With Christmas parties comes Christmas food and buffets with a lot of finger food. With children and toddlers helping themselves, here are some rules to follow for catering for little ones!

Beware of Round Food!

Cut grapes and cherry tomatoes etc in half lengthways! Or ideally in quarters

If you are out and about always ask for a knife to cut these foods

No bigger than 2 pence!

Always ensure your children’s food is no bigger than a 2 pence piece as this could get stuck!

Narrow batons are the best for vegetables such as cucumber, celery and carrots.

Don’t forget meat! Including hot dogs, ensure they are cut lengthways down the middle, and other meats cut into narrow pieces.

Forget the hard stuff...

Items such as boiled sweets and ice cubes are too big for little mouths so best to avoid them

Other food like nuts and popcorn are best until children are older

Take a seat

Try to encourage (encourage being the important word) to sit and concentrate on what they are eating. This may be a harder at first but can pay off as it reduces the risk

At First Rate Training we offer a Paediatric First Aid training course that is suited to all expectant mothers, mothers and persons working with children! Contact us on 08456 525249

For more tips and rules on how to avoid children on choking, here is a link to Child Accident Prevention Trust (CAPT) website!