Anonymous wrote:PP again. Here's the story I was thinking of:

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/article/Death-of-boy-allergic-to-peanuts-leaves-1055896.php

Here is another story of a peanut allergic child who was made to eat a PB&J sandwich in Maryland.

In 2005, a 5-year-old kindergartner named Liana Pace forgot her lunch, and did not have enough money in her cafeteria account to buy a lunch. A school cafeteria worker gave her a peanut butter sandwich from the school lunch program which provides free or reduced-price lunches to low-income children . Liana told the staff member that she couldn't eat peanuts, but the adult interpreted that statement as disobedience and ordered her to eat the sandwich.

Liana obeyed her and ate it, and then immediately went into anaphylaxic shock. Luckily, the school nurse knew about her allergy and had Liana's epinephrine auto-injector. Liana was given epinephrine and rushed to the hospital.

http://foodallergies.about.com/b/2012/02/28/child-forced-to-eat-allergen-maryland-court-rules-schools-not-responsible.htm

Anonymous wrote:So, what about PB&J sandwiches at a playground? I packed my kids a lunch and went to the Palisades playground/spraypark (which is awesome, by the way). I made sure to baby-wipe their hands and faces when they were done, and then did a quick baby-wipe on the picnic table they used.

This is the risk of having an kid who is allergic. This is why I carry benadryl, steriods and an epi pen everywhere we go. This is why I have an anxiety attack when DH leaves the house without the medication pouch. This is why you drum it into your allergic kids head that they need to carry their medication with them everywhere they go.

There are risks in this world. There are risks crossing the street for everyone. Our adult neighbor died choking on a piece of steak in a restaurant (lack of oxygen led to complications, it wasn't just needing a heimlich.) There are risks in not chewing your food properly. This is just one more, potentially life threatening risk that allergic kids and their parents have to deal with.

Thank you for being so mindful and aware. If everyone were like you our stress levels would be less.

- Mom of tree nut allergy kid.

So, what about PB&J sandwiches at a playground? I packed my kids a lunch and went to the Palisades playground/spraypark (which is awesome, by the way). I made sure to baby-wipe their hands and faces when they were done, and then did a quick baby-wipe on the picnic table they used.

My DS's school has nut-free tables. PB&J is one of the few foods he will eat and the only one that keeps well for lunches, so we send it. FWIW, my 2yo is (probably) peanut allergic and we still have peanut butter in the house and the other two kids eat it. We just make sure they wipe their hands and faces well afterwards. I expect that, as the 2yo gets older, certainly by elementary school, he will be the one primarily responsible for ensuring that he does not eat anything he is not sure is okay. He already seems to have a decent grasp on the fact that he can't eat a lot of the foods that other people eat (he is also allergic to dairy, wheat and eggs, so there's not much he *can* eat in social situations).

If I had an issue with my school's policy regarding nuts/nut butters in lunches, I would take it up with the school, not expect individual parents to second guess the school policy. But I subscribe to the school of thought that the allergic child needs to learn to live safely in the world as it is. I can't put him in a bubble, and better that he learns young what precautions he needs to take.

Whatever the school policy is, we follow it. My child's current school allows it so we send it. He's a vegetarian and doesn't like sunflower butter. Cheese sandwiches get old. But if the school said not to send PB, we would certainly not send any.

Sunbutter is our go-to for nut free lunch sandwiches. DS also likes turkey with mustard and ketchup (no cheese - he's weird). Quesadillas seem to keep ok for lunch as well. I've tried to be all cutesy and make my own lunchables with turkey, cheese, crackers. My kid wouldn't touch anything except the crackers. Of course, if it's pressed turkey and all vacuum packed in an Oscar Meyer package, he's all over it.

If the school isn't nut free, do whatever works for you. Even if he does have classmates with nut allergies, they will likely sit at the nut-free table. Just something to be mindful of if sending snacks to the class.

Sunbutter is our go-to for nut free lunch sandwiches. DS also likes turkey with mustard and ketchup (no cheese - he's weird). Quesadillas seem to keep ok for lunch as well. I've tried to be all cutesy and make my own lunchables with turkey, cheese, crackers. My kid wouldn't touch anything except the crackers. Of course, if it's pressed turkey and all vacuum packed in an Oscar Meyer package, he's all over it.

If the school isn't nut free, do whatever works for you. Even if he does have classmates with nut allergies, they will likely sit at the nut-free table. Just something to be mindful of if sending snacks to the class.

Anonymous wrote:If it's allowed, I send it. DD can't eat wheat, dairy, or eggs, so unless nuts are prohibited they're a big part of her diet.

This is an example of when blanket policies with good intentions can havebad unintended consequences. If you couldn't send nut, your child's diet becomes even more limited. But her allergies aren't ones the school polices.

If it's allowed, I send it. DD can't eat wheat, dairy, or eggs, so unless nuts are prohibited they're a big part of her diet.

Anonymous wrote:No, never. There are so many alternatives and it isn't worth the risk. If I knew of other allergies in the class, I would not send that either. We have a fruit allergic child and I appreciate when others avoid it around my child. Otherwise, we just avoid them.

You avoid people who send their kid to school with fruit? So, everyone?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is not a perfect world. You're right.

But, I think what PP is saying is not to change what you're doing, just don't be so crappy about it.

By all means, if the school policy allows peanut butter and your kid likes it, then go ahead and send it. BUT... there seems to be a "screw the kids with peanut allergies... their problem, not mine" type of attitude about it, and that's a bit cold, don't you think?

FWIW, my kids do not have peanut allergies.

I haven't seen that (in this thread). People have said, "adhere to the school policy," which you yourself advocate. Unclench.

Oh look - it's the "unclench" poster again, who seems to have it out for kids with food allergies. Welcome back.

+1

My thoughts exactly. When you tell someone to "unclench" because they express concerns about something deadly, there is some sort of other issue looming. The PP recommending "unclench" from thread to thread probably "clenches" several times a day.

Please look back at this exchange carefully. Is that really what happened? No, it's not.

Anonymous wrote:I never do anything if it offends or might be intolerable to even one individual.

Your sarcasm is funny, but peanut allergy is deadly, not offensive. So maybe work on that humor a bit.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't even though my kids are not allergic. There are so many good alternatives, including sunbutter. I don't want my kids to cause some other kid to go into anaphylactic shock.

Unfortunately, Sunbutter is made on the same equipment as roasted soybeans, which means it is not an alternative for my soy-allergic kid.

I have a kid with a soy allergy too and in some ways it's worse because soy is in EVERYTHING. My kid is allergic to most fresh fruits (peaches will kill him almost instantly) and many fresh veggies. He'll have skin reactions to fruit juices, yet he can eat almost all of them if they have been cooked or frozen.

I bake bread and give him peanut butter and jelly sandwiches because his options are pretty limited. Luckily his school allows peanut butter or we'd be screwed.

That is rough, I'm sorry. My kid has peanut and tree-nut allergies, but they are pretty easy to manage because most people are aware of them. It's got to be really hard when the allergies are not as common.

And to answer OP's question, if the school allows peanuts, and you haven't heard of severe contact allergies among any classmates, go for it. My kid sits next to kids eating peanut butter daily. But his allergy is only triggered by ingestion. I pack all his foods, and he knows not to share.

It would be really nice for kids to all wash their hands "after" eating as well.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I never do anything if it offends or might be intolerable to even one individual.

Then you might as well send your kid to school with only a bottle of water.

Water is against my religion.

Anonymous wrote:I never do anything if it offends or might be intolerable to even one individual.

Then you might as well send your kid to school with only a bottle of water.