Food Allergies at school--No chocolate

[lauracitawita]

My daughter is in middle school. There are only grade 7 and 8 students in the building.

They are not allowed to bring anything with nuts (this has been the rule all through school), and we just received a letter saying that they aren't allowed to bring anything with chocolate now because there is a student who is allergic to it.

I can kind of understand this in younger grades where children are not as aware or capable of taking all the precautions they need to with a serious allergy. Grade 7 or 8 though?!!?

What do these kids do when they go to a store or restaurant?

My daughter had a mini cliff bar in her lunch yesterday with chocolate chips. (I forgot it had chocolate in it) She said she snuck a bite when she was outside and then felt so guilty so she threw the rest of it out. Lol

Maybe I just don't understand fully because I've never had to deal with a child with a severe allergy.

 

[TAX GUY]

My daughter is in middle school. There are only grade 7 and 8 students in the building.

They are not allowed to bring anything with nuts (this has been the rule all through school), and we just received a letter saying that they aren't allowed to bring anything with chocolate now because there is a student who is allergic to it.

I can kind of understand this in younger grades where children are not as aware or capable of taking all the precautions they need to with a serious allergy. Grade 7 or 8 though?!!?

What do these kids do when they go to a store or restaurant?

My daughter had a mini cliff bar in her lunch yesterday with chocolate chips. (I forgot it had chocolate in it) She said she snuck a bite when she was outside and then felt so guilty so she threw the rest of it out. Lol

Maybe I just don't understand fully because I've never had to deal with a child with a severe allergy.

Prior to this year, my son attended a catholic school, and he (the entire school) was not allowed to bring anything "nut".

This year, the start of middle school (7th grade) he attends the local public school. They have NO restrictions on any types of food (woohoo!!) I had asked when on a tour of the school and was told they have certain spaces/tables in the caf for those that have allergies. It seems to be working for everyone. And as you mentioned, these kids are big enough to know what issues they might have, and are sure to limit themselves to these exposures. No matter though, someone will still have a problem with it.

 

[Pkltm]

It all depends on the severity of the allergy, I cannot eat certain places due to an avocado allergy, I can manage this allergy but I cannot control other people's behaviors. What if a another student did not wash their hands after eating chocolate and then touched the door knob.

 

[mom2AidanAndEli]

Just plain ridiculous. I'm sorry, I know I'm stirring a hornet's nest. But those with the allergies need to learn how to survive in the real world. Having the whole school cater to one child is beyond crazy. Seriously--your daughter's Cliff bar is a dangerous weapon to this child? Really? If so, how does that child survive outside of their little plastic bubble?

 

[rajak73]

They are not allowed to bring anything with nuts (this has been the rule all through school), and we just received a letter saying that they aren't allowed to bring anything with chocolate now because there is a student who is allergic to it.

What do these kids do when they go to a store or restaurant?

I've wondered the same thing and sometimes I hear, well if it's in the air.......well you never go to a grocery store? What about one that sells bulk food? All you have to do is look at a peanut or chocolate? Just know it's close?

No matter though, someone will still have a problem with it

Welcome to the new world!

 

[castleview]

By the time a kid is in seventh grade, he should know how to cope with his allergies. This is ridiculous. And chocolate? Please.

I would look into it. A lot of times, bans were never the suggestion of the allergic child's parents or even the school nurse. In our district, it was a clueless Food Services Director who sent out these restrictions because the parent just happened to fill out the child's allergies on the student information form. She was eventually told to can it.

Also wanted to add - I have a child with tree nut allergies. No one is looking over her and she hasn't needed her epi-pen yet. Knock on wood.

 

[kamik86]

It all depends on the severity of the allergy, I cannot eat certain places due to an avocado allergy, I can manage this allergy but I cannot control other people's behaviors. What if a another student did not wash their hands after eating chocolate and then touched the door knob.

What if the student had chocolate on the way to school which couldn't be banned and then touched the doorknob

 

[wilkeliza]

I've wondered the same thing and sometimes I hear, well if it's in the air.......well you never go to a grocery store? What about one that sells bulk food? All you have to do is look at a peanut or chocolate? Just know it's close?


Welcome to the new world!

Some people do have airborne allergies to things like peanut dust. I have no clue how they survive in day to day life since you can't really control that.

We had a similar situation with my little cousin and it was rough. He would only eat PBJ sandwiches for lunch for awhile. I mean flat out refuse anything else for lunch and would sit there for hours not matter what you put in front of him. It was weird because he would eat anything else at dinner but lunch nope just a PBJ. When he went to Pre-K they didn't allow him to take peanut butter. For 2 years he just didn't eat lunch. The school always sent home notes that he wouldn't eat what was packed for him but my aunt wasn't allowed to pack him what he would actually eat. I'm glad he finally grew out of that stage.

 

[pryncess527]

I have never heard of chocolate being an airborne allergy that causes the kind of sensitivity issues that peanut particles have been said to cause. I'd be very curious to know what the scientific basis for the school's decision is.

 

[TheIncredibles!]

I have never heard of a chocolate allergy. A quick Google search seems to state that a true allergy is rare. One site said this: Allergies to cacao (the bean that is the main ingredient in chocolate) are possible but so rare as to be virtually nonexistent in recent medical literature. Therefore, if you've experienced food allergy symptoms after eating chocolate, you can safely assume that another ingredient in the chocolate is causing your symptoms unless testing shows otherwise.

I have to wonder does this child really have a severe allergy or is it like somebody that gets a rash etc that's an "annoyance" and not life threatening? Wondering if this is a mom making a mountain out of a molehill.

I also agree that by middle school a child should be able to handle their allergies well.

 

[wilkeliza]

What if the student had chocolate on the way to school which couldn't be banned and then touched the doorknob

Although they can't ban it per se my cousin did get a letter that asked them not to give their kids peanut butter in the morning because someone on their bus route had a peanut allergy.

 

[Goofy_Disney_Dad]

The world is gonna be a dark and scary place.

 

[rajak73]

my cousin did get a letter that asked them not to give their kids peanut butter in the morning because someone on their bus route had a peanut allergy.

That's a joke right? You can't be serious about them telling people what to feed their kids AT HOME!

 

[wilkeliza]

That's a joke right? You can't be serious about them telling people what to feed their kids AT HOME!

Nope not a joke at all. I wish my aunt kept a copy of the letter. This was about 7 years ago now. It went on to say to please remember to thoroughly clean their hands and face paying particular attention to under finger nails if they did eat peanut products. My step-nephew has a severe allergy like this but they would never have imagined putting him on the bus with that severe of an allergy.

 

[castleview]

That's a joke right? You can't be serious about them telling people what to feed their kids AT HOME!

I'm not surprised. There was a case in Florida where parents asked that and wanted all kids to wash their hands with a specific solution and rinse their mouths after lunch. I feel bad for kids with allergies (I have a kid with them), but a request like that would put me "kiss off" mode.

 

[LinderInWonderland]

My best friend (since we were 7) is allergic to chocolate. Not life-threatening, she just gets hives and always has. I have a vivid memory of her eating the tiny bits of chocolate left over in the foil from another friend's wrapped Easter candy because she was so heartily sick of white chocolate and carob.

I think the school here is trying to protect themselves from a potential law suit.

 

[PollyannaMom]

We need to stop taking things away from everyone because one person can't have them. Pretty soon, there's going to be nothing left that's OK to eat in public.

 

[Pkltm]

What if the student had chocolate on the way to school which couldn't be banned and then touched the doorknob

Agreed that can't be controlled, but I am sure the school is trying to cover all bases and control what they can. Allergies suck, I don't enforce my restrictions on others, so it gets to me when I here about it happening to other people.

 

[TAX GUY]

We need to stop taking things away from everyone because one person can't have them...

Like guns?

 

[BellsFam]

What do these kids do when they go to a store or restaurant?

rgy.

It's not usually exposed... In a public school cafeteria setting you have so many children to take into account the liability on the school if something happens to the child. And not everyone knows which child it is because of anonymity.

Out of respect I would never "accidentally" pack something that says "MAY CONTAIN PEANUTS" like ALL chocolate bar wrappers do... Not even the chocolate allergy but the nut allergy.

And people that are that severely allergic ARE NOT ALLOWED to carry an Epi-pen in school and therefore have to head to the nurse to get it, it might be too late!