Peanut allergies

[tinkerbellandeeyor]

If it is such a big issue then why r they still selling peanut butter jelly sandwiches at school and why are they still allowing kids to pack it

 

[happygirl]

If it is such a big issue then why r they still selling peanut butter jelly sandwiches at school and why are they still allowing kids to pack it

My school doesn;t allow pb at all.

It a huge issue a child could die over it

 

[Janepod]

At our school they are allowed to have nut items at lunch, but not during snack in the classroom. E.g., if they bring PB&J to school, it stays in the backpack until the kids are in the cafeteria.

The cafeteria has a separate section for the nut allergy kids. So, everyone gets to pack/eat what they want. I have not heard of any problems with this arrangement.

 

[tinkerbellandeeyor]

With the group of kids I work with we have the sit at opposite ends of the table but I was wondering how it worked with other schools

 

[mjkacmom]

I've had kids in public school for over 10 years now, and have never heard of anyone being able to buy a pp&j. There is a nut free table in the cafeteria, and no nut products are allowed in the classrooms.

 

[Southernmiss]

There is no nut policy at my kids' 3 schools that I am aware of.

My kids have brought pb and j as they have wanted to for at least 13 years without any issue or question.

From what I have read on the Dis, I am actually a bit surprised that there is not a policy at least for our elementary school. There is now a policy in the elementary that all items for school parties must be prepackaged store bought with the ingredient label--no more homemade treats of unknown ingredients. And no student may bring in a fast food lunch--i.e. if a child goes to an appointment he/she can not come back with a McDonald's or other fast food lunch. That also has me .

 

[ohiomom28]

There is no nut policy at my kids' 3 schools that I am aware of.

My kids have brought pb and j as they have wanted to for at least 13 years without any issue or question.

From what I have read on the Dis, I am actually a bit surprised that there is not a policy at least for our elementary school. There is now a policy in the elementary that all items for school parties must be prepackaged store bought with the ingredient label--no more homemade treats of unknown ingredients. And no student may bring in a fast food lunch--i.e. if a child goes to an appointment he/she can not come back with a McDonald's or other fast food lunch. That also has me .

Our schools don't have a policy either.

 

[Hannathy]

Because a child eating PB& J is no risk to a peanut allergy child unless they ingest it. So simply being at another table is good enough. You don't have a reaction from smelling peanut butter.

Our schools and we are a large district only have 1 peanut free table in the elementary grades possibly in middle but the high schools don't. Our lunch service still has PB& J as an option.

One of my DD's good friends is allergic and she sat with him at lunch in high school and she and his brother both brought peanut butter for 2 yrs without incident.

 

[aprilgail2]

I've had kids in public school for over 10 years now, and have never heard of anyone being able to buy a pp&j. There is a nut free table in the cafeteria, and no nut products are allowed in the classrooms.

That is a standard item at my daughters school- if you don't like the hot lunch that day you can always buy a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. As far as the peanut allergy kids, they have a seperate table way in the front of the cafeteria that they sit at to eat their lunch. My daughter is in 7th grade and has taken some sort of peanut butter to school every day since kindergarten for her lunch.

 

[mhsjax]

There is no nut policy at my kids' 3 schools that I am aware of.

My kids have brought pb and j as they have wanted to for at least 13 years without any issue or question.

From what I have read on the Dis, I am actually a bit surprised that there is not a policy at least for our elementary school. There is now a policy in the elementary that all items for school parties must be prepackaged store bought with the ingredient label--no more homemade treats of unknown ingredients. And no student may bring in a fast food lunch--i.e. if a child goes to an appointment he/she can not come back with a McDonald's or other fast food lunch. That also has me .

Wow, that is one of the big favorites around here. On my kids birthday we would always bring in fast food for them, no one had a problem with it. Don't think I would like that at all.

 

[aprilgail2]

And no student may bring in a fast food lunch--i.e. if a child goes to an appointment he/she can not come back with a McDonald's or other fast food lunch. That also has me .

LOL--that is nuts. When I have to take my daughter out for an appointment and bring her back we always go through the drive through on the way back- I guess I would just have her sit in the car in front of the school eating her lunch and then send her back to school!

 

[Coconut36]

Kids can bring PB (assuming they are not in a nut free classroom) here but the school never sells any PB items.

Kids at my boys school with food allergies have a "safe" table to sit at that is free of allergens.

Aside from a nut ban in a given room nobody polices kids lunches..they can bring in and eat whatever is sent with them/brought for them by a parent.

 

[Coconut36]

There is no nut policy at my kids' 3 schools that I am aware of.

My kids have brought pb and j as they have wanted to for at least 13 years without any issue or question.

From what I have read on the Dis, I am actually a bit surprised that there is not a policy at least for our elementary school. There is now a policy in the elementary that all items for school parties must be prepackaged store bought with the ingredient label--no more homemade treats of unknown ingredients. And no student may bring in a fast food lunch--i.e. if a child goes to an appointment he/she can not come back with a McDonald's or other fast food lunch. That also has me .

The bold is very common and it isn't generally so much unknown ingredients but hygiene/food safety as well. The school does not want to be held liable when Susie's Mom brings in a batch of cupcakes and everyone gets sick. Pre packed items technically have to be created/packed following food safety standards while they have no control over random homes. It also provides the benefit of an ingredient list on the package to eliminate the risk of hidden allergens.

I fully and completely support pre packaged foods..after my experience with the non handwashing co worker (her belief is that it isn't necessary and only for "paranoid people" I ran into her years later working in a preschool setting and could only shudder) and realizing how really lax many are in regards to food handling/safety I prefer my kid not eat food made by people I don't know well. Most schools here have had those policies in place for 10 or more years now (at least the districts/schools I am familiar with).

 

[MariDisney]

My daughter did not have a nut policy at her elementary school or her current middle school. The elementary school did have a peanut free table. In middle there is no allergy specific table. Both schools have peanut butter and jelly available as an alternate lunch every day.

 

[mamacatnv]

DD's school has no peanut policies - she is in a middle school with about 400 kids and can bring whatever she wants, also home made treats can be brought to all functions where food is an option.

Her prior charter school also had no policies and we could bring home made goodies as well.

The elem. she attended until 4 years ago offered a cheese or PB sandwich to kids who forgot their lunches and offered a PB free table.

The banning of a fast food meal would be way overstepping boundaries. I should be able to feed my kid whatever it is I want and if their classmates are envious or whatever, so what.
Unless the school bans all meal deliveries by parents including the often forgotten lunch, IMO they have no right to tell me I can't drop of McD's if that is my choice.

 

[SaraJayne]

Our district does not have a policy that restricts peanuts at all. Kids have the option of PB at lunch from the cafeteria and can bring whatever they want in their own lunches from home.

 

[Southernmiss]

LOL--that is nuts. When I have to take my daughter out for an appointment and bring her back we always go through the drive through on the way back- I guess I would just have her sit in the car in front of the school eating her lunch and then send her back to school!

Yes, this is what we do.

The bold is very common and it isn't generally so much unknown ingredients but hygiene/food safety as well. The school does not want to be held liable when Susie's Mom brings in a batch of cupcakes and everyone gets sick. Pre packed items technically have to be created/packed following food safety standards while they have no control over random homes. It also provides the benefit of an ingredient list on the package to eliminate the risk of hidden allergens.

I fully and completely support pre packaged foods..after my experience with the non handwashing co worker (her belief is that it isn't necessary and only for "paranoid people" I ran into her years later working in a preschool setting and could only shudder) and realizing how really lax many are in regards to food handling/safety I prefer my kid not eat food made by people I don't know well. Most schools here have had those policies in place for 10 or more years now (at least the districts/schools I am familiar with).

Yuck! The OCD mom in me sort of agrees with this for these reasons, but knowing my kitchen and how meticulous I am, it's a shame that DD and I can't bake homemade cupcakes/cookies for her to share at school for her bday and Christmas parties.

DD's school has no peanut policies - she is in a middle school with about 400 kids and can bring whatever she wants, also home made treats can be brought to all functions where food is an option.

Her prior charter school also had no policies and we could bring home made goodies as well.

The elem. she attended until 4 years ago offered a cheese or PB sandwich to kids who forgot their lunches and offered a PB free table.

The banning of a fast food meal would be way overstepping boundaries. I should be able to feed my kid whatever it is I want and if their classmates are envious or whatever, so what.
Unless the school bans all meal deliveries by parents including the often forgotten lunch, IMO they have no right to tell me I can't drop of McD's if that is my choice.

The reasoning came about when 2 years ago the school was on a campaign for healthier lunches and choices at school so that included fast food brought in to be consumed in the school cafeteria during lunch hours. It includes a policy of no soda, etc. (Sodas are available in a machine in the teacher's lounge.) Now I have to say, a few of the lunches I have watched DD eat in the cafeteria I think I could have purchased a healthier option at a fast food restaurant. For us, fast food is a very rare option.

 

[MrsPete]

While it's a huge issue for the kids who are affected, those affected are few in number. I'm a teacher, and I personally know only one kid who has a peanut allergy, and he's fine with the kid next to him eating a PB&J sandwich -- it's just that he himself can't eat it. I two decades of teaching, I've taught kids with all sorts of medical issues, but I've never personally taught a student with a peanut allergy.

The school could never "ban" peanut products brought from home. It'd be an uninforceable rule. Who'd search lunches? What'd be the penalty for a peanut-infested lunch? What about foods that appear to be in violation but aren't, or foods that are in violation but appear to be healthy? It'd be a huge time-drain on already overworked teachers and administrators -- and in the end it would be ineffective.

 

[happygirl]

While it's a huge issue for the kids who are affected, those affected are few in number. I'm a teacher, and I personally know only one kid who has a peanut allergy, and he's fine with the kid next to him eating a PB&J sandwich -- it's just that he himself can't eat it. I two decades of teaching, I've taught kids with all sorts of medical issues, but I've never personally taught a student with a peanut allergy.

The school could never "ban" peanut products brought from home. It'd be an uninforceable rule. Who'd search lunches? What'd be the penalty for a peanut-infested lunch? What about foods that appear to be in violation but aren't, or foods that are in violation but appear to be healthy? It'd be a huge time-drain on already overworked teachers and administrators -- and in the end it would be ineffective.

I dunno but it works here. Why take the chance on sending a PB sandwich with a small child who might get into his lunch box and share his lunch with his buddy who might have an peanut allergy. I don't have any kids with allerges but I'm very thankful for teacher who take the timie to check.

 

[Coconut36]

While it's a huge issue for the kids who are affected, those affected are few in number. I'm a teacher, and I personally know only one kid who has a peanut allergy, and he's fine with the kid next to him eating a PB&J sandwich -- it's just that he himself can't eat it. I two decades of teaching, I've taught kids with all sorts of medical issues, but I've never personally taught a student with a peanut allergy.

The school could never "ban" peanut products brought from home. It'd be an uninforceable rule. Who'd search lunches? What'd be the penalty for a peanut-infested lunch? What about foods that appear to be in violation but aren't, or foods that are in violation but appear to be healthy? It'd be a huge time-drain on already overworked teachers and administrators -- and in the end it would be ineffective.

Taking the item away from the child, note to the parents regarding the food policy. Having to live their life knowing they sent something that caused harm or death to another child It can be that serious for another child. I have seen so many parents act like lunatics over their "right" to send peanut butter for their kid and I seriously can't understand it. If you know you are putting another child at risk and do it anyway you are just an idiot and a cruel selfish one at that.

I think you might be the exception rather than the rule regarding peanut/food allergies. My ODS is entering 3rd grade and there have been at least 1 or more kids in each of his grade levels with serious food allergies and I know at least one serious peanut allergy preceded him into Kinder as the teacher mentioned it and one room was deemed totally nut free. My DH teaches middle school and has for about 12 years and he knows he has had several food allergies/peanut allergies over the years. My Mom spent almost 30 years in education and had plenty of allergies..some of them life threatening/extremely sensitive to oils/residue as well.

My YDS tiny preschool (as in less than 50 kids in the school) had one child with a life threatening allergy..he would react from being in the room with it/oils on the hands/objects. As in call 911 and use the epi pen reaction. The school was 100% peanut/nut free.

Plenty of schools or individual classrooms have a peanut/nut free policy and enforce it. If something is questionable (and really..aside from peanut products or products known to contain peanuts what is questionable about it? Nobody is going to snatch their ham and cheese and think it might be peanut butter..) then they might offer an alternative item and toss the questionable item. Really not that hard and lots of schools have done it.