Junior High and Allergies

[disneyandme]

I understood your original post and don't agree. I don't think the whole school and all the kids should be penalized because of 1 child. I don't think the cafeteria has to totally re-design the whole menu because of 1 child. Peanut butter is an excellent cheap protein and the other children don't need to pay more because they can't use it because of 1 child.

Where do parents get the idea that their child is being penalized because they don't get a peanut butter cookie? If there is a child who has a medical condition that requires them to eat certain food, then I would understand the arguement. But, does the child eat only peanut products at home? Are their other foods they can eat? The arguement is one child's desire for a food versus the potential for a child to die. Some schools ban candy and soda from lunchrooms- are parents up in arms that their kids can't have their beloved soda with their lunch- I think not.
The OP isn't even looking to ban peanuts from the school- just to have the cafeteria not serve them. Kids can still bring things from home.

 

[Hannathy]

What works for one child's allergies may not work for another. Don't assume that just because one child who has an allergy is fine to sit with someone eating a food, all should be able to. It doesn't work that way.

And people with allergies need to quit going overboard in asking for accommodations they need to be realistic. Everyone on an airplane do not have to not eat Peanut butter for 1 allergy. Schools don't need to be peanut free for 1 allergy esp at the upper to high school ages. Have a peanut free table if you want but the whole school doesn't need to be peanut free.

like someone said soon we will only be allowed to have water, oh wait I'm sure someone is allergic to water.

 

[disneyandme]

And people with allergies need to quit going overboard in asking for accommodations they need to be realistic. Everyone on an airplane do not have to not eat Peanut butter for 1 allergy. Schools don't need to be peanut free for 1 allergy esp at the upper to high school ages. Have a peanut free table if you want but the whole school doesn't need to be peanut free.

like someone said soon we will only be allowed to have water, oh wait I'm sure someone is allergic to water.

Obviously you do not have someone in your family with a severe allergy. Most parents only ask for the accomodations necessary to keep their kids safe- they don't go overboard. Sometimes a peanut free table does not keep a kids safe because kids do not wash up before they leave the lunch room and then carry the food back to other areas of the school- thereby causing a reaction. As far as planes go, it is a totally contained area with the air recirculating throughout, carrying the food protein to every corner of the plane. Is it more important to have peanuts instead of pretzles for those 2 hous than it is to watch someone suffocate to death.

 

[Hannathy]

As far as planes go, it is a totally contained area with the air recirculating throughout, carrying the food protein to every corner of the plane. Is it more important to have peanuts instead of pretzles for those 2 hous than it is to watch someone suffocate to death.

But that is just it. Yes there is an argument for not serving actual peanuts but they want no one to bring peanut butter sandwiches on either and they have no effect on someone rows away. Because as you say it is the protein. That is the over reaction I'm saying.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

I think perhaps my original post was not clear. I do not want to limit what children bring from home, just not have the kitchen serve items with nuts/peanuts.

I was encouraged to see this is a policy at some schools.

My child does police himself, and has an epi-pen if needed, but it is still a concern.

So, although reactions are certainly polarized, I did not mean to cause that or to imply that I thought my child is more important than another child. I just want to keep his exposure as little as possible.

I will attempt to be clearer with my concern, and take it to the school department.

Thank you

Then why not just have him bring his lunch from home? I don't understand why there would be any issue then.

 

[disneyandme]

But that is just it. Yes there is an argument for not serving actual peanuts but they want no one to bring peanut butter sandwiches on either and they have no effect on someone rows away. Because as you say it is the protein. That is the over reaction I'm saying.

Peanut butter has exactly the same protein as peanuts. There is not difference in their potential to cause a reaction. It can cause a reaction rows away just like peanuts.

Please become educated before you pass judgement on what is an overreaction.

 

[disneyandme]

Then why not just have him bring his lunch from home? I don't understand why there would be any issue then.

Bringing his lunch will not eliminate the exposure if the majority of the students are eating something he is allergic to- it would be nearly impossible to avoid. If the cafeteria doesn't serve peanut products, then only a handful of students each day would have peanuts in the room and the potential for exposure would be significantly less.

 

[Hannathy]

Peanut butter has exactly the same protein as peanuts. There is not difference in their potential to cause a reaction. It can cause a reaction rows away just like peanuts.

Please become educated before you pass judgement on what is an overreaction.

Yes there is a difference and no the scent of peanut butter can not cause a reaction!!! If there is a reaction it is a hysterical reaction not a true allergic reaction. proven by several studies. The reaction is to the protein in peanuts and there is no protein in the scent of peanut butter. So there is no reason I can't eat my sandwich even right next to you . If you are allergic you can have a reaction to ingesting peanut butter but you don't have a reaction to smelling it. So banning everyone on a plane is over reacting.

 

[Hannathy]

You can't peanut proof the world. Are you going to try to peanut proof the dorms when he goes away to school? Work lunch rooms?

 

[grafxgirl]

Both my children have dairy allergies. I have one child in school and the other one at home. The school is well aware of this and it is even flagged on her lunch card. Of course, she's not the only child in the school with a food allergy. If all parents demanded that the schools stop serving foods that each one of their children were allergic to, then what would they eat? It is up to the parents to make the schools aware of the child's allergy. It is also up to the parents to make the child aware of their own allergy.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

Bringing his lunch will not eliminate the exposure if the majority of the students are eating something he is allergic to- it would be nearly impossible to avoid. If the cafeteria doesn't serve peanut products, then only a handful of students each day would have peanuts in the room and the potential for exposure would be significantly less.

Okay- but then how does the child function in the rest of the world? I am not being snarky but I have seen this argument on the Dis a million times. I am completely sympathetic to the person who is allergic but I don't get how they can go anywhere if they need to ban - in this case the cafeteria- the serving of peanut products. How can you take the kid to a food store even? What about the mall? How can they go to someone's house? It is not that I would want any child or person to suffer the fate of a life threatening allergy but I do want to know how they actually function on a daily basis. You cannot control your environment unless you stay home. Maybe I am missing something here.

 

[livndisney]

Bringing his lunch will not eliminate the exposure if the majority of the students are eating something he is allergic to- it would be nearly impossible to avoid. If the cafeteria doesn't serve peanut products, then only a handful of students each day would have peanuts in the room and the potential for exposure would be significantly less.

Sounds like a peanut free table would solve the problem and not impact the rest of the students.

 

[disneyandme]

Yes there is a difference and no the scent of peanut butter can not cause a reaction!!! If there is a reaction it is a hysterical reaction not a true allergic reaction. proven by several studies. The reaction is to the protein in peanuts and there is no protein in the scent of peanut butter. So there is no reason I can't eat my sandwich even right next to you . If you are allergic you can have a reaction to ingesting peanut butter but you don't have a reaction to smelling it. So banning everyone on a plane is over reacting.

Actually, peanut protein can go airborne- it can cause a reaction. If you honestly tell me can open a peanut butter sandwich, eat it without touching anything else, clean your hands and face without touching anything, and put away your trash without exposure to any peanut protein- then I say go for it. If not, you can cause a reaction to the person sitting next to you as well as to the next passager who sits in your seat and touches the same surfaces.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

Actually, peanut protein can go airborne- it can cause a reaction. If you honestly tell me can open a peanut butter sandwich, eat it without touching anything else, clean your hands and face without touching anything, and put away your trash without exposure to any peanut protein- then I say go for it. If not, you can cause a reaction to the person sitting next to you as well as to the next passager who sits in your seat and touches the same surfaces.

I will agree with this but my point is that unless you stay home you can never ever be sure that there isn't any residue on any area you are in at any time. How do you go about regular day to day activities. I can't imagine it is easy if it is really a life threatening allergy. On the other hand there must be a way because we cannot control everything we come in contact with.

 

[disneyandme]

Okay- but then how does the child function in the rest of the world? I am not being snarky but I have seen this argument on the Dis a million times. I am completely sympathetic to the person who is allergic but I don't get how they can go anywhere if they need to ban - in this case the cafeteria- the serving of peanut products. How can you take the kid to a food store even? What about the mall? How can they go to someone's house? It is not that I would want any child or person to suffer the fate of a life threatening allergy but I do want to know how they actually function on a daily basis. You cannot control your environment unless you stay home. Maybe I am missing something here.

Sorry,but yes, you are missing something. When peoples are out in the real world, they can choose to go into a store, go down certain aisles, visit friends, eat at certain restaurants--- Not so much with school. Kids have to go where they are told. They have no choice in when they attend, where they sit, if they can just get up and leave. A peanut allergic person would not choose to go to a restaurant that serves peanut based foods- like some Aisian foods- they would go somewhere else. But in school-they still have to sit in the cafeteria with everyone who buys lunch eating foods that can kill them. For some, a nut free table doesn't help- hands and faces aren't washed up after lunch and the food protein is carried throughout the school.

 

[Hannathy]

peanut protein can't go airborne from peanut butter. So they would have to eat it. as far as touching it then they would get a contact allergy. if they touched it and then rubbed it into their eyes, nose or mouth then they could have a reaction. but not from the smell of peanut butter.

 

[disneyandme]

..... if it is really a life threatening allergy.

If it is REALLY life threatenig--- that is the misconception that fuels most of these debates. All food allergies by defintion are life threatening. The potential for any exposure to be life threatening is always there and there is no way to predict when it will happen. Some people have multiple exposures over years that only cause minor hives and then one day, they go into anaphylaxis. or others, every exposure causes a life threatening reaction and a trip to the ER. And many others in between.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

Sorry,but yes, you are missing something. When peoples are out in the real world, they can choose to go into a store, go down certain aisles, visit friends, eat at certain restaurants--- Not so much with school. Kids have to go where they are told. They have no choice in when they attend, where they sit, if they can just get up and leave. A peanut allergic person would not choose to go to a restaurant that serves peanut based foods- like some Aisian foods- they would go somewhere else. But in school-they still have to sit in the cafeteria with everyone who buys lunch eating foods that can kill them. For some, a nut free table doesn't help- hands and faces aren't washed up after lunch and the food protein is carried throughout the school.

If the child cannot be in the cafeteria because of food that is being served then they shouldn't be able to go to just about any store. You touch so many surfaces out in public. You can never know what is on it. As for the kids eating school lunches etc. Just about any food that is from home was made in a plant that also processes peanuts. It is no different that eating something that the cafeteria made. If the child has an allergy where they must get up and leave because someone is eating something that they know is a trigger or what have you then the school should know about it and make an allowance for that.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

If it is REALLY life threatenig--- that is the misconception that fuels most of these debates. All food allergies by defintion are life threatening. The potential for any exposure to be life threatening is always there and there is no way to predict when it will happen. Some people have multiple exposures over years that only cause minor hives and then one day, they go into anaphylaxis. or others, every exposure causes a life threatening reaction and a trip to the ER. And many others in between.

Look- I am trying to understand your side here. I do know all about food allergies as I have children who have them. I also know that I cannot control what others do. I taught my children what they need to do. As for school lunch? They can rarely buy school lunch because of allergies. I am not lobbying the school board to change it for everyone else. I simply send their lunch in with them. I am teaching them to function in the real world.

 

[Hannathy]

And where will it stop? Who determines who is more worthy? they can't ban everything. What about the kids allergic to tree nuts, or strawberries. Should no kids play on the playground cause Johnny is allergic to bees? My child is diabetic and if he eats all the brownies at his table he will have a reaction and could die so no one can have brownies.