for outing someone and making them feel like a bad parent on Facebook. I agree that grapes should be cut but I don’t agree with how you’ve gone about this.”
Another said: “I agree, but why feel the need to tell other people how to raise their children? My daughter choked on a cooked slice of carrot, should I tell parents not to feed their children carrots? I choked when drinking a glass of water, does that need highlighting too?”
The Facebook post about the incident(Image: Facebook)
But others defended the woman, including one, who said: “There’s a difference, because of the shape of a grape it’s likely it will get lodged in the airway, carrots are a different shape. Yes you can still choke on absolutely anything, I’ve choked on thin air but it’s the shape that’s very dangerous, lots of children have died, awareness is all this lady is doing it’s up to the parents if they risk it or not.”
The full post was headlined ‘To the parents with twins boys at Wythenshawe Park on Saturday’ and added: “On Saturday 24th January there was a lovely family in the cafe area at Wythenshawe Park with some lovely twin boys around 18 months about lunch time.
“It’s playing on my mind that the boys were eating whole grapes I didn’t say anything at the time as I don’t want to tell parents how to parent. But whole grapes are a massive choking risk! Grapes should be cut into four, length ways so if they do get stuck it’s easier to help dislodge.”
It sparked further comments from Facebook users who suggested the post was an overreaction.
Parents are told to chop grapes up before giving them to children(Image: )
“I’m going to be 60 soon,” said one. “As a child, along with whole grapes, apples with pips in, and radishes straight from the garden, I ate coal, dirt and worms and drank paraffin and I’m still alive!”
Another said: “Oh my god. Better things to stress about. Kids in the 70s had all sorts going on but we survived.”
But others said she was right to highlight the risks, saying: “That’s completely irrelevant. Many MANY children choke on grapes specifically because of the shape of them. You didn’t choke on grapes, which is great, but many children do,” and “maybe the person was scared to tell them to their face because didn’t know what reaction they would get. Judging by some of the replies on here who could blame them. The worry is valid, babies/kids are precious and whole grapes are a choking hazard so why risk it rather than cutting them up. I always cut them up for my kids, as I will for my granddaughter. I’d never forgive myself is something happened.”
NHS advises that to reduce the risk of choking, saying: “Always cut up food – babies and young children can choke on small, sticky or slippery foods. Cut foods like tomatoes, grapes, blackberries and other small fruits into quarters. Cook carrots and make sure sausages are cut into very small pieces.”
For more guidance, visit the NHS website here.