Common Allergens in Schools.

Mary - posted on 02/29/2012

" The child won't learn if someone else is constantly looking out for them."



I don't think anyone is talking about banning these allergens permanently - just in elementary schools. We aren't talking about teens or adults here; we are talking about children ages 5 through 10. Little kids, who are not yet of an age where they can be (reasonably) expected to always be responsible, or even to fully comprehend the dangers around them.



By the time my daughter is in elementary school, I will have drilled into her to stop and look both ways before crossing a street. However, at the age of 5 or 6, I wouldn't trust her to cross a busy intersection by herself. She will have had countless swimming lessons by then as well, but I wouldn't just drop her off at the community pool to swim by herself, even though there is a lifeguard. Not only would that be illegal - but I would be a fool if I believed she was safe.



Putting an elementary school-aged with life-threatening peanut allergies (especially if anaphylaxis can occur from just touching it) in a school lunchroom full of pb &j sandwiches is just like dropping your kid off at the neighborhood pool alone with a hundred other kids, and a small handful of adults. I am by no means a helicopter parent, but I sure as shit won't be doing that with my 6 y/o. Maybe she would be okay, but I don't think that is a reasonable risk to take.

Krista - posted on 02/28/2012

Yeah, call me crazy, but I consider one person's right to live a TINY bit more important than 500 kids' rights to eat peanut butter at school.



For colleges and workplaces, it's a bit different. The person in question is grown, and has been living with that allergy, and knows how to manage it. But it is unfair to expect a 5 or 6 year old to practice constant vigilance and never, ever forget the rules that are keeping them safe. They're little kids. They can be careless and forgetful. But they do not deserve to die for that carelessness. So we, as parents, have an ethical responsibility to help keep that child safe, by not sending our kids to school with items that will trigger that allergy.



And actually, Sally, workplaces have been known to ban such products if a worker has a severe allergy. Here in NS, there are even many workplaces that are "scent-free", where visitors and employees are not allowed to wear scented personal care products, out of consideration for people with severe environmental allergies.

Krista - posted on 02/28/2012

Why yes, it's awful for hundreds of parents to have to go through the agony of having to find alternatives to peanut butter, in order to keep one small child from dying. What an imposition! How unfair!



I support bans if a student is allergic. If there are currently no students in place who have allergies, then a ban is nonsensical.

MeMe - Raises Her Hand (-_-) (Mommy Of A Toddler And Teen) - posted on 03/01/2012

But it is EASY to keep nuts out of schools. Again, they MAKE everything nut FREE nowadays..... I have been sending my kid to school for 8 years and it has NOT been hard to do... Also, a severe nut allergy is much higher in population than a dairy one that can cause death. So, it is easier to maintain a few children than many.



With the exception of peanut allergy, the majority of children outgrow their food allergies.



http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/food-...

Jenny - posted on 02/29/2012

My daughter has had a girl with a peanut allergy for the first 4 years of school. This is the first year she is in the other class. There are just so many non-peanut options out there right now. It was not a big deal at all. The health of that little girl is more of a priority then being able to feed peanut products at school.

Melissa - posted on 03/04/2012

i have worked at a daycare facility and i have done placements for a teaching degree in schools. I have kids in daycare and one is now starting school, in senior kindergarten. I have experience both Canadian and American school systems so i have seen a good variety of settings. I think it is completely dependent on the allergy in the enviornment and how severe it is too. I have worked in a facility where there were no food allergies, well none that were commonly found, or deathly too. Where the only one was to a food dye where we only really had to be careful come parties because that is the most common time where that dye came in because we used foods and drinks that didn't have that dye in it. so we could have peanut butter for kids over the age of 2 and we would have meat or cheese sandwiches for kids under 2. Then we had 1 daycare same branch of that one where we had a milk and nut in 2 different rooms. They wanted to serve peanut butter at that facility and i refused to serve those lunches because of the oils on peanut butter, i told them i would also call state if they bought peanut butter becuase the oil on hands if the child didn't wash hands could touch beds and toys and if that allergy child touched the same thing it could cause a reaction. So yes, in situations like that keep nut products out of school, some allergy things like milk, that are from injesting only i would say would be fine as long as there is a lunch monitor VERY aware of that allergy to supervise every day! There was once that same daycare for a party got a trail mix sent in by a parent that thought lets put nuts in for protein good idea, however sent to the classroom with the nut allergy, same teachers thought it was fine to pick out the nuts and serve it until i said again NUTS CONTAIN OILS! They didn't listen to me so i then requested a transfer to another center! Which is why i ended up where i did. My kids daycare say no nuts/ tree nuts at all because that way they know all there toys and equipment do not need to be cleaned before an allergy child comes through! Other centers will clean their toys and furniture first. My sons school finds out classroom allergies at the beginning of the year and say no nut products perferably at all. However, then will send home a note within the first 2 or 3 weeks and tell you not to send to school anything with certain allergies in it! If you do send something in the child and 1 friend will be asked to eat in another room, hands will be washed before returning to the class. All hands are washed before leaving classrooms as well to prevent contamination in gym, library and other rooms too!

Lesa - posted on 03/01/2012

My niece is now 12 and is still allergic to dairy. By allergic, I mean that her throat,eyes and airways swell shut almost immediately. I agree that dairy is less common but why is the life of my niece less important than someone with a peanut allergy. I too have held her unconscious hand as we rushed to the hospital when she wa one. It's some scary shit. I am thankful my own children are allergy free. I have no problem having a peanut free school but at some point these children do need to be taught how to deal with it. You cannot control who had the shopping cart before you did but you can control how to teach your child to carry wipes and wipe down all surfaces and to never ever put their hands in their mouth or eyes. You say five is too young but all it took for my niece was to remember what a reaction felt like and she learned quickly. Life sucks sometimes but she is better prepared and lives a normal life. ( goes to dances, restaurants, plays hockey). But man oh man does she ever wish she could have cheese on a pizza...

Caitlin - posted on 03/01/2012

Keeping my fingers crossed my daughter outgrows all allergies but peanut.. Peanut/nut is bloody eay to avoid compared to dairy and egg! (I don't worry so much about cross contamination from egg because it's not very greasy, but cheese is almost as bad a peanut butter - oh boy)..



I don't mind kids with dairy in school, but I will say HELL NO to any organized pizza days in the elementary school level.. no way in hell is my daughter going to a school that will allow that, that's just asking for trouble (the cleaners will never get the residues off everything guarenteed and I don't want to deal with the aftermath on that one..)

Mother - posted on 03/01/2012

While I appreciate wanting to keep EVERY child safe. I too think the ban give the kids a false sense of security.

Lesa - posted on 03/01/2012

I wonder how many people would be willing to have a complete dairy ban at school? My niece is severely allergic to dairy products and is anaphylactic. My sister did not demand a dairy free school but the administration was not willing to accommodate it either. My family believes that my niece should be trained to deal with the allergy as she is the one who has it. She lives in the real world. She goes to the mall, the movies and even eats in some restaurants. She knows to keep her hands clean and to not put them in her mouth or eyes. the world is not allergen free and these children will have to learn how to cope in it someday.

Sal - posted on 02/29/2012

i think that people have become a little blase about serious allergies, people just don't take them as seriously as they should and possibly because every other kid or person has some allergy, or at least it is claimed they do....how many people claim to need lactose or gluten free??? how many are actually digonsed???? they are of course free to dine as they choose, but they get seen breaking the diet and no real ill effects and people start to dismiss everyone with an allergy.....as i posted before my 4 year old has a dairy allergy, but it is amost a hidden allergy as it is a delayed reaction allergy from the protien when in her bowel, and i cook most things at home and becareful when i'm out but i have stopped buying her soy 'milk' shakes as people constantly put icecream in them......when i asked one cafe why he said 'most people only want soy to be trendy!!!!' her school is tiny and they have 3 students with bad allergies it is easily policed there but with heaps of students it would be a bad situation....

MeMe - Raises Her Hand (-_-) (Mommy Of A Toddler And Teen) - posted on 02/29/2012

Oh my Caitlin - it gives me utter shivers! Just thinking about it kills me, I couldn't imagine how you feel. I know how I feel when my children are just sick and I worry they will stop breathing (because my mind can take off on me!) but to have them unconsious in my arms hoping for the meds to take control fast enough, I just can't imagine.



For children with allergies likes yours I think it should be mandatory to keep nuts out of schools (maybe not High Schools). I feel it is a part of every single parents role and all the peers of these children to do their best in being supportive and helping with what they can. If it means no nuts for 7 hours of the day, well honestly, to me that is a no brainer! How damn easy that is for everyone else to do for these kids. I for one could not live with myself if I found out that a child fell severely ill or even (god forbid) died because I was so selfish to send a nut product with my child.



I am so sorry you and your children have to live with such a scary thing. I hope everything works out ( I am sure it will) and that no one causes a stink. If they do stick your foot where the "sun doesn't shine" on them! ;)

Caitlin - posted on 02/29/2012

As a mom of a 3 year old with allergies, I have to say every outing is hell. I actually suffered from PTSD for about 6 months after her last few reactions, I woke up in sweats after nigthmares, I went into her room to check on her breathing in the night, afraid she had died in her sleep. It was not fun at all.



I'm sure many of you have read about her reactions, so I wont bore you all, but holding your baby in your arms (I say baby. but her last reaction was when she was just over 2) when she is unconscious, checking for breathing and praying the mabulance makes it there in time - not fun - and that exact situation has happened to me TWICE (and 3 frantic drives tot he hospital.



I'm going to be a nervous wreck when she starts school.. I sense ulcers in my future... Anything the school will do to protect my daughter, I will be thankful for



Mom of Kayla (3 years) allergic to dairy, egg, peanut, beef and sesame and Zoe (2 years) allergic to peanut

MeMe - Raises Her Hand (-_-) (Mommy Of A Toddler And Teen) - posted on 02/29/2012

Yes, some can go to the extreme but if you put yourself in their shoes, it truly is extreme to them. I agree with Krista 100%. It would be devastating and so exhausting to have a child that could potentially DIE from something so small like a peanut or any nut. It would be so very scary and saddening to have to worry about your baby, even as a teen, they aren't all that careful either, I know, I have one. ;)



Where my daughter's school is grade 6-9, I agree with the ban in her school. My daughter may be 13.5 and may be in grade 7 but man, she rarely remembers to wash her hands before eating, I HAVE to remind her. Mind you, if she had a severe allergy perhaps she would remember BUT that is not to say when these teens get carried away - talking, laughing, carrying on - that they don't forget too. Or that other's forget and hug them or touch them with their dirty ass hands. ;)



I prefer to help protect them then just let them venture in scary territory! Maybe once they are in High School, none of them are eating that shit by then, anyway... LOL

Mother - posted on 02/29/2012

Another time....she threatened to smash my windows out because I had incense burning....:(



ETA:: Of course, I didn't make that situation any better. I said...if you smash my windows then you'll never get away from the smell!! :D

Mother - posted on 02/29/2012

Stop...stop...stop...I maintain that she was crazy. LOL I can't feel bad!!!! We tear down barns as a family business. I was staining some of our beams outside on a beautiful summer day. She came running out screaming at me that my activities were going to harm her preemie baby's lungs. She wasn't even outside. She was inside her own house and I was outside. No...she's nuts.

Krista - posted on 02/29/2012

I don't doubt that it WAS driving her batty. When you're living with the very real and constant risk of your child having a deadly allergic reaction to something that is SO ridiculously common? How could it NOT drive you batty? The poor woman was probably living in a constant state of terror.

Mother - posted on 02/29/2012

Oh maaaaaaaan.....you guys are making me feel bad for making fun of my nutso neighbour. She drove EVERYONE batty....but perhaps the allergy was driving her BATTY!!!

Krista - posted on 02/29/2012

I honestly feel so sorry for people who have kids with life-threatening allergies. You can never relax. Ever. Public places must just be a nightmare -- making sure your kid doesn't touch ANYTHING. And with a toddler? Oy vey.

Mother - posted on 02/29/2012

"He could easily have toddled out ahead of her and picked one up. Omg." --- OMG!!!!

Lady Heather - posted on 02/29/2012

I have to say that my views on this have been altered after really thinking about it and watching kids interact. I still think bans past elementary school aren't a great idea because at some point you have to not rely on others and I think teens are capable of this. I do worry about the effect of a false sense of security.



But dude, I would be paranoid if it was my kid. Most people don't seem to even remember to be careful with potential allergens in public spaces. My friends son is deathly allergic to peanuts and one morning she stepped out into the hall outside her condo to find someone had spilled a bag of peanuts and not cleaned it up. Her kid is three. He could easily have toddled out ahead of her and picked one up. Omg.

Krista - posted on 02/29/2012

Exactly, Laura. I just find it so breathtakingly selfish when people protest against peanut bans when a severely allergic child is attending the school. Are peanut bans a pain in the ass? Sure. Of course they are. But to go as far as to protest against them and complain to the school? That's just heartless -- we're talking about a child's LIFE here. Someone else's precious little girl or boy. I can't imagine how alone and betrayed I would feel if that were MY child, and the parents were refusing to make that one concession in order to keep my baby from possibly dying.

Isobel - posted on 02/29/2012

my kids' school has 502, and there is an entire wall of photos in the teacher's lounge and in the office of children with lists underneath them of what the kid's allergic to. Every classroom has a sign at the front door stating what allergies are in the class, and generally at the beginning of the school year, you get a note home about any allergies in the class so that, as a respectful parent you can not send your kid to school covered in whatever their classmate is allergic to.



I think the problem is that too many people don't have direct contact with a kid with anaphylaxis, when you do you learn to care whether they live or die. My daughter invited a little girl to her birthday last year who was allergic to EVERYTHING, nuts, seeds, shellfish, eggs...you name it. I scrubbed my whole house down from top to bottom, bought all the special no allergan foods and got to know the sweetest girl ever.



Then I turned cartwheels when she left my house alive! I think it must be sooooo hard for parents of these kids to send their kid out into the world knowing full well that it only takes one small slip up for them not to come home. I intend to do everything in my power to support them, and if that means telling 477 kids can't eat nuts at school so that the other 30 can touch door knobs safely then so be it.

Mother - posted on 02/29/2012

So true. And honestly most people don't even considered things when they aren't accustomed to that practice. Our schools have NEVER had anymore then 500 TOPS pupils and I appreciate that it would be quite difficult to manage in such a large setting.

MeMe - Raises Her Hand (-_-) (Mommy Of A Toddler And Teen) - posted on 02/29/2012

See it is a plausible idea in a small school I suppose. However, it most definitely is not in large schools. It is expecting a lot to have 2 monitors per 17-13 children when there are 500+ students. Teacher's, especially in the elementary grades, need breaks too - I say especially in these grades simply because they are often the "only" teacher of the children through out the day, other than phys. ed, where there would be a different teacher, of which is typically 30mins and only twice a week. So, to expect them to not only teach the children all day, you also want them to take their breaks in the classroom with the children and eat their lunch there too? That to me is not only insensible but unethical as well...



Some schools do not have cafeteria's, you're right but these schools often do not have 500+ kids either. Or it would have been designed to have a common eating area for a large number of students.



Actually, eating in the classroom is becoming much more rare than you may think Kelly B. Simply due to allergies, messy kids and teacher's needing a break. ;) Not to miss any of the other reasons, like those kids that shove their food in the desk and leave it for weeks on end. LOL

Mother - posted on 02/29/2012

"Wasn't this just what you were suggesting, though? That the school look out for them? " -- Actually no it was not what I was suggesting. I was suggesting that it be a collective effort of the parents, the child and the teachers. When someone suggested we were leaving the child all alone in the situation.

Mother - posted on 02/29/2012

It is not unusual to have or expect 2 monitors. Teachers should be in their respective classroom and usually the second monitor is an older student volunteer. OR, I know is some schools they are all older student monitors. You should also remember that not all elementary schools are equipped with cafeterias, so perhaps this is why we might have our opinions.

Isobel - posted on 02/29/2012

my kids have a cafeteria where the whole school eats.



There is a nut ban in the cafeteria, and there is no food at all allowed in the classroom (and that includes valentines and birthday cupcakes) and I feel that it is completely reasonable.



We have "wow butter" that tastes kinda like peanut butter (yes, it's more expensive but you only use it for school so it lasts longer).



I happened to see a list at the school the other day and there are 19 classes (out of 35 so more than half) in the school that have epi-pens in them and nobody's died yet so...yes I support nut bans.

Krista - posted on 02/29/2012

Yep, we also had a cafeteria in elementary school. My nephews go to a school with a cafeteria, and their school has about 650 students, give or take. And I'm not sure of how many lunch monitors there are, but I'm pretty sure there aren't more than 10.

Krista - posted on 02/29/2012

I agree with every single thing that MeMe just wrote. Seriously, that was spot-on.



It is absolutely unrealistic to expect that a school will be able to be constantly sanitized of peanut products.



The child won't learn if someone else is constantly looking out for them.



Wasn't this just what you were suggesting, though? That the school look out for them?



Besides, anaphylactic shock is one hell of a way to learn a lesson. I don't really want a small child to have to go through that, in order to "learn", thank you very much.

MeMe - Raises Her Hand (-_-) (Mommy Of A Toddler And Teen) - posted on 02/29/2012

Ah, see that is not how it works in large schools. They have cafeteria's, even in kindergarten... And each class has no less than 30 kids but most have 35. Big Difference... When there are 500+ children they do not have the costs to have 2 lunch monitors for every 17-30 kids. That is outrageous to think. Yep, the entire school uses the cafeteria but like I said, only 2 grade levels at a time. So, grades Kindergarten-1, gr2-3, gr4-5, some schools have a grade 6 in elementary, some do not. My daughter's did not, grade 6 is in the Juniour High. And each grade level has 3 classes of that grade, in most city schools, if not more..



Remember some people live in large cities and it is not the same as a small town or rural area...



When I was a child in school, we also used a cafeteria. It is not a new concept, actually it is a very old one... ;)

Mother - posted on 02/29/2012

"I am still offended with those that feel the children with an allergy should fend for themselves " -- again, they are not left alone.



Actually I was a monitor and any school we were at ate in their classes. So there was NEVER more then say 30 kids, and that was if 2 classes were lumped together. they were monitored by 2 monitors. I have never seen an entire school eat in one area. So, perhaps if that is your schools practice that could be changed. Monitoring one classroom of 17-30 kids is way more manageable.

MeMe - Raises Her Hand (-_-) (Mommy Of A Toddler And Teen) - posted on 02/29/2012

Lest we forget that when you are dealing with hundreds of children, some of those parents are terrible teachers. Some never teach their children to wash their hands after eating, let alone to keep their PB&J away from those that could become ill... Some kids are teasers and some would get a rise out of deliberately bugging the allergic kids with their nuttiness... ;) A lunch monitor can only do so much, they can't watch every single kid every single minute. Some schools even allow the kids to eat outside during lunch hour, now what is the answer for these schools and the kids with allergies??



BTW - my kids do NOT have an allergy and I am still offended with those that feel the children with an allergy should fend for themselves and learn a hard lessen if they come in contact.

MeMe - Raises Her Hand (-_-) (Mommy Of A Toddler And Teen) - posted on 02/29/2012

Kelly B. Obviously you have never been a lunch monitor. I HAVE been.



In a school of 500 - 800 kids there are 5 monitors. Given, only 2 grade levels typically take lunch at the same time. So now we have approx 150 kids eating lunch at the same time. So, 5 monitors for 150 kids. Alarming to you? I dunno. It is alarming to me to read that the kids with allergies should be segregated to the "allergy" table, really?? What if their friends are at a different table? That's just mean. Now, they are meant to feel "bad" that they have an allergy? They are to be shunned away from tjhose they like? It's no different than segregating a child with ADHD because they cannot cope with the same distractions as the "regular" kids...



No, not all kids with an allergy have it severe enough to die but some DO. So, now do you suggest only the ones that could die be segregated? Now, there are even less of them segregated and feeling out of the "norm" because of an allergy.



Some with a nut allergy cannot come in contact at all or they can have a severe reaction. Those with Celiac Disease, simply cannot digest gluten properly. If they come in contact rarely and ingest it, it is my understanding they will not die. Only over exposure and not changing your diet can produce this outcome. A nut allergy can be much worse. I know a few that have to carry epipens because of their nut allergy, I have yet to meet someone with Celiac Disease that had to carry an epipen. Do you know someone?



I will also contest that when I was in school, many many kids brought PB&J sandwiches. So, no not every single one of them did but it was a large percentage. Now, you think every single one of those kids should do their duty and "clean up" after they eat a PB&J to ensure the safety of the allergic kids? That is not going to happen. They could be walking around with PB on their finger, get it on a door knob, then the allergy prone kid comes behind and touches the PB and touches their face or picks their nose, eats it and now what? They become ill, severely or not, it is cruel to not respect other's when they are too young to always engage in protective measures for those that could fall severely ill.



I for one am very pleased that we condone and promote the ban of scent-free buildings. All Government buildings are. otherwise I would always be feeling sick. Some of those old people LOVE their perfumes. No, I won't die from it but I get a severe headache and upset stomach. So, should I be segregated too?

Mother - posted on 02/29/2012

Well first off, suggesting that a child is going to be alone with their issue are school is redundant. Every authority figure in the school is made aware of any medical issues all children have. Just like teachers announcing to the class, they can't have peanuts because....they can also announce that they have a peanut allergy in the class so these are the precautions we have to take.



And why assume that everyone is going to DIE because of an allergy. Not everyone has such a severe reaction.



"Putting an elementary school-aged with life-threatening peanut allergies (especially if anaphylaxis can occur from just touching it) in a school lunchroom full of pb &j sandwiches" -- obviously You are never in a classroom. How often does eveyone bring the same sandwich to school?? Almost NEVER....hence why "sharing" has even become an issue. Everyone has something different and yummy to try.



There are methods that can be put into place to keep the children safe that are successful without taking the rights of other kids away. Segregate them to the peanut free table and wash everything down afterwards. What about that celiac child? No one even responded to that. allergies are becoming more and more common place and you can't expect to just cut everything out one by one.



Also in response to...."We aren't talking about teens or adults here; we are talking about children ages 5 through 10. Little kids, who are not yet of an age where they can be (reasonably) expected to always be responsible"



You can pound something into a child's head all you want. If they never have to put that practice into use...then what? School is a SAFE zone in their eyes. they aren't on the look out for stuff because they've never had too. It's like at home.....You as the parents scrutinize EVERYTHING so do they question the food you give them?? No. Because its safe. So if they rely on everyone at the school to keep them safe....they will never question it.

MeMe - Raises Her Hand (-_-) (Mommy Of A Toddler And Teen) - posted on 02/29/2012

I second that Mary.



Also, to add. The children are not going to be able to learn if they die from that "one" contact now are they? I don't see what the big deal is. Why "must" they bring nuts to school anyhow? Almost everything you can buy these days is "nut" free, from meats to cookies and everything in between.....



Save your nuts for home, that's where they belong anyhow... ;)

Jodi - posted on 02/28/2012

"where else in the world do they do this?? "



Well, they enforce it in schools here, and I don't hear anyone bitching about it. It just is.



I'm with Krista. A child's right to a peanut butter sandwich is not greater than another child's right to live.

Mother - posted on 02/28/2012

Overpowering scents bother me too...*yuck*

MeMe - Raises Her Hand (-_-) (Mommy Of A Toddler And Teen) - posted on 02/28/2012

Yep, that's right Krista. My work place is scent-free. No perfumes, no smelly deodarants, they haven't been too stern on the hair products but I have worked at Government sites that were strict on it all.



I had hairspray in my hair at one of them and someone complained. I was told by HR that I could NOT wear smelly hairspray. To me that was messed right up. I am a person that gets sick when smelling heavy scents but damn, this was a wee bit of hair spray. The sad thing is I rarely wear it, of course that was one day I did. LOL

MeMe - Raises Her Hand (-_-) (Mommy Of A Toddler And Teen) - posted on 02/28/2012

It has been enforced in our schools ever since my daughter started 8 years ago. I have no issue with it honestly. Yes, it makes it a little more difficult to pack lunches but they make so many things now that are nut free. If it is going to keep another child from coming in contact in whatever way and ensure they are also safe then yes, I think they should be kept out of "public" schools, if there are children that have allergies at that school. IMO, these are public schools and every kid has the right to be there just as the next. We can't threaten those with a serious reaction by being insensitive and sending items that could potentially kill them.



I had a friend where their daughter was severly allergic and not just to nuts, EVERYTHING from nuts to bee stings. She had to carry an epipen with her at all times. My children are not allergic to anything but penicilin, so am I.



However, there should be no issue in High Schools and I am not certain what the policy is here for them, guess I will find out in 2 years. I know it is banned for Elementary and Juniour Highs.



My kid gets her PB&J sandwhich when she comes home if she wants one, no biggie....



Edited to add: Only nuts and things with nuts are banned in the public schools here... It is the city and there are hundred's of children at one school.

Mother - posted on 02/28/2012

I think Sally has a good point. where else in the world do they do this?? The child won't learn if someone else is constantly looking out for them. I also agree with a separate eating table, but I said that in a previous post. And not all kids automatically die from an allergic reaction. Now if they sat down and ate the peanut butter sandwich for a friend....then yes. An epi pen would probably be the next step.



I think as long as they were diligent with washing of hands and surfaces....there shouldn't be a problem.

Jocelyn - posted on 02/28/2012

I am fine with a peanut ban AT school. When the bans start trying to creep into our houses OUTSIDE of school, then I have a problem with it. I'm sorry, but if your child is so allergic that if my child breaths on him after eating peanut butter toast for breakfast 4 hours ago, and your child stops breathing, then you need to find an alternative school.

Sally - posted on 02/28/2012

I don't support bans either. Especially in larger schools. Especially this day in age when people are unemployed and tight on money. Especially if it is one pupil or even a handful. Nowhere else in the world bans something for 1 person. Do you think colleges do? Do you think your future work will? No.



I also think it is unfair for the allergic child. It gives them this false sense of security and doesn't make them aware of the dangers. What about pupils that have celiac disease? A crumb can send an allergic person into severe allergic reaction as well. Are we going to ban all wheat products?



The child should be made aware of the potential dangers, as well as he/she classmates. Even a special table as I see another poster said they did at their childs school, is a great idea. Bans such as these infringe on the right of the other students.

Mother - posted on 02/28/2012

200 isn't bad. There was a ban at my daughter's school. I didn't agree with it, neither did many other parents. There was only 1 pupil with the allergy in a school of 400. Seemed unfair to me. We don't have to worry about that anymore...we homeschool.

Tracey - posted on 02/28/2012

This school only has 200 pupils so it is easy to implement, don't see how you could do it in a 1000+ school.

Mother - posted on 02/28/2012

That makes sense Tracey. Some of the larger elementary schools in cities reach hundreds and thousands of students. I think implementing a bans and forcing that many students to not eat something for a handful of students is extreme.

Tracey - posted on 02/28/2012

Our allergy kids eat at seperate tables and every child washes their hands before and after eating. They also keep their medication / epipens with them at all times and all staff and their friends are trained how to use them. Never had a problem at the school.

Caitlin - posted on 02/27/2012

I wonder what our school will do when my daughter goes.. She's severely anaphylactic to peanuts, dairy, egg and sesame (also minor allergy to beef). I have no idea what i'm going to want or deamnd from the school.. I'd like a ban on peanuts and anything with sesame seeds on it and those evil sesame snaps, but beyond that, I can't ask them to ban dairy.. I'm just going to have to hope that those evil greasy cheese strings and messy yougurt tubes that always end up everywhere dont kill my kid.. oh boy.. I'm going to be a nervoud wreck when she starts school!



That being said, she'll be 5 when she starts school and her list of "can't eat" foods is so long, I don't think she'll know about all of them. She's 3 now, and knows about peanut butter and eggs and cheese, but only if I ask her specifically or remind her. Her little sister loves cheese and when she gets some with lunch, I frequently have my older one asking if she can have some too, because she forgets..

[deleted account]

That makes a lot of sense, Mary.

Mary - posted on 02/27/2012

I like the way my county currently handles it: they only enact a school-wide ban if they have a student who has a severe anaphylactic response to whatever allergen (most often peanuts) as documented by the child's physician. To the best of my knowledge, this is only done in elementary schools, and changes every year based on the student population. If they do not have any (severely) allergic students in the school that year, then there is no ban.

Sal - posted on 02/27/2012

we were talking about this today....and i think it has to be somewhere in the middle of total ban and personal responsibity, while banning peanuts isnt too extreme for example, banning any product that might "contain traces of nuts" is a bit much when there is no child with allergies at the centre....and a child who has such an allergy really needs to learn how to live with it, my daughter has a dairy allergy not a serious life threatening one but one that causes migraines and bowel bleeding so very unpleasnt all the same, she is taught what to eat and not to share she has to live with it everyday and learn how to manage it, not others responsibilty to not bring dairy to school...

[deleted account]

That was actually me, in PDHT :)



I'm fine with a ban in elementary schools. The kids are young and they forget to ask if there are nuts, peanuts, etc. in things sometimes. Yes, you should continue to teach your child to ask and avoid foods that could contain these things. If no one in the school has the allergy then there is no need for a ban, but if there are kids then I would be fine sending something else for my kids.

Lady Heather - posted on 02/26/2012

You know what would make more sense? No peanuts at toddler play areas. I have never been hugely into outright peanut bans but I've started looking at the way the toddlers are at the library or our children's museum and dude...I wouldn't bring my allergic kid if I had one. I don't take common allergens to these places because a 2 year old really isn't old enough to understand the whole thing. But maybe it's pointless because everyone else brings peanut butter.



I think at a certain age kids do have to learn to look out for themselves. The world outside school isn't allergy free. And bans when there are literally no allergic people are a little odd.



But hey, ban away if you will also do me a solid and ban perfumes. No, they won't kill me. But holy hell they make me feel like crap.

Elfrieda - posted on 02/26/2012

I think that when there is someone with a life-threatening allergy in the school, or at least in the class, then there should be restrictions on what food children are allowed to take to school. That's just common sense, and it would be easy to remember, "Oh, yes, little Nicole can't even breathe peanuty air without going into anaphalactic shock, let's be really really careful!"



However, it's asinine to make a blanket policy "No peanuts allowed at school" when there isn't a child with severe peanut allergies attending the school, or when the school administration in some misguided attempt at privacy keeps it a secret whether there is or is not an allergic child currently attending. That's when it's easy to justify not being careful about peanuts, because there's no face to give incentive to following the rules.



I think if it's a case of life or death, everyone should band together to protect the child. If it's only a case of getting a rash if the allergen is ingested, well, that's where the separate tables and teaching the child to be careful can come in.