Peanut allergies

[luvmy3]

One meal is a single meal. This is one meal per day for as many as 180 days.

And that leaves 915 meals over a 365 day period that one can get their PB. That doesn't even include snacks in between

 

[ilovemk76]

And that leaves 915 meals over a 365 day period that one can get their PB. That doesn't even include snacks in between

Some schools forbid the kids from having PB for breakfast. How they enforce that is beyond me.

Accommodations should be made but banning it at the entire school, except for the preschool, is just overkill. The child needs to learn to live in the world where the danger of peanuts or other allergens, can be any where.

 

[Coconut36]

One meal is a single meal. This is one meal per day for as many as 180 days.

Oh no..the tragedy Seriously? What a ridiculous statement. OMG..I can't function in life because I couldn't eat PB while at school..oh the horror.

That leaves a LOT of time outside of school where they can eat all the PB they want..a previous poster broke it down for you.

 

[Coconut36]

Some schools forbid the kids from having PB for breakfast. How they enforce that is beyond me.

Accommodations should be made but banning it at the entire school, except for the preschool, is just overkill. The child needs to learn to live in the world where the danger of peanuts or other allergens, can be any where.

NOBODY said the child wasn't/doesn't learn how to cope with their allergen..the issue at hand is YOUNG children who do NOT understand the impact to themselves or others. As a pp mentioned..their understanding, maturity and ability to make decisions safely regarding their allergen come in stages. It's unrealistic to expect a 5 year old to have the mature reasoning abilities of say a 10 year old. It's unrealistic that their young peers are going to understand the danger to another in regards to hand washing and the risk their food presents and the risk of accidental exposure is much higher. The child is learning to cope..but they need some protection while they are young and sorting things out.

 

[Mandychelle79]

Your double negative in the sentence I quoted from your post threw me - are you stating that you agree that others have exactly the same dangerous reation to their allergens as a peanut sensitive person would, or not?

What I am saying is that YES someone who is allergic to say milk can have the same type of reaction that a person with a peanut allergy can.

 

[Mandychelle79]

Oh no..the tragedy Seriously? What a ridiculous statement. OMG..I can't function in life because I couldn't eat PB while at school..oh the horror.

That leaves a LOT of time outside of school where they can eat all the PB they want..a previous poster broke it down for you.

Which means that if there a child who is allergic to Soy, that the entire class can be soy free for the entire year, because you know its only 180 meals.

I dont care if schools ban things as long as they are willing to make similar accommodations for ALL, not a select few.

Same way as I see the hat rule in our school. Students are forbidden to wear hats during school hours however if a child is going through Chemotherapy they are permitted to wear one to help with their self esteem. I am fine with that accommodation because students who lose their hair for other reasons ( alopecia) are also permitted to wear hats. If they were allowing one group to wear a hat for medical reasons and not another group I would have issues with that too.

 

[Hannathy]

NOBODY said the child wasn't/doesn't learn how to cope with their allergen..the issue at hand is YOUNG children who do NOT understand the impact to themselves or others. As a pp mentioned..their understanding, maturity and ability to make decisions safely regarding their allergen come in stages. It's unrealistic to expect a 5 year old to have the mature reasoning abilities of say a 10 year old. It's unrealistic that their young peers are going to understand the danger to another in regards to hand washing and the risk their food presents and the risk of accidental exposure is much higher. The child is learning to cope..but they need some protection while they are young and sorting things out.

but where does it stop?

Are you going to make his church peanut free?, How about the neighborhood playground, the school bus?

I do not think a 5 yr old is to young to know how to avoid their allergies.
We expect/demand 5 yr old diabetics learn about their disease and how to treat it and live with it and how to do their own testing, etc. Why not the peanut allergy child.

I also don't think it is absolutely necessary to make schools peanut free to insure the survival of the allergy kids. Because if it were then we would be reading about a lot more deaths at schools from peanut exposure and we aren't. Our school district is quite large and we do not have peanut free schools, not even peanut free rooms and there have been no deaths from this in the 20 yrs we have lived here, and I know of peanut allergic kids in the district. Haven't even heard of a severe reaction, and we are small enough that it would be being talked about.

The last death that I know of involving food in a school cafeteria involved a hot dog, so should all foods in that family of foods be banned?

 

[luvmy3]

Some schools forbid the kids from having PB for breakfast. How they enforce that is beyond me.

Accommodations should be made but banning it at the entire school, except for the preschool, is just overkill. The child needs to learn to live in the world where the danger of peanuts or other allergens, can be any where.

Posters keep saying this, but that isn't the argument here. Nobody is saying that an allergic child doesn't need to learn this
Really, what is wrong with a school trying to make it safe for ALL students in a way they see fit? Are you really saying its because those peanut allergic children need to learn how to cope, is its more because you want to make sure your child can take their very favorite lunch/snack to school every day? Or is just because you don't like to be told what your child can or can't eat by the school? (Again, not directed at you personally, just a general question).
To me, none of that matters when we are talking about kids who could die because they were exposed to peanuts in one way or another. I guess one person's "overkill" is another person's lifesaver.

 

[PeterPan09]

Posters keep saying this, but that isn't the argument here. Nobody is saying that an allergic child doesn't need to learn this
Really, what is wrong with a school trying to make it safe for ALL students in a way they see fit? Are you really saying its because those peanut allergic children need to learn how to cope, is its more because you want to make sure your child can take their very favorite lunch/snack to school every day? Or is just because you don't like to be told what your child can or can't eat by the school? (Again, not directed at you personally, just a general question).
To me, none of that matters when we are talking about kids who could die because they were exposed to peanuts in one way or another. I guess one person's "overkill" is another person's lifesaver.

I'm advocating for those allergic children. I want them to gain confidence and the ability to feel safe on their own. Yes, a 5 year old CAN be responsible enough to handle it, if the parent tells them they can. I'm advocating that we set high expectations for our children and give them the confidence to know they can meet them.

 

[Mandychelle79]

Posters keep saying this, but that isn't the argument here. Nobody is saying that an allergic child doesn't need to learn this
Really, what is wrong with a school trying to make it safe for ALL students in a way they see fit? Are you really saying its because those peanut allergic children need to learn how to cope, is its more because you want to make sure your child can take their very favorite lunch/snack to school every day? Or is just because you don't like to be told what your child can or can't eat by the school? (Again, not directed at you personally, just a general question).
To me, none of that matters when we are talking about kids who could die because they were exposed to peanuts in one way or another. I guess one person's "overkill" is another person's lifesaver.

But by accommodating certain kids by banning certain allergens the school is not making it safe for ALL the kids, only a select few.

 

[mhsjax]

My question is this. What about movie theaters, amusement parks, restaurants, parties, malls, food courts,other peoples houses. Do they all have to ban peanuts? Just asking.

 

[Mandychelle79]

My question is this. What about movie theaters, amusement parks, restaurants, parties, malls, food courts,other peoples houses. Do they all have to ban peanuts? Just asking.

The short answer is No, because people do not have to go to places like that, but they have to go to school. Though homeschooling and cyber school are legitimate options for those who are so allergic that the substance needs to be banned.

 

[mhsjax]

The short answer is No, because people do not have to go to places like that, but they have to go to school. Though homeschooling and cyber school are legitimate options for those who are so allergic that the substance needs to be banned.

So you home school, do you keep the kids locked at home until they are much older? again, just asking.

 

[Mandychelle79]

So you home school, do you keep the kids locked at home until they are much older? again, just asking.

I honestly dont know. I do not home school my kids and when my daughter was allergic to milk I didnt have her in a protective bubble. She went trick or treating ( we traded the non safe snacks for safe ones once we got home), she went to activities ( we provided the snack for her) and made sure she had her epi-pen with her.

But I dont shelter myself with my Bee allergy either. I still walk outside barefoot, have a HUGE rose bush outside my door and a HUGE lilac bush at my driveway. I watch were I step, always have my epi-pen and hope for the best.

 

[ilovemk76]

i'm advocating for those allergic children. I want them to gain confidence and the ability to feel safe on their own. Yes, a 5 year old can be responsible enough to handle it, if the parent tells them they can. I'm advocating that we set high expectations for our children and give them the confidence to know they can meet them.

ita.

 

[mhsjax]

I honestly dont know. I do not home school my kids and when my daughter was allergic to milk I didnt have her in a protective bubble. She went trick or treating ( we traded the non safe snacks for safe ones once we got home), she went to activities ( we provided the snack for her) and made sure she had her epi-pen with her.

But I dont shelter myself with my Bee allergy either. I still walk outside barefoot, have a HUGE rose bush outside my door and a HUGE lilac bush at my driveway. I watch were I step, always have my epi-pen and hope for the best.

Same with my friend. Her son has a life threatening milk allergy and peanut allergy. Also come to find out he is allergic to a multitude of things. She refused to shelter him or ask anyone to change their way of eating. I have not had this experience, so I don't know what I would do or think. But I don't think I could keep my kid at home all the time, and anywhere you go, someone could have just eaten peanuts and touched something, especially places like movie theaters, or WDW.

She also made sue that anyone that came in contact with her son, knew about the epi pen.

 

[Talking Hands]

I agree. An alternative for ONE meal outside the home is really really not that big a stinkin' deal.

Actually depending that person's allergies and other medical needs it may be. Just because you fell it isn't doesn't make it true. People will do what they need for their personal needs and that is their right. I know that peanut butter is a staple for me because of my other life threatening allergies such as milk, shellfish, mango, aspartame as well as allergies that are not life threatening. Plus I am diabetic so skipping eating is not an options. Truthfully when it comes to my life over yours or your kids I will take care of myself first. I have refused to teach a kid because his allergies and needs were incompatible with mine. Better he be in another classroom.

 

[Talking Hands]

What I am saying is that YES someone who is allergic to say milk can have the same type of reaction that a person with a peanut allergy can.

As milk allergic person who has experienced this I am supporting you completely on this one. You can have a life threatening reaction to milk and you can have it from contact as well as ingestion.

 

[luvmy3]

I'm advocating for those allergic children. I want them to gain confidence and the ability to feel safe on their own. Yes, a 5 year old CAN be responsible enough to handle it, if the parent tells them they can. I'm advocating that we set high expectations for our children and give them the confidence to know they can meet them.

Fair enough and I do agree that 5 year olds can be responsible as I have a ds who has a LTFA to tree nuts and since there is no such precautions in place for his allergy he has managed to safely handle himself at school and elsewhere for the last 6 years. I'm just confused as to why people seem to get themselves worked up over a ban, or in this case just discussing a ban. Why does something like this have to be a fight? We are talking about kids, and yes they should learn and be responsible, but that doesn't mean they have to have their life be put in danger to do it, at the ripe ole age of 5. And as I said previously, I don't know any parent of an allergic kid who thinks "well there is a ban (or other precautions) in place so my kid is taken care of, no need to prepare them and educate them on how to stay safe"

FTR, I'm not here saying there should be bans put in place in all schools, I'm just saying that I don't have a problem with schools who choose to do it.

But by accommodating certain kids by banning certain allergens the school is not making it safe for ALL the kids, only a select few.

Exchange peanuts for an allergen and I wouldn't care what they chose to ban. If there are a number of students who have a LTFA to milk (or any other allergen) and can't breath near it or they risk anaphylaxis, then ban it.
I wouldn't care, and I'm just surprised that so many people would.

 

[LisaR]

FTR, I'm not here saying there should be bans put in place in all schools, I'm just saying that I don't have a problem with schools who choose to do it.



Exchange peanuts for an allergen and I wouldn't care what they chose to ban. If there are a number of students who have a LTFA to milk (or any other allergen) and can't breath near it or they risk anaphylaxis, then ban it.
I wouldn't care, and I'm just surprised that so many people would.

Do you honestly mean it? Think about how incredibly difficult it would be if MY son was in your child's classroom. When younger, my son had severe reactions to touching dairy, eggs, and shellfish. He had ingestion allergies to so many things that I can't remember them all. So say the school already bans peanuts and tree nuts. Now my son comes along and they ban all dairy, eggs, and shellfish. What the heck is everyone going to send their kid for lunch? Do you have any idea how many things have dairy and eggs in them? It is hard enough for me to feed my son but I make the effort because his life depends on it. Is every mom out there really going to put the effort into making nut free, dairy free, egg free meals for their kid five days a week? As a parent, would I trust them to do so? No! As a parent, would I expect them to do so? Heck no!


It sounds very well meaning to say "ban whatever anyone is allergic too" but it isn't that simple. I do think it gives parents a false sense of security and eases the burden from the parent to teach their child to deal with their allergies instead of relying on others to comply.