Does your child's public school allow homemade treats for parties?

[Michelle and crew]

One thing I found kind of ironic...karma maybe...was that she would always roll her eyes and shake her head when we had customers with nut allergies. She never took any precautions when dealing with them and I was just waiting for something to happen. It did. To HER! She developed a nut allergy! One day she was fine, the next she was allergic to nuts. She barely made it to the hospital! From that point on, she was a bit more careful in that area and didn't have the same outlook when dealing with certain customers.

No kidding! That is a lesson learned the hard way!

 

[daisyduck123]

You need an "other" option.

My school (1st grade teacher here) of over 600 students had an outdoor parade and picnic yesterday with NO GOODIES DISTRIBUTED AT ALL !

We had our school parade, followed by a picnic with all the families that came & no one was allowed to bring anything to distribute at all. The only thing people ate was what they themselves brought to eat for lunch.

This was our first year trying this & all of the teachers LOVED IT!

 

[torinsmom]

Homemade treats are allowed at our elementary school. Our pre-school is nut-free, so no homemade treats there. I think they always had the no homemade treats rule (due to health/food safety issues), but now they're really strict about you can't bring anything from the grocery store bakeries because of "made on shared equipment" warnings. All of this is FINE by me as my child who goes there has a peanut allergy. There are plenty of "safe" foods out there. Nuts aren't too hard to avoid.

When my little one goes to elementary, I'll just make treats for him on party days. He can have cookies, cake, etc., but made homemade BY ME. I would never trust anyone else's cooking/baking for him. A lot of people think that if it doesn't have actual peanuts in it, it's safe. They don't pay attention to the "may contain", "made on shared equipment", etc. warnings like the parents of food allergic children do. AND, who knows what kind of cross-contamination may be in their kitchen -- made PB&J for their kid earlier, didn't wipe the counter down good enough, etc.

I have no problem if homemade treats will be allowed in his class (he'll be old enough to know that he can't have it -- he does great dealing with it now at 3 -- I let his older brother have things he can't). But, I'm pretty sure the no homemade treats rule that started in certain states/school systems had to do with health issues (as someone else pointed out, foodborne illnesses, etc.), not allergies. I'll be the first to admit, I NEVER buy from bake sales because I have no idea of some stranger's cleanliness practices.

Speaking as a teacher, I ALWAYS have a long conversation with any parent whose child has allergies. There are varying degrees and we need to know what degree their child is allergic. The child with allergies this year can eat things that say they were manufactured in a plant that also processes peanuts. She cannot eat anything with peanuts as an ingredient or that says it may contain traces of peanuts. Some things would wouldn't expect to have traces of peanuts do have them. We always have the tried and true goldfish and Nutrigrain bars when all else fails. I do not have a child with allergies, but I feel like we all have to help whenever we can.

 

[Colleen27]

We're allowed to send homemade treats, and at the beginning of the year the teacher sends home a note for parents to sign & return that includes, among other things, any allergen issues in the classroom (not specific names, just "We have a student who is allergic to XXXX in our classroom this year, so please be mindful when selecting treats to share"). There's also a reminder on the pre-holiday notes that come home before "party" holidays.

As far as the commercial kitchen requirements, there's no basis for that argument here since they relaxed those rules for "cottage" businesses under a certain total sales threshold. The chocolate-dipped pretzels, candy apples, and peanut butter cookies I bought for my family this morning are all professionally made and have the required ingredient labelling, but none were made in a health department certified kitchen. And frankly, I think that change in the law is long overdue. I've worked in enough food service settings to know that health dept certification is only as worth as much as the employees working on any given shift are willing to put into it, and oftentimes that's not much. I'll take the baked goods and sweets from the dedicated small businesswoman at the local market over something prepped in a certified kitchen by careless minimum wage employees any day.

 

[torinsmom]

We're allowed to send homemade treats, and at the beginning of the year the teacher sends home a note for parents to sign & return that includes, among other things, any allergen issues in the classroom (not specific names, just "We have a student who is allergic to XXXX in our classroom this year, so please be mindful when selecting treats to share"). There's also a reminder on the pre-holiday notes that come home before "party" holidays.

As far as the commercial kitchen requirements, there's no basis for that argument here since they relaxed those rules for "cottage" businesses under a certain total sales threshold. The chocolate-dipped pretzels, candy apples, and peanut butter cookies I bought for my family this morning are all professionally made and have the required ingredient labelling, but none were made in a health department certified kitchen. And frankly, I think that change in the law is long overdue. I've worked in enough food service settings to know that health dept certification is only as worth as much as the employees working on any given shift are willing to put into it, and oftentimes that's not much. I'll take the baked goods and sweets from the dedicated small businesswoman at the local market over something prepped in a certified kitchen by careless minimum wage employees any day.

Whether they are actually more sanitary is not the biggest thing. If something is brought in from a company with the ingredients listed and there is a problem, that company can get sued. If things are brought in from a home, the school ends up being sued. Its just another fall out from having a sue-happy mentality in our country.

 

[drag n' fly]

My ds7 is not allowed to bring in or share anything due to allergy issues. Dd14 school and ds16 school could care less.

 

[LaraK]

Speaking as a teacher, I ALWAYS have a long conversation with any parent whose child has allergies. There are varying degrees and we need to know what degree their child is allergic. The child with allergies this year can eat things that say they were manufactured in a plant that also processes peanuts. She cannot eat anything with peanuts as an ingredient or that says it may contain traces of peanuts. Some things would wouldn't expect to have traces of peanuts do have them. We always have the tried and true goldfish and Nutrigrain bars when all else fails. I do not have a child with allergies, but I feel like we all have to help whenever we can.

My son is allergic to ingredients in both of those.

Really, I wish they'd get away from food in the classrooms. As one third of our kids are now considered obese and the estimate that a fifth may have diabetes, isn't it time to consider losing the obsession we have with treats and food? I'm as bad as the next person with loving my treats, but I never realized how food obsessed we are as a society until I did have a kid who couldn't eat most foods. It's really pervasive that we reward with food all the time.

Anyway, that's probably another topic for another time.

 

[DLB]

I answered yes to this question, because that IS the general rule for the whole school. HOWEVER - My sons kindergarten class is not allowed to do so, for everyday snack ue to a child in his classroom that has a peanut allergy. The thing that I found VERy odd is that they did allow snacks that were baked to be brought in for the Halloween party. I don't understhand this logic, but hey I am only a parent!! LOL

I will follow this rule to the "T" because if that were my child that had an allergy I would want others to obey as well. Not to mention that there are "sick" people in this world. It is very scary to think of someone sending in harmful snacks!

 

[torinsmom]

My son is allergic to ingredients in both of those.

Really, I wish they'd get away from food in the classrooms. As one third of our kids are now considered obese and the estimate that a fifth may have diabetes, isn't it time to consider losing the obsession we have with treats and food? I'm as bad as the next person with loving my treats, but I never realized how food obsessed we are as a society until I did have a kid who couldn't eat most foods. It's really pervasive that we reward with food all the time.

Anyway, that's probably another topic for another time.

Yes, but I was speaking of peanut allergies, which is the allergy I have in my classroom this year. For this child, goldfish and nutrigrain bars are safe foods. I haven't had another allergy in awhile, but if I did, I would have the same conversation and find out the safe foods for that child. The child would not eat anything not sent from home until I had that conversation.

Our kids are 4's and 5's and they are at school from 8:30-3:30. They do need a snack, IMHO. If your child was at home, I assume they wouldn't just eat lunch during those hours, right? I really think older kids should have time for a snack as well. I don't know how they keep their thoughts straight once their breakfast is a memory.

 

[kirstenb1]

We're in central Va. and it's always been allowed.

 

[marcyinPA]

In my district, yes, we can bring homemade treats. In my friend's kids' district, no. And to make matters worse, juice must be 100% juice, with sugar or corn syrup not being anywhere near the top of the ingredients list, but they can bring in packaged chips and packaged cupcakes that are loaded with chemicals and preservatives. Makes absolutely no sense.

 

[torinsmom]

At my old school, there was a policy that only 100% juice could be sent in for lunch. Chips, cookies and other sweet snacks were not to be sent in either. Problem was that it was very hard to enforce. Parents sent in the other stuff and when the teacher called them on it, they would run to administration and they wouldn't back us up. I actually don't think its anyone else's business what parents send in their kids lunches, although I do wince sometimes at full size candy bars in a 4 year olds lunchbox.

 

[marcyinPA]

At my old school, there was a policy that only 100% juice could be sent in for lunch. Chips, cookies and other sweet snacks were not to be sent in either. Problem was that it was very hard to enforce. Parents sent in the other stuff and when the teacher called them on it, they would run to administration and they wouldn't back us up. I actually don't think its anyone else's business what parents send in their kids lunches, although I do wince sometimes at full size candy bars in a 4 year olds lunchbox.

I agree with you, but I also wince when I see soda cans in lunch boxes.

Funny preschool story: a few years ago, one of the four year olds that went to "lunch bunch" after preschool class unpacked their lunch, and pulled a can of BEER out of their lunch box. The teachers just about died. When the mom came to pick up the child after lunch bunch, she was mortified. Apparently, the child asked to pack their own lunch, and grabbed what they thought was a can of soda out of the fridge. Mom never checked the lunchbox. Ooops.

 

[disneymomofmyca]

We are not allowed to bring homemade treats but I say pish posh! I love making fun treats...so...I made monster finger cookies and Haunted Mansion cupcakes for my daughters Halloween party yesterday...the teacher didn't say a word about them being homemade and complimented me on a job well done

 

[camlace]

If I really wanted to be a witch, I could demand that all food is banned from the classroom at all times. It's within my legal rights, but I don't do that because I DO care about the other kids. I don't want them to bend to meet my kid's needs.

Exactly what "legal rights" are you referring to???? There are no legal rights for you to tell another person what they can/cannot eat/serve. To say you have a legal right to restrict what someone else eats/serves in public is absurd.

And for what its worth...yes I have a food allergy, so I understand the risk to eating things I did not make and/or purchase myself. But that isn't even fool proof, just this past week I bought a box of Apple Spice muffins which I know are "safe" for me to eat. Imagine my surprise when I got home, bit into one and discovered it was Banana Walnut Needless to say the manager at the store was NOT too happy to see a 9 month pregnant lady walk in the door and say they had mislabled a product containing a common ingredient that should be on the allergy warning.

Back to the original question...yes I can bring in homemade treats to my daughter's school. Just no peanut products. I am actually the "go-to" baker in the class making cakes, cupcakes treats for special occassions since I know how to bake and accommodate several different types of allergies in my recipes

 

[disfan07]

Exactly what "legal rights" are you referring to???? There are no legal rights for you to tell another person what they can/cannot eat/serve. To say you have a legal right to restrict what someone else eats/serves in public is absurd.

Not "legal rights" but
In schools, at least in elementary school, you can request for restrictions on what is served in the classroom.
My mom worked at my old elementary school and when she was teaching kindergarten, a mother requested that nothing with peanuts, tree nuts be eaten in the classroom. There was a third allergen but I dont remember what it was.
Since this was only half-day afternoon kindergarten, they only had snacktime (no lunch) so they just had the mother of the allergic kid bring in snacks at the beginning of the week for the entire class that were safe for her son. She had no problem with doing this if it meant that the allergens were kept out of the classroom.

So yes, in schools, as a parent you can request what can or cannot be served in a classroom and most of the time, at least in Kindergarten and 1st grade, the request will be granted. At least in my old school.

 

[monkeybug]

Yes, in my daughters school and my son's preschool home made treats are allowed. There is a girl with a tree nut allergy in my daughters class, and the mom usually brings in a cupcake for her, but when I bring something I make sure it is nut free so she can have it too. I know her mom and just run the list of ingredients by her before I make it.
My sons school is peanut free and they prefer no partially hydrogenated oils.

 

[monkeybug]

Not allowed in Annapolish(ish), MD.

Thats where we are, and they are allowed at our school.

 

[torinsmom]

I agree with you, but I also wince when I see soda cans in lunch boxes.

Funny preschool story: a few years ago, one of the four year olds that went to "lunch bunch" after preschool class unpacked their lunch, and pulled a can of BEER out of their lunch box. The teachers just about died. When the mom came to pick up the child after lunch bunch, she was mortified. Apparently, the child asked to pack their own lunch, and grabbed what they thought was a can of soda out of the fridge. Mom never checked the lunchbox. Ooops.

I've only had one soda incident and I did ask the parent nicely not to send it again. They had run out of juice and it was a one time thing.

I can't imagine sending in packaged things for party would be a big deal for most of my parents. About 3/4 of the kids who bring their lunch have 100% packaged things for that. Lunchable, granola bar, fruit cup, yogurt, chips, etc.

Never had alcohol brought in, but earlier this year, a child was showing the others her "money", which was a receipt. It was causing a ruckus, so I told her to bring it to me. It was a lengthy receipt from the ABC store! I'm sure her mom would not have wanted her sharing that with anyone.

 

[pooh4evr]

Another Missouri girl here- everything has to be pre packaged individually wrapped store bought here- (not for lunches just parties) because of a hep a breakout many years ago so no bake sales, no birthday cupcakes.. -- I think we have a couple of local grocery (schnucks I think) stores and i want to say walmart that are OK to bring for nut free stuff - now for snacks they must be healthy- no cookies, candy, chips,- so you would think yogurts, applesauce fruit cups -nope they need a spoon or have to be cooled- so pretty much my kids bring fruit, dried fruit, or granola bars (unless they have a kid with a peanut allergy)