Dealing with food allergies at school!

Daphne - posted on 04/05/2012

I agree! My daughter is allergic to milk, eggs, and nuts. I hate how many mothers bring in cupcakes and cookies for holiday parties! I have to attend every holiday party to keep the food away from her and make sure she has her own "safe food" Its an ongoing battle.

Gwendolyn - posted on 01/18/2009

Quoting Jenifer:

Dealing with food allergies at school!

My daughter is 10 yrs old and in 5th grade, she has a severe peanut allergy, and I feel the school does not take it serious enough! I was shocked when she came home with a letter today asking the children to bring cereal, peanuts, m+ms, rasins, ect for the science unit they are studying. They (finally) quit serving peanut butter sandwiches just this year! My daughter spoke up and said, but Im allergic to peanuts, and the teacher said....then dont bring them! I want to call her at her house!! But Im just gonna wait and take my daughter to school in the morning, and get this matter taken care of, I dont want to be the crazy mom, but why cant people understand how serious this really is?

Hi Jennifer...Schools are not only responsible for providing your child with an education, they are also responsible for keeping them safe.  I went directly to the principal of my son's school and discussed the issue with her.  My son will have an anaphyllactic reaction if he plays with a toy that has been touched by someone who has eaten peanuts.  So this is serious and deadly.  When I spoke with the principal, she had dealt with a child having an anaphyllactic reaction in school and was SUPER SUPPORTIVE in protecting my son.  She had notices posted outside of every classroom that had a child with peanut allergies.  There are signs posted on the entrance to the school that parents have to check with the teacher before bringing in items with peanuts.  She also sent out a list of peanut free appropriate snacks to the parents of the entire school.  I send him to school everyday with assurance that if he does have a reaction to something, it won't be from peanuts.  He has multiple severe food allergies with peanut and wheat being the top of the list.  I don't allow anyone to feed him.  I prepare everything that he eats and at 7 he knows not to accept anything offered to him by other children.  If the principal does not respond to your request to keep your daughter safe, then look up the guidelines for your state/county school and go directly to the school board.  Your child's safety should be the school's utmost priority.   The example I always give is...Would you NOT have a ramp for a child in a wheelchair to enter the school?  This is a disability just as the physical disability.  Hope this helps.

Gwen

Sara - posted on 01/18/2009

That is scary! I feel my school does take allergies pretty seriously. We have "allergy" tables in the lunch room where kids with severe allergies sit (it probably stinks for them having to be singled out, but at least they're safer). We have allergy rooms, where all of the kids with severe allergies are put with one teacher. That teacher sends home multiple notes at the beginning of the year explaining which types of food are not allowed to be brought to school. The school does not serve anything with peanuts or tree nuts. Each child with an allergy has a red flag on their cumulative file and on their file in the computer database, and the nurse and each classroom teacher is aware of

each child's situation. Now we may be a very large school (560 K-5 kids), but I would think a smaller school could have at least this many precautions for less kids. I would definitely talk with your school's administration about this, and be very demanding that you will NOT let your child be exposed to peanuts just for a science experiment!

Tiffanny - posted on 01/17/2009

I understand completely!!! It is very frustrating. I have been dealing with this for 11 years - my son is now a Junior in High School. I never could get the peanut butter sandwiches to stop in the cafeteria, but was able to get him his own Peanut-Free Table to sit at, and he can invite friend's (whose lunch he checks and approves) to eat with him. I also have visited the school prior to opening day in August and handed out letters to the teachers, principals, office staff, and anyone else who might need to know. I let my letter and information be scary (but real). I want them to understand how serious this can be. I also open up the line of communication to them. If you would like copies of my letters, please contact me; I would post them, but this is getting long. My email address is: tiffanny68@gmail.com (that is Tiffanny with 2 f's and 2 n's).

My worst experience was with Continental Airlines operator. You have to worry about this everywhere...

Good luck!!!

Kirsty - posted on 01/11/2009

I TOTALLY agree !!! My daughter starts school this year and i am SO worried !! . .i do think it is an education process which is why i got the anaphylaxis person on my area to come and talk to the parents about it and they all realised how serious it is and have asked me to give them a list of what they can and can't bring to school. . . .but she hasn't started yet so i'm aprehensive as to whether they will listen and take it seriously and NOT bring these foods into the classroom !

My daughter knows to eat only what i give her, but people don't understand how sensitive and how only a trace or minute amount can put her at risk !! i'm really NOT looking forward to sending her to school, but i spose i can't keep her wrapped in cotton wool forever. . .i feel like the food nazi at the school ! :)

Charlene - posted on 01/10/2009

I know that it so hard for schools to understand that sometimes. My DS also has a peanut allergy. I am lucky so far that the school and the teachers are very good dealing with my DS's allergy. You are not a crazy mom. You are just a concerned parent.

Liz - posted on 01/07/2009

I, too, would suggest getting a 504 plan (request it in writing)...they'll try to refuse it, possibly but your child is eligible!!! here' s a website that may be helpful  http://allergy.hyperboards.com/

Good luck!

Anne Marie - posted on 01/01/2009

Wow. I live in Toronto and my first grader has a peanut allergy; I don't know how you deal with that. I would be terrified. The schools here all ban nuts and nut products, as do the daycares. Either way I start out the school year with a letter to the teacher requesting a meeting. I also catch him/her, the vice principal, and the principal on the first day and tell them of my son's allergy. Here it's required that there be at least one epipen on the child, and it's preferred that there be one in the office and classroom too. There's a bulletin board in the staff room with pictures/names/info on all the kids in the school with life threatening allergies. Go to epipen.ca (http://www.epipen.ca/), they give out free information packages for parents and for schools that include a DVD about how to use the epipen, signs and symptoms of anaphalaxis, and the kit comes with tester pens. No medicine or needle in it but great to practice with - for kids and adults. I was surprised when I demonstrated/taught his teachers how many knew what an epipen was but had NO IDEA how to use it. None of them knew that it had a 20 minute lifespan, or that you had to hold it in for at least ten seconds. Two very important things to know.
Sorry for rambling, but this one gets my gear up. My advice; BE the crazy mom. People won't understand how serious it is because nobody has TOLD them. Explain to them the symptoms of an anaphalatic reaction - that usually helps it to sink in. I said; "well, if he's touched nuts, first you'll see him flush, he might start to cry, he'll break out in hives head to toe. Then everything will start squeezing in his system so he'll puke and have diarrhoea at the same time. Then his neck will swell up, he'll have a few seizures, go unconscious and die. You'll have about four minutes from the time he's exposed to the time you're performing CPR on a six year old in your care."

They start to listen, trust me.

Jennifer - posted on 12/13/2008

If I were in your case, I would think about a different school. The peanut allergy your daughter has is not just for the 5th grade but the whole school. Most schools don't have air systems that are grade specific so it is all too easy for your daughter to have a reaction because of someone not in her grade. And M&Ms are not safe either as the candy coating can contain trace amount of peanuts (from a co-worker who told me) even if it is the plain milk chocolate variety. I would let the school know about that as well. Be firm and professional about the issue and keep addressing it. If you have a local paper, write a letter to the editor about the issue.

Patty - posted on 12/12/2008

AS a teacher and mom of an allergic child, I'm so sorry you are having to fight with the school about a documented medical condition. It is not your daughter's responsibility to inform the teacher about her allergy or the severity of it. It is the teacher's job to be aware of any and all health concerns about the students in her class. I am sure whatever the science project is could be modified to not include peanuts. If things get nasty with the school tell them you want a 504 plan. This is an educational plan for anyone with a medical condition that impacts their education. Having a 504 plan would protect your daughter from being signaled out from project like this one and keep insensitive and uninformed teachers from doing projects that are harmful to a student's health.

Margie - posted on 12/12/2008

If I were you I would keep a copy of that email just in case you may need it in the future. It's NOT ok for the school to continue on the project w/ the nut a part of it. They can find a substitute to replace the nuts; it's not a hard thing to do. I'm assuming that the teacher may try to single your daughter out; I may be and hope that I'm wrong! If it were the teacher's child w/ the allergy the tables would turn or heads would roll. I agree w/ you needing to be calm while dealing with this situation. I've dealt w/ a teacher before and it only made my son's life miserable for the rest of the year. Don't let the school just push you or your daughter around be strong and firm w/ them; it is your daughter and while she is at school the teacher is responsible for your child's well being and they need to realize her life is in their hands during that time and are her first response! Best wishes on this and I hope that it comes out well. Let me know the outcome. Good Luck!

Jenifer - posted on 12/12/2008

Thanks for the reply, I did talk with the school nurse, she talked to all the 5th grade teachers, the principal, the superidentent, the office staff, and the bus drivers, so I do feel like my complaining got me somewhere, but the teacher sent me a not so nice email, pretty much blaming my daughter for the whole situation, because she said she didnt explain to her that her peanut allergy was life threatening! Im still not happy, but feel I need to calm down and think it through, and then decide what to do.The teacher said that she would just make sure my daughter was not around the nuts during the project, and like you I have more than one concern with that situation. I really dont like that she is going to be singled out, and plus what if those kids dont wash there hands, or the table top is not washed well enough! My daughter is old enough, and she knows how to use her epi-pen, and we have one in her back pack, the office ect, but Im still not happy with the outcome.....the nurse also send a letter home to all parents in the whole school explaining peanut allergies, and not to bring anything with nuts or pnut butter, but the teacher can still have them in the class for that project, I dont get it! Im still not done with this situation!!

Margie - posted on 12/12/2008

I totally agree w/ you and understand why you are so angry! My son Bailey is 8 and has had a peanut allergy since he was 1. The school still serves peanut butter at lunch; they make my son get up from the lunch table and go eat in the principles office or in his class room. It's not fare or safe for him. I'm pretty sure that the teachers don't make each and every child wash their hands and face after they eat peanut butter! I would make sure that the school knows just how dangerous and deadly this can be for a child w/ food allergies. Maybe you can get your child's Pediatrician to get some information together so that the Principle and teachers can read and be more informed. Also I would make a formal complaint w/ either the school's administration or at a Board of Education meeting. You can also send a letter to your states politicians about the importance of educating the schools about the dangers and how it should be band from schools all together. Don't worry you are not a CRAZY MOM you are a GREAT mom for sticking up for your baby!