Peanut free school? - Page 3 - Big Big Forums

orchidnana · 09-09-2009, 03:16 PM

Last year in my gd class of 27 children there was 6 that had PA

cathych · 09-09-2009, 03:26 PM

my neice has a severe peanut allergy, and my sil called the Mars co., and they said not to give her any of the candy bars, that one of them might have a peanut bit in it. She has to go out into the garage and make school lunches because of the fumes. When she gives her little girl chocolate, she gives her chocolate chips out of the bag.

ttistin · 09-09-2009, 04:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iluvmybaby

OK I am going to say it, this is bull hockey. BULL HOCKEY, I have severe food allergies, what if everwhere I went I said, you cant serve X at the resturant or X at my friends etc. I suck it up, I bring my own food to friends at a party ((and share)) or I chose something at a resturant that doesnt have X in it. If this student cant have nuts then his parents needs to pack him a lunch and tell him not to eat at the cafeteria

Then this student needs to have his lunches catered to by his parents. I have deathily allergies and I could not imagine the whole world stopping to accomodate me.

maybe the mother does send in lunch and snack with the child, but if he is allergic to peanut butter and just being around the smell of it can give him a reaction then wouldn't you want to make sure the child is not around it? Maybe someone at another table brings a P&J sandwich and he has a reaction? Or the lunchbox is in the classroom and you can smell the peanut butter.

Also why would you want to single out this child to make them eat alone while everyone else is in the cafeteria talking and having fun? That would not help his self confidence at all and might make the other kids pick on him.

Maybe they do not go out to eat? I know a lot of people that do not go out to eat, be it sit down or fast food.

I agree with the mother, I would want to make sure that my child is safe. If that means insisting that the school go nutfree then so be it. Unless you yourself or your child has this problem it is hard to say what they should or need to do. and no one in my family has a nut allergy, I just see where the mother is coming from. I understand it is an inconvenience for everyone else in the school, I am sure this child and his mother do not want to inconvenience anyone.

magenta...what grade is the child in? Is it high school or elementary?

cathych · 09-09-2009, 05:16 PM

you know, it is not bull hockey. children often share lunches, like candy bars, etc. it is easy for an adult to adapt and bring their own foods to things, but not so children. yes, they need to know that the world does not revolve around them. but a child cannot help what it is born with. after all, why do we have handicaps ramps and the like? a person can learn to adapt, right? according to your logic, no one with special needs deserves any extra attention at all.

Urban Cowgirl · 09-09-2009, 07:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cathych

? according to your logic, no one with special needs deserves any extra attention at all.

I'd say that is a stretch. I really cannot blame her for being frustrated. I would be in BIG trouble if our school did this, PB&J is all my dd will eat. The school should be able to work a reasonable compromise to keep everyone happy and safe. They could set up a separate area for either PB&J kids or for the allergic child to sit with friends whose lunch would not harm her. My goodness, will they go so far as to say none of the students can have PB for breakfast, because they may breath on the child? I would say they should work out a safe compromise.

mosdata1 · 09-09-2009, 07:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iluvmybaby

OK I am going to say it, this is bull hockey. BULL HOCKEY, I have severe food allergies, what if everwhere I went I said, you cant serve X at the resturant or X at my friends etc. I suck it up, I bring my own food to friends at a party ((and share)) or I chose something at a resturant that doesnt have X in it. If this student cant have nuts then his parents needs to pack him a lunch and tell him not to eat at the cafeteria

Then this student needs to have his lunches catered to by his parents. I have deathily allergies and I could not imagine the whole world stopping to accomodate me.

I was reading on another site where a person spoke about a person who actually has an airborne peanut allergy.
It is really more than just not allowing people to eat peanuts around the person who is allergic. A child could eat a peanut butter sandwich, not wash their hands afterwards & touch the child who is allergic. This, of course could be deadly for the child with the allergy.

Urban Cowgirl · 09-09-2009, 08:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mosdata1

I was reading on another site where a person spoke about a person who actually has an airborne peanut allergy.
It is really more than just not allowing people to eat peanuts around the person who is allergic. A child could eat a peanut butter sandwich, not wash their hands afterwards & touch the child who is allergic. This, of course could be deadly for the child with the allergy.

Exactly...which a student could eat at home in the morning and have it on their breath or remnants on their hands. They gonna start having all kids brush thier teeth and wash hands as soon as they get to school? There as to be a compromise. The allergic student needs to be preparred to deal with this his/her whole life.

krisharry · 09-09-2009, 09:37 PM

IMO, a child's health/wellbeing has to take precedence over the likes/dislikes of another child or the minor inconvenience of being nutfree.

In case anyone is interested, I was at grocery store a bit ago and they had sunbutter for $3.59 for a 15oz jar, namebrand peanut butter was on special 2/$5 for 16 oz jar so it is a bit more expensive but not that bad. They also had some organic sunflower butters which were a lot more $5-6 a jar and almond butter (don't know if that is the same family as peanut so may not be an option) for a whopping $8.59 for a 22 oz jar.

cathych · 09-09-2009, 10:23 PM

peanut butter is usually the cheapest thing to make sandwiches out of for children, and most children love it.

YankeeMary · 09-09-2009, 11:04 PM

I can see both sides. But my common sense tells me to step back and look at everything involved. Its an awful lot of trouble and expense for just one child. If it were my child I might think it should be done yadda yadda yadda. But being realistic what is this parent going to do when this child is in highschool? Alot of highschools have open lunches etc. You can NOT tell a bunch of teenagers not to do something and expect them to actually listen, kwim? I don't know the answer but I think there is way too much involvement for just one child (or even a couple children). I would say it is impossible to keep any place completely peanut free. If a child across the room can't have peanut butter then how can the child with allergies go to lets say the grocery store? walmart? the zoo? How are you guarenteed that the check out lady at the car parts store didn't have PBJ for lunch and didn't wash her hands afterwards. Not to sound ugly for my heart really feels sorry for those with such a horrible allergy, but it is their problem. Actually at this point it is their parents problem. We all want our children to be equal/same as everyone else but when will it stop? There are some people that can't afford anything but PBJ for their children. How is it fair to them?
The whole thing is a huge mess. And where and why all the sudden is there peanutbutter allergies? I know its been around for a couple of years but when I was small this was unheard of.
We have friends that have 2 daughters, both have peanut allergies. We have been to their home for dinner. The mom makes it seem like it is so easy to "deal" with this. I know it isn't, but she adapted. She didn't expect us to adapt. But out of fairness her girls only have a problem if they eat or touch it, not airborne.
I know if it were my child I wouldn't expect the school or anyone else to bend over backwards for one. I sure hope it works out and the child with the allergy is safe.

ttistin · 09-09-2009, 11:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by YankeeMary

I can see both sides. But my common sense tells me to step back and look at everything involved. Its an awful lot of trouble and expense for just one child. If it were my child I might think it should be done yadda yadda yadda. But being realistic what is this parent going to do when this child is in highschool? Alot of highschools have open lunches etc. You can NOT tell a bunch of teenagers not to do something and expect them to actually listen, kwim? I don't know the answer but I think there is way too much involvement for just one child (or even a couple children). I would say it is impossible to keep any place completely peanut free. If a child across the room can't have peanut butter then how can the child with allergies go to lets say the grocery store? walmart? the zoo? How are you guarenteed that the check out lady at the car parts store didn't have PBJ for lunch and didn't wash her hands afterwards. Not to sound ugly for my heart really feels sorry for those with such a horrible allergy, but it is their problem. Actually at this point it is their parents problem. We all want our children to be equal/same as everyone else but when will it stop? There are some people that can't afford anything but PBJ for their children. How is it fair to them?
The whole thing is a huge mess. And where and why all the sudden is there peanutbutter allergies? I know its been around for a couple of years but when I was small this was unheard of.
We have friends that have 2 daughters, both have peanut allergies. We have been to their home for dinner. The mom makes it seem like it is so easy to "deal" with this. I know it isn't, but she adapted. She didn't expect us to adapt. But out of fairness her girls only have a problem if they eat or touch it, not airborne.
I know if it were my child I wouldn't expect the school or anyone else to bend over backwards for one. I sure hope it works out and the child with the allergy is safe.

In the school I worked at in Alabama it was a high school, The kids were not allowed to leave for lunch so they either ate what we had or brought their own. We were not allowed to have peanut butter in the kitchen, I am not sure if there was a child that was allergic or not while I was there (3 school years). Some of the kids would ask about peanut butter cookies but we were not allowed to order them because of peanut allergy. I am not sure if they sent letters home, I do not have high school children lol. But I just wanted to say that some high schools do try.