Furious. Why in the world would a parent send a peanut snack to a peanut-free classroom?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've never heard of anyone talk about their kids' allergies that weren't "very severe." It's like there's no other kind. Their kids are always "very severe" and airborne is always a concern.

Statistically, it's impossible.

My child will throw up like a fountain 5 seconds after he ingests a peanut morsel. That's called a mild to moderate peanut allergy. No epi-pen.

What some PPs are missing is that some of these children are NOT RELIABLE when it comes to putting food in their mouths. My 9 year old son has ADD, and while he is usually careful, there is a non-negligible chance that one day he will accept something with peanuts and throw up. It has happened before. Imagine if he had a lethal reaction! I can totally understand a parent's anxiety in that situation, and if OP's child is in that category I sympathize with her frustration.

Allergies are terrible things - we should focus on energies on research into its causes and treatments, instead of blaming the victim or downplaying parents' fears.

PP, I feel for you. But like the teacher PP noted, these food bans fail regularly. You need to have many back up systems in place. I don't know the answer, but I do know that if it were me, I would be very cautious about allowing my child to consume anything that was sent to school except by me. I can't imagine anyone ignoring the food rules, but people make mistakes, especially those of us who aren't all that schooled in the rules around peanuts.

[Anonymous]

Some kids can have a reaction from across the room, without even coming into contact with nuts, that's why it's a big deal. Not to mention, nuts and things like peanut butter tend to be oily and there is a tendency to get it all over the place.

Also, epi-pens aren't a small deal. It's not like, oh, just jab the kid with an epi pen and then go on with your business like nothing happened. That kid likely still needs to be sent to an ER even after the epi pen.

[Anonymous]

Peanuts are worthless government subsided garbage food that shouldn't be fed to humans.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just assume that regardless of school rules, a parent whose kids don't have food allergies is not going to have the same level of vigilance or awareness that I do and thinks as long as they're not sending in PBJs, it's fine.

I can't tell you the number of people who upon learning of my son's milk allergy have said things like "So he has to drink Lactaid?" or "But he can have yogurt, right?" If it doesn't concern you or your child, you're probably not going to devote a lot of time to educating yourself. I don't have diabetic children, so I know nothing about what they can or can not eat, how to monitor blood sugar, etc.

I know I can't control my child's environment. The best I can do is make sure everyone who cares for my child knows the signs of an allergic reaction and knows it's better to overtreat than undertreat.

Maybe those people know that many people with milk allergies can eat yogurt, and are wondering if they can give him some.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ok, my kid is allergic to peanuts and tree nuts, but that would not bother me. He knows better than eat someone elses snacks that have nuts. he has been taught to ask and if not sure not to eat.
get over yourself, people can eat what the hell they want including "GASP" peanuts

A level-headed allergy parent! Awesome. Spread the word please

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Some kids can have a reaction from across the room, without even coming into contact with nuts, that's why it's a big deal. Not to mention, nuts and things like peanut butter tend to be oily and there is a tendency to get it all over the place.

Also, epi-pens aren't a small deal. It's not like, oh, just jab the kid with an epi pen and then go on with your business like nothing happened. That kid likely still needs to be sent to an ER even after the epi pen.

Yes. And if someone administers an epi-pen and it isn't needed, there could be health consequences. DS has a (relatively speaking) moderate allergy to peanuts and we're actually reluctant to give caregivers the epi-pen. We do drill DS all the time about his allergy and he is good about asking before he eats something offered to him if it has peanuts. We also make sure that we tell his friends' parents about his allergy if he is going there for a play date.

But peanuts in a "peanut-free" or "nut-free" environment seem to me to be very dangerous because people may take less precautions and assume that things brought to school don't have peanuts.

[Anonymous]

Had a Brownie in my troop with peanut allergy. Even though parents would bake peanut free treats, the child refused to eat anything homemade. Probably, a good policy. She brought her own snack or ate commercial ones that she knew were okay. Very mature kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was that mom once. It was a rough morning and I grabbed the wrong box of granola bars before I'd had my morning coffee. I got a stern e-mail from the school and my kid had to starve (he's a picky eater and a granola bar is a significant portion of his lunch). But the allergy kid didn't die, so that's good. I felt legitimately bad about the whole thing. I wasn't trying to kill anyone.

That was me once, too. except my kids' school isn't nut free. They went to a camp that apparently was in a nut free school, and basically expected everyone to know. (Most of the campers attended the school). Guess who didn't know? They completely flipped out on my then not quite 5 yr old DS when he was unwrapping his granola bar, and took away his whole lunch. Not quite the correct reaction either. While I certainly understand the need for nut free schools, I also think there is a place for some common sense.

He didn't return, and they did (very unwillingly) refund our money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Peanuts are worthless government subsided garbage food that shouldn't be fed to humans.

But they're DELICIOUS!

Much better than corn and soybeans.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just stop buying peanut products and you won't have this issue. Peanuts are terrible anyways.

My family and I like peanuts.

Stop ragging on this legume.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just assume that regardless of school rules, a parent whose kids don't have food allergies is not going to have the same level of vigilance or awareness that I do and thinks as long as they're not sending in PBJs, it's fine.

I can't tell you the number of people who upon learning of my son's milk allergy have said things like "So he has to drink Lactaid?" or "But he can have yogurt, right?" If it doesn't concern you or your child, you're probably not going to devote a lot of time to educating yourself. I don't have diabetic children, so I know nothing about what they can or can not eat, how to monitor blood sugar, etc.

I know I can't control my child's environment. The best I can do is make sure everyone who cares for my child knows the signs of an allergic reaction and knows it's better to overtreat than undertreat.

Maybe those people know that many people with milk allergies can eat yogurt, and are wondering if they can give him some.

Completely off-topic, but you are confusing a lactose intolerance with a milk allergy and those to two entirely different things. A lactose intolerance is not an allergy.

[Anonymous]

I just think this is a slippery slope...people with allergies need to be vigilant about their own children, and cannot expect society to do that for them. I have a child with severe asthma - merely sitting near someone who has a cat at home can trigger an asthma attack. I mean 911 call, shot of epinephrine type of response. Should we tell people they can't have cats at home because there are a lot of children with this level of allergy? Ultimately, I have to send the medications, and teach my child to be aware of the "cat people" and understand that there will be 911 calls in our future.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just think this is a slippery slope...people with allergies need to be vigilant about their own children, and cannot expect society to do that for them. I have a child with severe asthma - merely sitting near someone who has a cat at home can trigger an asthma attack. I mean 911 call, shot of epinephrine type of response. Should we tell people they can't have cats at home because there are a lot of children with this level of allergy? Ultimately, I have to send the medications, and teach my child to be aware of the "cat people" and understand that there will be 911 calls in our future.

What school system has a peanut-free classroom? That I have a problem with

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Peanuts are worthless government subsided garbage food that shouldn't be fed to humans.

Are you the poster who hates peanut butter and jelly sandwiches?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just think this is a slippery slope...people with allergies need to be vigilant about their own children, and cannot expect society to do that for them. I have a child with severe asthma - merely sitting near someone who has a cat at home can trigger an asthma attack. I mean 911 call, shot of epinephrine type of response. Should we tell people they can't have cats at home because there are a lot of children with this level of allergy? Ultimately, I have to send the medications, and teach my child to be aware of the "cat people" and understand that there will be 911 calls in our future.

Actually, when you send your minor child off to compulsory education, as state law requires, then as a parent you can in fact "expect society" -- in the form of a teacher or lunch aide or any adult put in charge -- to "do that for" you. Because as you well know, the school is not going to allow a parent to attend school with the child every day.

So I expect my son's school not to actively serve him peanut food. Because it matters, he is a young child. The calculations may be different in a HS, possibly also a MS.