Please don’t let your children eat common allergens while playing on public playground equipment

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When my kids were playground age I never let them have nut butters on a playground. It just seems a common courtesy. They can have it at home plenty; they don't "need" it for a snack outside. I'm sorry your kid has such severe allergies, it must be terrifying

Why stop at ON the playground? If the nut allergy is so deadly that whatever is eaten at home can find it's way to the park, then OP really needs a complete ban on these foods. Because the magical thinking that the park equipment is clean as long as nobody is currently eating peanut products while ON the equipment is bizarre and nonsensical and sounds dangerous to kids like OPs child. Why risk the park at all?

This is so moronic. I don't get why you PPs are so triggered. Someone's kid could die. She's asking for courtesy and awareness. You lose your mind bc someone asked you to be considerate. You create an outlandish hypothetical about banning peanuts. Other PPs bemoan the loss of FREEDOM. It's a MF nut. It's not the end all be all. No one is asking for a ban, just awareness of the other kids who could die from it.

Though given how hard it was to get folks to mask during COVID when millions died, I understand that asking for courtesy for children with allergies is next to impossible

I'm just in constant awe and what total self absorbed jerks Americans are. We're really freaking terrible to each other.

Ok but- there is a big difference between "do you mind not giving them that nut snack on the playground/ not giving them milk on the playground because my child is allergic" and "no one should ever eat foods in public because someone could be allergic". OP isn't saying she has asked people to put snacks away and they've refused. She is saying that they should pre emptively put all snacks away, and wash hands well, prior to playing in a public park. Which is unreasonable. If she asks someone to please put the snack away because of an allergy, most people who aren't jerks would comply. But no I'm not going to tell my kid he can't eat his granola bar at the park because it's possible that someone, somewhere, is allergic to an ingredient in it.

I think the problem is precisely what you are seeing on this thread. Can you imagine having a child with a severe nut allergy in this world and dealing with the litany of PPs who have insulted her kid as "gene deficient" "Immunocompromised - in italics to insulate non-existence", and the other completely cruel, below the belt taunts at what is a preschooler? I just cannot believe what people with chronic illnesses and/or conditions are up against. So yes, she is asking for consideration and keeping the nut products at bay. It is not unreasonable. It offends no one's sensibilities as it is a quite relatively small ask considering.

But in light of the pages of DCUM terrorists, I think this pretty much sums this up - I'm just in constant awe and what total self absorbed jerks Americans are. We're really freaking terrible to each other.

NP. I agree we should all exercise a bit of common empathy, but OP's post wasn't exactly looking for friends. And THAT is the problem with America. You can't find two people who can agree to compromise on anything. Rather than being willing to come to the middle and acknowledge that given how common peanut allergies are we probably shouldn't let our kids eat PB&J sandwiches while playing on the playground equipment, we have the two sides of "my kid has an allergy so you need to alter your entire life to accommodate them" and "I don't give a flying fig about anyone's kids but my own so if you kid dies because they're allergic to my kid's favorite snack then, well, survival of the fittest."

It's the same issue with anything - gun control, abortion, you name it. People say things that are inflammatory and/or obnoxious and it just drives people to their separate sides instead of promoting compromise. OP could have posted asking for people's ideas about how to handle the situation. She could have acknowledged that her kid isn't any more important than anyone else's kid (I'm not saying the desire to eat a PB&J outweighs the risk of death to a kid, but you have the mom of the autistic kid saying that's all her son eats, which we all knew was coming...). But she didn't. Instead she posted with a judgmental tone about kids eating some sort of high-end sounding food (I've never heard of these products before so maybe I'm just not cool enough) and she assumed that whoever let their kid do that was overtly flouting the safety of OP's kid, instead of acknowledging that parents who don't have kids with allergies spend little to no time thinking about allergens on a regular basis.

So I'm not dismissing OP's concerns for her child. That genuinely sounds like a very difficult way to live, and I'm sad OP and her child have to deal with that. And I'm not dismissing some PP's points that the onus is on OP, not others, to shelter her kid. But rather than running to opposite sides of the spectrum, why can't everyone, starting with the OP, find a way to be more reasonable and compromise?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When my kids were playground age I never let them have nut butters on a playground. It just seems a common courtesy. They can have it at home plenty; they don't "need" it for a snack outside. I'm sorry your kid has such severe allergies, it must be terrifying

Why stop at ON the playground? If the nut allergy is so deadly that whatever is eaten at home can find it's way to the park, then OP really needs a complete ban on these foods. Because the magical thinking that the park equipment is clean as long as nobody is currently eating peanut products while ON the equipment is bizarre and nonsensical and sounds dangerous to kids like OPs child. Why risk the park at all?

This is so moronic. I don't get why you PPs are so triggered. Someone's kid could die. She's asking for courtesy and awareness. You lose your mind bc someone asked you to be considerate. You create an outlandish hypothetical about banning peanuts. Other PPs bemoan the loss of FREEDOM. It's a MF nut. It's not the end all be all. No one is asking for a ban, just awareness of the other kids who could die from it.

Though given how hard it was to get folks to mask during COVID when millions died, I understand that asking for courtesy for children with allergies is next to impossible

I'm just in constant awe and what total self absorbed jerks Americans are. We're really freaking terrible to each other.

Ok but- there is a big difference between "do you mind not giving them that nut snack on the playground/ not giving them milk on the playground because my child is allergic" and "no one should ever eat foods in public because someone could be allergic". OP isn't saying she has asked people to put snacks away and they've refused. She is saying that they should pre emptively put all snacks away, and wash hands well, prior to playing in a public park. Which is unreasonable. If she asks someone to please put the snack away because of an allergy, most people who aren't jerks would comply. But no I'm not going to tell my kid he can't eat his granola bar at the park because it's possible that someone, somewhere, is allergic to an ingredient in it.

I think the problem is precisely what you are seeing on this thread. Can you imagine having a child with a severe nut allergy in this world and dealing with the litany of PPs who have insulted her kid as "gene deficient" "Immunocompromised - in italics to insulate non-existence", and the other completely cruel, below the belt taunts at what is a preschooler? I just cannot believe what people with chronic illnesses and/or conditions are up against. So yes, she is asking for consideration and keeping the nut products at bay. It is not unreasonable. It offends no one's sensibilities as it is a quite relatively small ask considering.

But in light of the pages of DCUM terrorists, I think this pretty much sums this up - I'm just in constant awe and what total self absorbed jerks Americans are. We're really freaking terrible to each other.

NP. I agree we should all exercise a bit of common empathy, but OP's post wasn't exactly looking for friends. And THAT is the problem with America. You can't find two people who can agree to compromise on anything. Rather than being willing to come to the middle and acknowledge that given how common peanut allergies are we probably shouldn't let our kids eat PB&J sandwiches while playing on the playground equipment, we have the two sides of "my kid has an allergy so you need to alter your entire life to accommodate them" and "I don't give a flying fig about anyone's kids but my own so if you kid dies because they're allergic to my kid's favorite snack then, well, survival of the fittest."

It's the same issue with anything - gun control, abortion, you name it. People say things that are inflammatory and/or obnoxious and it just drives people to their separate sides instead of promoting compromise. OP could have posted asking for people's ideas about how to handle the situation. She could have acknowledged that her kid isn't any more important than anyone else's kid (I'm not saying the desire to eat a PB&J outweighs the risk of death to a kid, but you have the mom of the autistic kid saying that's all her son eats, which we all knew was coming...). But she didn't. Instead she posted with a judgmental tone about kids eating some sort of high-end sounding food (I've never heard of these products before so maybe I'm just not cool enough) and she assumed that whoever let their kid do that was overtly flouting the safety of OP's kid, instead of acknowledging that parents who don't have kids with allergies spend little to no time thinking about allergens on a regular basis.

So I'm not dismissing OP's concerns for her child. That genuinely sounds like a very difficult way to live, and I'm sad OP and her child have to deal with that. And I'm not dismissing some PP's points that the onus is on OP, not others, to shelter her kid. But rather than running to opposite sides of the spectrum, why can't everyone, starting with the OP, find a way to be more reasonable and compromise?

I’ll start. OP should begin by going to her town council and requesting signs at the playground: “no food allowed on equipment.”

[Anonymous]

What is "NK"???

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why do you all keep dissing kids who are eating at the park? DH works late one night a week, so my kids and I have a tradition of packing sandwiches (yes often PBJ) and eating dinner at the playground. I see lots of kids eating lunches and dinners there.

So eat your sandwich at home, wash your hands and go to the park. A “tradition?” GTFOH.

No thanks. You do you. I'll eat my sandwich at the playground picnic table.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why do you all keep dissing kids who are eating at the park? DH works late one night a week, so my kids and I have a tradition of packing sandwiches (yes often PBJ) and eating dinner at the playground. I see lots of kids eating lunches and dinners there.

So eat your sandwich at home, wash your hands and go to the park. A “tradition?” GTFOH.

No thanks. You do you. I'll eat my sandwich at the playground picnic table.

OP didn’t have a problem with that, just asked for hands to be washed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When my kids were playground age I never let them have nut butters on a playground. It just seems a common courtesy. They can have it at home plenty; they don't "need" it for a snack outside. I'm sorry your kid has such severe allergies, it must be terrifying

Why stop at ON the playground? If the nut allergy is so deadly that whatever is eaten at home can find it's way to the park, then OP really needs a complete ban on these foods. Because the magical thinking that the park equipment is clean as long as nobody is currently eating peanut products while ON the equipment is bizarre and nonsensical and sounds dangerous to kids like OPs child. Why risk the park at all?

This is so moronic. I don't get why you PPs are so triggered. Someone's kid could die. She's asking for courtesy and awareness. You lose your mind bc someone asked you to be considerate. You create an outlandish hypothetical about banning peanuts. Other PPs bemoan the loss of FREEDOM. It's a MF nut. It's not the end all be all. No one is asking for a ban, just awareness of the other kids who could die from it.

Though given how hard it was to get folks to mask during COVID when millions died, I understand that asking for courtesy for children with allergies is next to impossible

I'm just in constant awe and what total self absorbed jerks Americans are. We're really freaking terrible to each other.

Ok but- there is a big difference between "do you mind not giving them that nut snack on the playground/ not giving them milk on the playground because my child is allergic" and "no one should ever eat foods in public because someone could be allergic". OP isn't saying she has asked people to put snacks away and they've refused. She is saying that they should pre emptively put all snacks away, and wash hands well, prior to playing in a public park. Which is unreasonable. If she asks someone to please put the snack away because of an allergy, most people who aren't jerks would comply. But no I'm not going to tell my kid he can't eat his granola bar at the park because it's possible that someone, somewhere, is allergic to an ingredient in it.

I think the problem is precisely what you are seeing on this thread. Can you imagine having a child with a severe nut allergy in this world and dealing with the litany of PPs who have insulted her kid as "gene deficient" "Immunocompromised - in italics to insulate non-existence", and the other completely cruel, below the belt taunts at what is a preschooler? I just cannot believe what people with chronic illnesses and/or conditions are up against. So yes, she is asking for consideration and keeping the nut products at bay. It is not unreasonable. It offends no one's sensibilities as it is a quite relatively small ask considering.

But in light of the pages of DCUM terrorists, I think this pretty much sums this up - I'm just in constant awe and what total self absorbed jerks Americans are. We're really freaking terrible to each other.

NP. I agree we should all exercise a bit of common empathy, but OP's post wasn't exactly looking for friends. And THAT is the problem with America. You can't find two people who can agree to compromise on anything. Rather than being willing to come to the middle and acknowledge that given how common peanut allergies are we probably shouldn't let our kids eat PB&J sandwiches while playing on the playground equipment, we have the two sides of "my kid has an allergy so you need to alter your entire life to accommodate them" and "I don't give a flying fig about anyone's kids but my own so if you kid dies because they're allergic to my kid's favorite snack then, well, survival of the fittest."

It's the same issue with anything - gun control, abortion, you name it. People say things that are inflammatory and/or obnoxious and it just drives people to their separate sides instead of promoting compromise. OP could have posted asking for people's ideas about how to handle the situation. She could have acknowledged that her kid isn't any more important than anyone else's kid (I'm not saying the desire to eat a PB&J outweighs the risk of death to a kid, but you have the mom of the autistic kid saying that's all her son eats, which we all knew was coming...). But she didn't. Instead she posted with a judgmental tone about kids eating some sort of high-end sounding food (I've never heard of these products before so maybe I'm just not cool enough) and she assumed that whoever let their kid do that was overtly flouting the safety of OP's kid, instead of acknowledging that parents who don't have kids with allergies spend little to no time thinking about allergens on a regular basis.

So I'm not dismissing OP's concerns for her child. That genuinely sounds like a very difficult way to live, and I'm sad OP and her child have to deal with that. And I'm not dismissing some PP's points that the onus is on OP, not others, to shelter her kid. But rather than running to opposite sides of the spectrum, why can't everyone, starting with the OP, find a way to be more reasonable and compromise?

This is such a reasonable comment.

Also, I find it interesting that you can find comments on this thread saying “Only in America are parents so selfish they won’t accommodate a kid with a deadly allergy” and “only in America can you find parents so entitled they think they can force everyone to change to accommodate one kid.” Both are exaggerations, and there’s also a kernel of truth in both. We live in a highly individualistic culture the creates conflicts like this by always putting one individual’s needs against another’s, instead of looking for common sense solutions that serve the vast majority of needs.

It’s also very American to assume the only solution to this problem is the yell at individual parents to fix it themselves. In many other cultures, the obvious answer to this would be:

- make sure playgrounds have designated eating areas away from equipment
- provide a sanitation station so kids and adults can wash hands after eating
- post informative signs to make people aware of the importance of washing hands before and after eating

In other countries, the well-being of children is viewed as a common good and instead of expecting individual parents to solve everything themselves, there is an assumption that society plays a collective role that can relieve burdens on families.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don’t take your kid to a public park.

Would you say that to a child in a wheelchair?

A child in a wheelchair does not affect the foods my kid can eat or my kid’s hygiene routine.

NP. Surely your kid does not need to be eating at the playground

This. First, I always find these threads so crazy. I have a really picky kid who gets a lot of her protein from nuts and nut butters and we always managed to not take those foods in public because OBVIOUSLY we don't want to be the cause of some kid's anaphylactic reaction. I am surprised at how heartless people are.

But also, we never brought food to the playground when my kids were little unless it was a picnic lunch and then we sat down ate, and cleaned hands after eating. And we did not bring nuts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:NP here, and I have not read much of the thread. But as the parent of a kid in kindergarten, this is something I've thought a lot about.

I understand OP's request and why she would make it. If my child had a serious allergy, I'd of course worry about this too, and do whatever I could to protect my kid. That's what good parents do. I get it, I really do.

But here is the problem. I have a kid with ARFID who relies on nut butters and nuts to get enough protein. I expend a ton of energy worrying about my kid's diet. And what you are asking me to do is worry that some of the very few foods my kids will eat might leave a residue on her fingers that could be transferred to a piece of playground equipment and then harm your child.

I'm sorry, that's too much. It's too much! I have to worry about my own kid. Is the risk from a peanut residue actually that dangerous to your kid? If so, I think that like me, you need to take the responsibility for your child's unique situation on yourself -- wipe down equipment if you are concerned, have your kid wear gloves, even be ready to let other families at the playground know the situation so that they can make reasonable choices in the moment.

But to ask me to simply refrain from allowing my kid to eat one of a very small number of foods she will eat at the playground, especially when these foods are already not allowed at her school, is too much. I can't. I'd like to help you, but I can't. Just like you can't help me.

Good luck to you.

NP. Of course you child should eat what she needs to eat.

And then, if you're on or going to a playground, you can wash or wipe down her hands.

There! Your child gets the nutrition she needs and does not spread substances that potentially can make someone else's child ill. But nowhere in your otherwise supposedly reasonable post did you ever mention YOUR "taking the responsibility for your child's unique situation on YOURself" by wiping her hands.

You do realize, PP, it is easier for a parent to wipe or wash ONE child's two little hands than for the OP to have to go all over a playground wiping down every rung on every ladder, every slide, every pole--? Oh, you cannot take a few moments to wipe your child's hands but OP should "wipe down equipment if you are concerned," as if that is an effort equivalent to your just wiping your kid's hands. I'm betting you'll come back to huff and puff and say of course you wash or wipe your kid's hands. Eh, if you do, why bother to post at length about how this is really all on OP, then?

There have been nasty knee-jerk name-calling posts on here by trollish little creeps. Yet somehow your rational, reasonable, "I've got a kid with seriousl issues too, it's so hard!" post is even worse to me. You do not possess the empathy you might think you do, PP.

PP here. Of course my kid washes or sanitizes her hands at the playground after eating. And just in general. Of course we do this. But that is actually not what OP is asking.

She is asking me to be vigilant about it, as though to assume that any child at the playground could have a severe allergy that could kill them if my child's food somehow got onto playground equipment. She is asking me to avoid bringing these foods to the playground at all, or if I do, to be very careful about only consuming them away from the equipment and then making sure that my child has no residue on her hands before playing. She is asking for a level of care and vigilance that I am simply not capable.

I sometimes forget to have my kid use a wipe or sanitizer after she eats. Usually I remember, sometimes I don't. Kids are all over the place. In many cases, I've just spent the previous 15-20 minutes going through a routine we learned from our OT for her ARFID that is supposed to help her relax around foods and try a new food or an old food in a new way. I am expending a lot of my focus on that and sometimes I might forget to get the sanitizer or hand her a wipe.

Also, she's 6, so she wipes her hands at varying levels of competence. Sometimes I supervise and will note that she didn't get it all, but I miss things. I am an imperfect person with my hands full. And my own child does not have a nut allergy, she has a different but seriously difficult issue with eating and I am focused on dealing with that. Also, maybe something gets on her clothes an I miss that. I miss things, I am flawed, I am at the playground not in an operating theater.

If another parent approached me at the playground and said "Hi, my son has a serious peanut allergy and I would love if you could make sure to eat any tree nuts in another part of the play area and also to make sure your child washes her hands thoroughly before getting on the equipment?" I'd say "oh, of course, happy to" and then I would be extra vigilant that day and make sure my DD knows that we need to be careful around this kid because of the allergy. The same way I never send anything with peanuts to school because of allergies there.

But I cannot be that vigilant all the time. It's too hard and I have too much other stuff on my plate. I'm sorry. I really am.

You made OP's kid's situation all about you and the stuff on your plate. We get it, life is hard with a kid who has a condition. I think OP knows a lot about that too. But you aren't seeing that if OP has to stop and ask ask ask ask every parent on a playground please to wipe kids' hands etc., well, her kid's playtime is over by the time she's approached everyone individually. She's not aiming this just at YOU. She's saying she sees multiple kids eating on equipment very frequently, so her plea is a broader one to parents in general to stop that. I"m sure all those parents will say "I cannot be that vigilant all the time" and like you will be nice if asked, but you don't see that the constant asking is as wearing for a parent like OP as focusing on your kid's issues is wearing on you.

No, you're not getting it.

I know OP's problems aren't about me, anymore than my problems are about her. My point is: we all have problems, and what OP is asking is for me to prioritize her problems. And I'm not even saying I don't want to. I'm saying I can't. I am at capacity. I am not capable of taking the level of care OP is requesting in order to ensure that her child is safe. It is beyond me, not because I don't care, but because I am incapable of caring to the degree that she needs me to, because I have my hands full taking care of my own problems.

She is asking the impossible.

Yes, you are. You really are. It’s a very simple, small ask. It’s not that you “can’t.” You’re just refusing, like a toddler.

NP

So you really think it’s appropriate to ask a mom who clearly has her hands full dealing with her own family to remember to actively change her behavior concerning nuts because they might possibly come into contact with someone who has a severe nut allergy?

I know you’ll never admit it, but that is not a reasonable ask. At all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When my kids were playground age I never let them have nut butters on a playground. It just seems a common courtesy. They can have it at home plenty; they don't "need" it for a snack outside. I'm sorry your kid has such severe allergies, it must be terrifying

Why stop at ON the playground? If the nut allergy is so deadly that whatever is eaten at home can find it's way to the park, then OP really needs a complete ban on these foods. Because the magical thinking that the park equipment is clean as long as nobody is currently eating peanut products while ON the equipment is bizarre and nonsensical and sounds dangerous to kids like OPs child. Why risk the park at all?

This is so moronic. I don't get why you PPs are so triggered. Someone's kid could die. She's asking for courtesy and awareness. You lose your mind bc someone asked you to be considerate. You create an outlandish hypothetical about banning peanuts. Other PPs bemoan the loss of FREEDOM. It's a MF nut. It's not the end all be all. No one is asking for a ban, just awareness of the other kids who could die from it.

Though given how hard it was to get folks to mask during COVID when millions died, I understand that asking for courtesy for children with allergies is next to impossible

I'm just in constant awe and what total self absorbed jerks Americans are. We're really freaking terrible to each other.

Ok but- there is a big difference between "do you mind not giving them that nut snack on the playground/ not giving them milk on the playground because my child is allergic" and "no one should ever eat foods in public because someone could be allergic". OP isn't saying she has asked people to put snacks away and they've refused. She is saying that they should pre emptively put all snacks away, and wash hands well, prior to playing in a public park. Which is unreasonable. If she asks someone to please put the snack away because of an allergy, most people who aren't jerks would comply. But no I'm not going to tell my kid he can't eat his granola bar at the park because it's possible that someone, somewhere, is allergic to an ingredient in it.

I think the problem is precisely what you are seeing on this thread. Can you imagine having a child with a severe nut allergy in this world and dealing with the litany of PPs who have insulted her kid as "gene deficient" "Immunocompromised - in italics to insulate non-existence", and the other completely cruel, below the belt taunts at what is a preschooler? I just cannot believe what people with chronic illnesses and/or conditions are up against. So yes, she is asking for consideration and keeping the nut products at bay. It is not unreasonable. It offends no one's sensibilities as it is a quite relatively small ask considering.

But in light of the pages of DCUM terrorists, I think this pretty much sums this up - I'm just in constant awe and what total self absorbed jerks Americans are. We're really freaking terrible to each other.

NP. I agree we should all exercise a bit of common empathy, but OP's post wasn't exactly looking for friends. And THAT is the problem with America. You can't find two people who can agree to compromise on anything. Rather than being willing to come to the middle and acknowledge that given how common peanut allergies are we probably shouldn't let our kids eat PB&J sandwiches while playing on the playground equipment, we have the two sides of "my kid has an allergy so you need to alter your entire life to accommodate them" and "I don't give a flying fig about anyone's kids but my own so if you kid dies because they're allergic to my kid's favorite snack then, well, survival of the fittest."

It's the same issue with anything - gun control, abortion, you name it. People say things that are inflammatory and/or obnoxious and it just drives people to their separate sides instead of promoting compromise. OP could have posted asking for people's ideas about how to handle the situation. She could have acknowledged that her kid isn't any more important than anyone else's kid (I'm not saying the desire to eat a PB&J outweighs the risk of death to a kid, but you have the mom of the autistic kid saying that's all her son eats, which we all knew was coming...). But she didn't. Instead she posted with a judgmental tone about kids eating some sort of high-end sounding food (I've never heard of these products before so maybe I'm just not cool enough) and she assumed that whoever let their kid do that was overtly flouting the safety of OP's kid, instead of acknowledging that parents who don't have kids with allergies spend little to no time thinking about allergens on a regular basis.

So I'm not dismissing OP's concerns for her child. That genuinely sounds like a very difficult way to live, and I'm sad OP and her child have to deal with that. And I'm not dismissing some PP's points that the onus is on OP, not others, to shelter her kid. But rather than running to opposite sides of the spectrum, why can't everyone, starting with the OP, find a way to be more reasonable and compromise?

Ironically Bambas is an Israeli food that has been shown in studies to reduce the incidence of peanut allergies when consumed regularly by babies/toddlers So the parent giving their kid Bambas may be doing do to reduce the chances of their kid getting peanut allergies. I had never heard of it either until a nurse recommended it to me and the it was basically the main snack food I gave my kid when she was a baby. It’s a great way to introduce kids to peanuts.

In any case I agree with you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a death sentence for my NK. There is already so much she has to miss out on in life due to a severe anaphylactic allergy to peanuts.

I’m not saying your kid can’t go to the park and eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for a picnic. Wash their hands, etc. But having your kid run around on the equipment with a bag of Bamba’s leaving peanut oil residue on every surface means we can no longer play.

And I do understand we live in a “I, me and mine” society where it’s ok if not encouraged to get yours and do what you want because how your actions effect others isn’t your problem. I understand. I’m sad, that’s not how I’m raising my kids but I get that’s a key American value especially in dog eat dog D.C. but can we just try to have a little concern for others?

You’re the one who doesn’t care that some kids are severely sensitive eaters and that peanut foods might be all they’ll eat.

Does being a sensitive eater also prevent a kid from eating in their stroller or sitting on a park bench?

They can sit wherever they want.

I think there is a psychosomatic element to all these “allergies.”

If a child is capable of sitting down to eat, then why do you let them run around on the playground with food?

What’s the difference? You’re going to see people walking down the sidewalk downtown while eating a kind bar. What are you going to do about it?

Two entirely different things. I can teach my kid to walk down the sidewalk without touching you, or picking up things you drop, or touching surfaces. And many parents of kids with allergies do teach their kid to do this.

I can also wipe down a park bench before my kid sits there, or have my kid sit in their stroller instead of on the bench.

But I can't wipe down an entire playground or teach my kid to climb the ladder on the playground, or go down the fireman's pole, or slide on the slide without touching those surfaces. Because I am not a magician. So, keeping peanut residue (or whatever, my kid with anaphylaxis has a different allergy) off those surfaces that are designed to be touched by multiple children makes sense.

And yes, there are treatments now, but they aren't for every kid, and even when they are available to a kid they take years, during which the kid is still vulnerable.

It doesn't really make sense. You have no idea if the kid who was there 5 minutes before you ate his PB&J at home before going down the slide and had some PB residue on his face that eventually got on his hands and everything else he touched. The obvious answer is to avoid public parks b/c you can't sterilize the park for your kid.

+1 this is the right answer. Even if kids didn’t rub around with snacks, there could still be residue anywhere on that playground. Not a chance I’d be willing to take with my kid if they had life threatening allergies to residues.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a death sentence for my NK. There is already so much she has to miss out on in life due to a severe anaphylactic allergy to peanuts.

I’m not saying your kid can’t go to the park and eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for a picnic. Wash their hands, etc. But having your kid run around on the equipment with a bag of Bamba’s leaving peanut oil residue on every surface means we can no longer play.

And I do understand we live in a “I, me and mine” society where it’s ok if not encouraged to get yours and do what you want because how your actions effect others isn’t your problem. I understand. I’m sad, that’s not how I’m raising my kids but I get that’s a key American value especially in dog eat dog D.C. but can we just try to have a little concern for others?

You’re the one who doesn’t care that some kids are severely sensitive eaters and that peanut foods might be all they’ll eat.

Does being a sensitive eater also prevent a kid from eating in their stroller or sitting on a park bench?

They can sit wherever they want.

I think there is a psychosomatic element to all these “allergies.”

If a child is capable of sitting down to eat, then why do you let them run around on the playground with food?

What’s the difference? You’re going to see people walking down the sidewalk downtown while eating a kind bar. What are you going to do about it?

Two entirely different things. I can teach my kid to walk down the sidewalk without touching you, or picking up things you drop, or touching surfaces. And many parents of kids with allergies do teach their kid to do this.

I can also wipe down a park bench before my kid sits there, or have my kid sit in their stroller instead of on the bench.

But I can't wipe down an entire playground or teach my kid to climb the ladder on the playground, or go down the fireman's pole, or slide on the slide without touching those surfaces. Because I am not a magician. So, keeping peanut residue (or whatever, my kid with anaphylaxis has a different allergy) off those surfaces that are designed to be touched by multiple children makes sense.

And yes, there are treatments now, but they aren't for every kid, and even when they are available to a kid they take years, during which the kid is still vulnerable.

It doesn't really make sense. You have no idea if the kid who was there 5 minutes before you ate his PB&J at home before going down the slide and had some PB residue on his face that eventually got on his hands and everything else he touched. The obvious answer is to avoid public parks b/c you can't sterilize the park for your kid.

+1 this is the right answer. Even if kids didn’t rub around with snacks, there could still be residue anywhere on that playground. Not a chance I’d be willing to take with my kid if they had life threatening allergies to residues.

Agree, I think OP's only hope is to try to get peanuts banned completely. She should lobby the federal government. Only a total ban will ensure that no one ever leaves their home with peanut residue on their body.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP. You have to learn to be ruthless. As you can see, these people don’t care about your kid. They don’t care or she lives or dies. They only care about their child and their comfort.

So what do I do? Grab the snack and throw it out. I don’t care if I make an enemy out of every parent and nanny in the park. You will have to learn to aggressively put your child first because everyone around them won’t ever.

Let them be angry. My child’s right to life is more important than your kids snack.

Wouldn't this be assault ? I would pay to see you tearing a PN&J sandwich from a child and the child screaming and the mother attacking you.

It is your responsibility to keep your child safe and if it's a food allergy, you teach them extreme safety measures. You cannot realistically expect children at a playground to not eat peanuts or derivative thereof.

[Anonymous]

Wow what a thread. I am NP and another mom of a child with ARFID who eats a lot of nut butters and nut fortified products. I am happy to take this post as a reminder to make sure my kids wipe their hands after eating at a park/playground. My oldest was in a class years ago with a child with a severe nut allergy and we didn’t let our DC eat peanut butter before school because I just didn’t trust them to not get it on their clothes. But in the absence of a known allergy sometimes we don’t always have these things at the forefront of our brain. It’s a hard balance and we do need to eat at the park sometimes (sibling has multiple games on the attached soccer field, schedule changed and kids are hungry. I honestly don’t see kids walking around with snacks on the playground aside from little toddlers with cups of milk, so it’s hard to really picture what you are talking about. Mine might come and sit down and go back to playing with out cleaning their hands but I can work on that.


When the friend with a nut allergy also was allergic to eggs so when he came to my DC birthday party, I did want to get my kid their favorite dessert (they would not enjoy most treats) but offered a egg free alternative for the other child. The mom said she would rather bring him her own dessert that she knew was safe and tasted ok. I fully respect that and to be honest was thinking about her when I was reading this thread. It’s probably so frustrating to see people doing things that feel dangerous to your child. I can totally understand that but many of us are thinking about other things every day and we aren’t able to consider every allergy every moment even if we can try to do a bit better. BUT I have to imagine you know at the end of the day you are going to have to be vigilant and for that you have my sympathy.

[Anonymous]

I read Jeff's comment on this thread as I wasn't necessarily interested in reading this whole thing. But, he noted that some of the negative posters live outside the area and attributed that to their unwillingness to accommodate the possibility of a peanut allergy. Hmm..interesting idea.

I live outside the DMV. My kids are not allergic to peanuts. I rarely bring any peanut products to a public place and, if I thought about it for a minute, I wouldn't have them at a playground at all. I don't always thinks about it, though. With peanut allergies on the rise, I'm willing to keep the peanut products at home for the sake of other children. Thanks for the reminder.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:This is a death sentence for my NK. There is already so much she has to miss out on in life due to a severe anaphylactic allergy to peanuts.

I’m not saying your kid can’t go to the park and eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for a picnic. Wash their hands, etc. But having your kid run around on the equipment with a bag of Bamba’s leaving peanut oil residue on every surface means we can no longer play.

And I do understand we live in a “I, me and mine” society where it’s ok if not encouraged to get yours and do what you want because how your actions effect others isn’t your problem. I understand. I’m sad, that’s not how I’m raising my kids but I get that’s a key American value especially in dog eat dog D.C. but can we just try to have a little concern for others?

You’re the one who doesn’t care that some kids are severely sensitive eaters and that peanut foods might be all they’ll eat.

Does being a sensitive eater also prevent a kid from eating in their stroller or sitting on a park bench?

They can sit wherever they want.

I think there is a psychosomatic element to all these “allergies.”

If a child is capable of sitting down to eat, then why do you let them run around on the playground with food?

What’s the difference? You’re going to see people walking down the sidewalk downtown while eating a kind bar. What are you going to do about it?

Two entirely different things. I can teach my kid to walk down the sidewalk without touching you, or picking up things you drop, or touching surfaces. And many parents of kids with allergies do teach their kid to do this.

I can also wipe down a park bench before my kid sits there, or have my kid sit in their stroller instead of on the bench.

But I can't wipe down an entire playground or teach my kid to climb the ladder on the playground, or go down the fireman's pole, or slide on the slide without touching those surfaces. Because I am not a magician. So, keeping peanut residue (or whatever, my kid with anaphylaxis has a different allergy) off those surfaces that are designed to be touched by multiple children makes sense.

And yes, there are treatments now, but they aren't for every kid, and even when they are available to a kid they take years, during which the kid is still vulnerable.

It doesn't really make sense. You have no idea if the kid who was there 5 minutes before you ate his PB&J at home before going down the slide and had some PB residue on his face that eventually got on his hands and everything else he touched. The obvious answer is to avoid public parks b/c you can't sterilize the park for your kid.

+1 this is the right answer. Even if kids didn’t rub around with snacks, there could still be residue anywhere on that playground. Not a chance I’d be willing to take with my kid if they had life threatening allergies to residues.

If you are being realistic then you would acknowledge that there will all be contrarians at the park, like the "over my dead body" poster so there won't be a peanut free environment. What then? I think that's what some of us want to know because insisting everyone wash their hands and be snack free is a fool's errand.