How small do you cut up LO's food? still bite-size, or do you leave it bigger and let them take bites? We do mostly bite-size, but we're working on bigger. She does great if you give her a whole cracker or something to bite, though.
I cut grapes in 1/2. Do you still cut blueberries? They seem like a choking hazard to me, even when they're small, so I cut them in half.
How about sandwiches?
Tatum is really good about taking normal-size bites of stuff now (as opposed to trying to stuff 1/4 of a banana in her mouth at once), but I cut a sandwich in 1/4s for her the other day, and she proved that she still needs smaller pieces than that, or at least better supervision when she's got big pieces.
Oops.
Re: Cutting up LO's food?
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Anything round gets cut up (blueberries, grapes) because of the shape of their windpipe. Sandwiches, pancakes, (soft things) get cut up in thin strips (maybe 3/8 inch thick?). He takes bites out of a banana, but I have to sacrifice my fingers in the process because he will stuff his mouth too full and choke.
He wants to be an independent eater (refusing cut up bits of food and crying for the big piece) but he's still not completely ready (as evident by him choking this weekend on banana, but I was watching him and he spit it right out when I flipped him).
DS does really well at taking bites and not putting too much in his mouth at once.But, I still cut up his food for my peace of mind (and because it seems to cool faster). DH will give him 1/2 a bananana or 1/2 a sandwich and he does just fine with it. DS definitely prefers larger pieces of food and taking bites.
I still cut up grapes and blueberries. We only eat hotdogs in the summer (and I don't think DS has ever really had a hotdog).... but I would definitely cut those up as well. Some friends in the medical field told me hotdogs are a huge choking risk for kids... and it scares me. I'm also too nervous to give DS m&m's.
He's regressed with taking bites ... he either shoves the whole thing or takes the smallest nibbles possible and drags meals out forEVER.
I used to give him the whole cheese stick to munch on while I prepped meals but now he thinks its funny to put the whole thing in there! He used to do great with a whole banana but now if he gets sick of it, he tosses the whole thing to the dog and I'm out a whole banana! And usually all he needs is a drink of water to reset him and get him interested in the banana again, so we're back to cutting it up.
I pretty much cut everything up except blueberries.
We're somewhere in the middle. Blueberries get cut in half, grapes get quartered (or even in eighths if they're the giant globe grapes). Hot dogs are always diced, and apples are either diced or cut into thin slices. Strawberries I cut into bites, blackberries and raspberries I either leave whole or cut in half. I cut pasta up so it's easier to scoop with a fork or spoon. Meats are cut into bites.
Most other things are left bigger. I usually make her a half a sandwich and then cut that in half, pancakes/waffles are usually cut in half and she bites off them. She eats bananas whole, pears and peaches sliced.
I still cut things like grapes, hot dogs, and meats for my 3yo. Things that are more likely to be choking hazards or that I would cut for myself will be cut until they prove they can chew it well enough or can cut it on their own.
DD1 Feb 2010
DD2 Sept 2011
I cut something's bite sized, like pb&j.
Blueberries, no they are whole. Grapes whole, unless they are giant grapes.
Most other food is strips
? Voted Cool Cat ~ 2012 Sweetpea Mom Awards ?
Meats I cut slightly smaller than I cut for myself just because he has a smaller mouth.
Sandwiches and toast I cut in quarters.
It really depends on what kind of moods she's in. I still cut grapes in half no matter what. Sometimes she likes to eat a banana with a fork, other times she likes to take bites from the whole banana.
ETA: Even when I cut something bite size, like meat, she still tends to scoop up 2-3 bites at a time.
Depends on her mood. Some days she will eat a banana in slices, sometimes she wants it just cut in half. Some days she wants her sandwich in quarters, sometimes in half. Some things are bite size, some things she just wants to take bites off of. It gets a little frustrating sometimes
If it's something that's a choking hazard, like grapes, I do usually cut it smaller.