Jolie Rouge
09-14-2012, 08:50 AM
Can we really ban nut products from schools?
By Piper Weiss, Shine Staff | Parenting – 17 hours ago
(ThinkStock)It's hard to believe something as small as a peanut could cause so much controversy. But put it in a lunch bag and it can divide a school.
In Viola, Arkansas, a debate is heating up, after a student had his peanut butter and jelly sandwich confiscated at lunchtime. The school has a no-peanut-products policy due to a few students with allergies, so the teacher helped the little boy get a new lunch and sent home a note explaining the situation to his mom.
That note didn't go over well, apparently. Soon after the incident, a 'School Nut Ban Discussion' group was launched on Facebook by parents conflicted over the policy.
Some parents believe allergy-free students shouldn't have to cater to a few kids' health sensitivities, particularly if it means cutting out healthy or low-cost snacks packed in their own child's lunchbox.
The mom who packed the confiscated PB&J sandwich thinks kids with allergies should learn "how to manage the problem" rather than live inside a "bubble," according to a local news report.
Other parents of special needs kids feel like they're playing second fiddle to those with allergies. "There are some autistic children that will only eat a PB&J sandwich or nothing at all," one parent opposing the ban argued on Facebook.
According to the Viola District Superintendent John May, this is the first push-back on a policy in place in his school for some time. "The policy is in place to protect those with a severe, life threatening problem," May told Area Wide News, a Missouri-based news site. "Until we figure out something else, it would be foolish to drop the policy."
Over the span of a decade, reports of kids with peanut allergies have spiked by 18 percent, according to the CDC. Today, about 1 in 25 children suffer from the condition, and about 18 percent of them have had attacks in school. As a result, school-wide peanut bans have doubled in the past two years. But they haven't come without a fight.
One Connecticut mother of an allergic child was shocked by the hostility she was met with when proposing a peanut ban at her own kid's school. "People were extremely rude," she told the Associated Press. "They just thought it was a ridiculous request."
A child's well-being may have triggered the debate, but at the core of the conflict is a turf war. Is one parent's concerns about their own child interfering with the way other kids are raised? Some parents of allergic kids know being unpopular comes with the territory.
"Nobody wants to be a Peanut Allergy Mom," writes Mommyish blogger Gloria Fallon, whose son has severe life-threatening peanut allergies. "My main concern is my son's health, but I also don't want everyone to hate us. I actually am sorry for all the inconvenience having a PA kid creates. I know if my son didn't have food allergies, I'd probably think the kid who did was a pain in the a--. So I try to understand that for the most part, no one gets what we're going through."
Back in Viola, parents are looking for a compromise within the elementary school--hoping for a middle-ground approach some other institutions have taken. As opposed to banning nuts, some schools require all their teachers to be trained in using EpiPens, a life-saving device used in severe allergic attacks. Separating nut-eaters from non-nut-eaters in the lunchroom is another way to protect kids and raise awareness among students.
The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network, a nut allergy advocacy group, believes compromise is better for kids with allergies than an outright ban. "What we want is everyone always thinking there could be a possibility (of an allergic reaction) and be on guard for it," the group's founder, Anne Munoz-Furlong, told the Associated Press.
But with compromise comes with new problems. Isolating a child at a separate table because of his or her allergies can create social ostracism and lead to bullying. (The American Pediatrics Association even cautions parents and teachers about the risk of harassment kids with peanut allergies face.)
Sitting at a special nut-free table or being the subject of a health lesson in class may save a kid's life but it won't win him any popularity contests. Fallon says that every time she drops her allergic son Nick off at a party, she has to run through worst case scenarios and procedures with the person in charge. "This usually results in the person looking frightened and probably wishing they didn't invite Nick," she says. "Nobody likes the finale, me especially."
http://shine.yahoo.com/parenting/pb-38-j-worst-weapon-kid-bring-school-215000284.html
comments
I have two children with peanut and tree nut allergies. I teach them to be aware. My oldest child with allergies is four and he's been asking since he was three whether food items have peanuts before he eats them. I don't think the whole world should be nut-free just because a few kids are allergic. That's ridiculous. LOL my own home is not even peanut- and tree nut-free. I love PB&J! What's wrong with teaching kids with allergies to ask before eating and not share lunches with other kids? They will have to learn to do this before they're out on their own at 18 anyway. Mommy can't always go with Junior to make sure his co-workers don't feed him peanuts, after all... ;-)
..
It sad to see another parent of a peanut allergic child who is so uninformed. I have to assume that neither of your children are contact allergic to peanuts. MANY peanut allergic children can die from being exposed to peanuts. My daughter has had reactions from being touched by other children who have just had the beloved PB&J at the playground or the beach. Seriously, to possibly safe the life on another child, you can't pack your kid something else for 5 lunches a week. I bet those parents of PA kids can give you lots of advice on other options and if the problem is cost because you can't afford anything but PB&J you can probably qualify for free school lunch.
..
Tough one. My son is allergic to oranges (the skin and rind) and knows to not pick that as a snack or side at school or anywhere else. While I understand the need to be safe with these PA kids, I don't understand how punishing a child who loves peanut butter (for instance) is an answer either. If these children have such severe allergies maybe they should eat in class, since I'm sure they bring their own lunches. I agree also that the staff of the schools need to be trained on using an epi-pen. My son has one and has never had to use it (thankfully) but better prepared in any event. Again, a tough one.
..
So what about the kids that are lactose intolerant, allergic to wheat...where does it end? I'm deathly allergice to seafood, and as a kid, knew to stay away from it, and learned how to give myself an injection if I was exposed to it. TEACH instead of CODDLE!
...
My son has a life threatening peanut allergy so the lunchroom has a separate table for food allergy children or a he can sit at the end of the lunch table with other kids w/allergies and that's fine with me.
..
I am allergic to pollen....freshly cut grass ruins my whole day...if I was still in school, would they ban outdoor gym class to cater to me?
..
I'm allergic to stupidity. Please ban all stupidity from my school. I'll die if exposed...
By Piper Weiss, Shine Staff | Parenting – 17 hours ago
(ThinkStock)It's hard to believe something as small as a peanut could cause so much controversy. But put it in a lunch bag and it can divide a school.
In Viola, Arkansas, a debate is heating up, after a student had his peanut butter and jelly sandwich confiscated at lunchtime. The school has a no-peanut-products policy due to a few students with allergies, so the teacher helped the little boy get a new lunch and sent home a note explaining the situation to his mom.
That note didn't go over well, apparently. Soon after the incident, a 'School Nut Ban Discussion' group was launched on Facebook by parents conflicted over the policy.
Some parents believe allergy-free students shouldn't have to cater to a few kids' health sensitivities, particularly if it means cutting out healthy or low-cost snacks packed in their own child's lunchbox.
The mom who packed the confiscated PB&J sandwich thinks kids with allergies should learn "how to manage the problem" rather than live inside a "bubble," according to a local news report.
Other parents of special needs kids feel like they're playing second fiddle to those with allergies. "There are some autistic children that will only eat a PB&J sandwich or nothing at all," one parent opposing the ban argued on Facebook.
According to the Viola District Superintendent John May, this is the first push-back on a policy in place in his school for some time. "The policy is in place to protect those with a severe, life threatening problem," May told Area Wide News, a Missouri-based news site. "Until we figure out something else, it would be foolish to drop the policy."
Over the span of a decade, reports of kids with peanut allergies have spiked by 18 percent, according to the CDC. Today, about 1 in 25 children suffer from the condition, and about 18 percent of them have had attacks in school. As a result, school-wide peanut bans have doubled in the past two years. But they haven't come without a fight.
One Connecticut mother of an allergic child was shocked by the hostility she was met with when proposing a peanut ban at her own kid's school. "People were extremely rude," she told the Associated Press. "They just thought it was a ridiculous request."
A child's well-being may have triggered the debate, but at the core of the conflict is a turf war. Is one parent's concerns about their own child interfering with the way other kids are raised? Some parents of allergic kids know being unpopular comes with the territory.
"Nobody wants to be a Peanut Allergy Mom," writes Mommyish blogger Gloria Fallon, whose son has severe life-threatening peanut allergies. "My main concern is my son's health, but I also don't want everyone to hate us. I actually am sorry for all the inconvenience having a PA kid creates. I know if my son didn't have food allergies, I'd probably think the kid who did was a pain in the a--. So I try to understand that for the most part, no one gets what we're going through."
Back in Viola, parents are looking for a compromise within the elementary school--hoping for a middle-ground approach some other institutions have taken. As opposed to banning nuts, some schools require all their teachers to be trained in using EpiPens, a life-saving device used in severe allergic attacks. Separating nut-eaters from non-nut-eaters in the lunchroom is another way to protect kids and raise awareness among students.
The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network, a nut allergy advocacy group, believes compromise is better for kids with allergies than an outright ban. "What we want is everyone always thinking there could be a possibility (of an allergic reaction) and be on guard for it," the group's founder, Anne Munoz-Furlong, told the Associated Press.
But with compromise comes with new problems. Isolating a child at a separate table because of his or her allergies can create social ostracism and lead to bullying. (The American Pediatrics Association even cautions parents and teachers about the risk of harassment kids with peanut allergies face.)
Sitting at a special nut-free table or being the subject of a health lesson in class may save a kid's life but it won't win him any popularity contests. Fallon says that every time she drops her allergic son Nick off at a party, she has to run through worst case scenarios and procedures with the person in charge. "This usually results in the person looking frightened and probably wishing they didn't invite Nick," she says. "Nobody likes the finale, me especially."
http://shine.yahoo.com/parenting/pb-38-j-worst-weapon-kid-bring-school-215000284.html
comments
I have two children with peanut and tree nut allergies. I teach them to be aware. My oldest child with allergies is four and he's been asking since he was three whether food items have peanuts before he eats them. I don't think the whole world should be nut-free just because a few kids are allergic. That's ridiculous. LOL my own home is not even peanut- and tree nut-free. I love PB&J! What's wrong with teaching kids with allergies to ask before eating and not share lunches with other kids? They will have to learn to do this before they're out on their own at 18 anyway. Mommy can't always go with Junior to make sure his co-workers don't feed him peanuts, after all... ;-)
..
It sad to see another parent of a peanut allergic child who is so uninformed. I have to assume that neither of your children are contact allergic to peanuts. MANY peanut allergic children can die from being exposed to peanuts. My daughter has had reactions from being touched by other children who have just had the beloved PB&J at the playground or the beach. Seriously, to possibly safe the life on another child, you can't pack your kid something else for 5 lunches a week. I bet those parents of PA kids can give you lots of advice on other options and if the problem is cost because you can't afford anything but PB&J you can probably qualify for free school lunch.
..
Tough one. My son is allergic to oranges (the skin and rind) and knows to not pick that as a snack or side at school or anywhere else. While I understand the need to be safe with these PA kids, I don't understand how punishing a child who loves peanut butter (for instance) is an answer either. If these children have such severe allergies maybe they should eat in class, since I'm sure they bring their own lunches. I agree also that the staff of the schools need to be trained on using an epi-pen. My son has one and has never had to use it (thankfully) but better prepared in any event. Again, a tough one.
..
So what about the kids that are lactose intolerant, allergic to wheat...where does it end? I'm deathly allergice to seafood, and as a kid, knew to stay away from it, and learned how to give myself an injection if I was exposed to it. TEACH instead of CODDLE!
...
My son has a life threatening peanut allergy so the lunchroom has a separate table for food allergy children or a he can sit at the end of the lunch table with other kids w/allergies and that's fine with me.
..
I am allergic to pollen....freshly cut grass ruins my whole day...if I was still in school, would they ban outdoor gym class to cater to me?
..
I'm allergic to stupidity. Please ban all stupidity from my school. I'll die if exposed...