Peanut Butter and lots of spoons (and baby wipes)

[Rock'n Robin]

Boy, why am I alive? I eat PB from a spoon and I eat raw cookie dough. And I give it to my KIDS!!!!! Wow, someone call children's services. I refuse to be such a nervous nellie.
Robin M.

 

[ryanshana]

Boy, why am I alive? I eat PB from a spoon and I eat raw cookie dough. And I give it to my KIDS!!!!! Wow, someone call children's services. I refuse to be such a nervous nellie.
Robin M.

 

[JEmaryland]

Boy, why am I alive? I eat PB from a spoon and I eat raw cookie dough. And I give it to my KIDS!!!!! Wow, someone call children's services. I refuse to be such a nervous nellie.
Robin M.

Seriously, according to the DIS I should have grown up to become a serial killer and I should have died years ago.

 

[Debbie-TN]

This is getting too funny. Who thought PB could cause such a huge debate. Back to the OP, if that keeps your children happy in line, keep doing it, others may want to try it also. I might even do it. It does give you a little boost until your next meal. For those concerned around you, maybe have a bottle of water handy, just in case.

 

[DisneyMom14]

You can't control what the rest of the world eats. If a child is that allergic that someone eating peanut butter is 50 feet away then you may want to rethink taking them to WDW or any other public place for that matter.

I am NOT going to stop giving my DD peanut butter b/c someone somewhere might be allergic. Someone somewhere is allergic to every food on the planet. Peanut butter is just the current media allergy of choice to raise "public awareness" of. DH's family has been dealing with food allergies since long before it was cool to be "allergy savvy". Every food allergy can be just that bad. My DH is severly allergic to shellfish. I cannot be anywhere near him after I have eaten them unless I brush my teeth and throughly scrub my hands up to the elbow. If you have food allergyies YOU have to deal with them, not the people around you. The only real exception to this would be a classroom of very young children who could not be taught to keep their food to themselves or was their hands after eating ect..

As a mom with a 4 year old who is SEVERELY allergic to peanuts, these statements really concern me. Millions of children who are perfectly healthy in every other way, have food allergies that can cause a life-threatening reaction. Food allergies claim over 200 lives and are responsible for over 30,000 emergency room visits each year. Peanuts (peanut products) are responsible for 80% of food allergy deaths.

Now I am not a parent who tries to control what other parents feed their own kids, but all I ask is if you do eat something that could possibly KILL someone else, please practice good hygiene AND don't do it in a very public place. Peanuts/peanut butter has protein that can leave residue on things that my son may touch like handrails, seats, tables. I make every effort to teach my son to basically not touch anything and we wash hands VERY often, but other than wearing surgical gloves, it is impossible for him not to use his hands.

Not all food allergies will cause DEATH but peanuts is definitely one that has the very real potential to. Peanut allergies are on the increase and that is NOT media hype. I never knew anyone with a peanut allergy until my son was diagnosed with one. Now there are 3 in our family and all children. Do I lock my son in a closet until they find a cure? Of course not! I will try to provide him with the closest thing I can to a "normal" life. One very important reason we vacation at Disney is because they understand the severity of food allergies and strive to provide the best options for those with them.

To the pp, I hope that no one in line around your DH would decide to pop open a container of shellfish and start handing it out to their kids and have their kids put shellfish residue all over the same environment your DH will have to share. It would be a scary experience for your whole family to endure in the happiest place on earth.

Sorry about the soapbox but having to worry about a food killing your child every minute of every day is stressful and to encounter others who are not willing to put theirselves in your shoes and be considerate to the safety of others is disheartening.

 

[Debbie-TN]

The peanut allergy has gotten so bad that I hope someone is working on something to help with it. It's weird to me that peanuts have been around for so long but only recently have we heard about peanuts being fatal, although maybe they always have been and we just never heard much about it. I really hope they are doing a lot of research on this to get this allergy under control. So many other allergies have gotten under control, surely the doctors know how important this is. I know they had meds for peanut allergies, so I'm sure you know about these. We talk about it here, but what about all the other people in the world that have no clue. The OP said she took wet wipes for their hands, so that's a good thing to remember for all of us. We really should wash or wipe our hands more often. For people who have kids with peanut allergies, make sure your child has an ID alert bracelet or necklace, always make sure you have their allergy meds close at hand, and use lots of wet wipes. Stay safe everyone.

 

[happymommy]

My son's allergist is doing a lot of the current research on food allergies.

My son has food allergies, and used to react when he even touched a table of something that had previously had a trace of dairy. We just learned to wipe down everything, and bring lots of hand wipes with us. I never asked anyone to avoid bringing certain foods to school or to parties; I just provided him with safe alternatives and watched him and what he touched. He's had anaphylaxis twice, so I know how scary it is, but neither were due to his peanut allergy (which he outgrew along with his sesame allergy).

So, really, you can't expect others to avoid eating peanut butter just because someone may be allergic nearby. If they were really that sensitive and standing next to you, they would probably politely ask that you wait a few minutes to eat your peanut butter.

I think bringing a little nutritious snack to enjoy while waiting in line is great - I always did for our kids too! And wipes! I used to bring raisins, cashews, crackers, and such. They are tempted with enough junk food on vacation.

 

[reelmom]

To the OP and others who like this idea, JIF makes small containers of TO GO peanut butter. It is sold in the same section of jar PB. Instead of having to keep up with Tupperware, you could all use the one TO GO PB and then throw it away.

 

[livndisney]

To the OP and others who like this idea, JIF makes small containers of TO GO peanut butter. It is sold in the same section of jar PB. Instead of having to keep up with Tupperware, you could all use the one TO GO PB and then throw it away.

The health food store sells individual packets of peanut butter (a little bigger than a mustard packet), I have also seen them at Toysrus.

 

[Debbie-TN]

The health food store sells individual packets of peanut butter (a little bigger than a mustard packet), I have also seen them at Toysrus.

That's a cool idea. My cousin likes to take PB to make a sandwich at night. That would be so much better than carrying a jar of PB(she accidentally put in carry-on on the way home and had to throw it away ) I'll have to check into that for her. Thanks.

 

[Ctsplaysinrain]

I think this is a GREAT idea.. Wonderful way to get some much needed protein, calories, fat and needed carbs to those very picky eaters who are too busy at WDW to consume much of anything..

As for the allergy issue.. While we were at WDW in July. We made friends with a family there and spent many days with them. Their 13 yr old son has anaphalatic allergies to Peanuts/nuts, dairy and eggs. ( even touching surfaces) . We sat down to eat with them several times at food courts and I was concerned about what we wanted to order.. She stated that they are just "prepared." They have his epi-pen.. They do wipe down surfaces. They wash hands a lot.. The Mom states that "he has to live in the world." They just need to be vigilant and prepared. She stated that it is just a "fact of life for them" and they try and be safe but know they cant control the world so they are just always prepared for a reaction.

 

[mckinnonlori]

Sometimes you can't avoid a line (like waiting for the princesses in Toontown)
So, I packed peanut butter (either in tupperware or in a baggie) and lots of spoons every time we went to a park. When the kids (3 of them under 6 lus the 11 year old) got restless, I gave them a spoonful of PB. They ate it like it was a sucker. I took an extra baggie to hold the used spoons and wipes to clean up when they were done.

What a great idea!
My son is allergic to peanuts! We do sun butter, which is very yummy too.

 

[mckinnonlori]

As for the allergy issue.. While we were at WDW in July. We made friends with a family there and spent many days with them. Their 13 yr old son has anaphalatic allergies to Peanuts/nuts, dairy and eggs. ( even touching surfaces) . We sat down to eat with them several times at food courts and I was concerned about what we wanted to order.. She stated that they are just "prepared." They have his epi-pen.. They do wipe down surfaces. They wash hands a lot.. The Mom states that "he has to live in the world." They just need to be vigilant and prepared. She stated that it is just a "fact of life for them" and they try and be safe but know they cant control the world so they are just always prepared for a reaction.

These are my thoughts as well. My son is allergic to peanuts and eggs. I don't expect the world to stop eating peanuts and eggs because he has allergies.

 

[mckinnonlori]

To the OP and others who like this idea, JIF makes small containers of TO GO peanut butter. It is sold in the same section of jar PB. Instead of having to keep up with Tupperware, you could all use the one TO GO PB and then throw it away.

That is a great idea. Easily used with pretzel sticks!!

 

[Redheaded Sunshine]

I am NOT going to stop giving my DD peanut butter b/c someone somewhere might be allergic. Someone somewhere is allergic to every food on the planet. Peanut butter is just the current media allergy of choice to raise "public awareness" of. DH's family has been dealing with food allergies since long before it was cool to be "allergy savvy". Every food allergy can be just that bad. My DH is severly allergic to shellfish. I cannot be anywhere near him after I have eaten them unless I brush my teeth and throughly scrub my hands up to the elbow. If you have food allergyies YOU have to deal with them, not the people around you. The only real exception to this would be a classroom of very young children who could not be taught to keep their food to themselves or was their hands after eating ect..

My best friend's DD is so severely allergic to peanuts that she cannot be in a room with a person eating peanut butter without having an anaphalatic reaction (the fumes cause it). Because of this her classroom is "peanut-free." Now her daugher may have to deal with them, but should she not be allowed to attend school because of it? If the world went by your frame of thinking that would be the case. Imagine if that were your child.

 

[princessmom29]

As a mom with a 4 year old who is SEVERELY allergic to peanuts, these statements really concern me. Millions of children who are perfectly healthy in every other way, have food allergies that can cause a life-threatening reaction. Food allergies claim over 200 lives and are responsible for over 30,000 emergency room visits each year. Peanuts (peanut products) are responsible for 80% of food allergy deaths.

Now I am not a parent who tries to control what other parents feed their own kids, but all I ask is if you do eat something that could possibly KILL someone else, please practice good hygiene AND don't do it in a very public place. Peanuts/peanut butter has protein that can leave residue on things that my son may touch like handrails, seats, tables. I make every effort to teach my son to basically not touch anything and we wash hands VERY often, but other than wearing surgical gloves, it is impossible for him not to use his hands.

Not all food allergies will cause DEATH but peanuts is definitely one that has the very real potential to. Peanut allergies are on the increase and that is NOT media hype. I never knew anyone with a peanut allergy until my son was diagnosed with one. Now there are 3 in our family and all children. Do I lock my son in a closet until they find a cure? Of course not! I will try to provide him with the closest thing I can to a "normal" life. One very important reason we vacation at Disney is because they understand the severity of food allergies and strive to provide the best options for those with them.

To the pp, I hope that no one in line around your DH would decide to pop open a container of shellfish and start handing it out to their kids and have their kids put shellfish residue all over the same environment your DH will have to share. It would be a scary experience for your whole family to endure in the happiest place on earth.

Sorry about the soapbox but having to worry about a food killing your child every minute of every day is stressful and to encounter others who are not willing to put theirselves in your shoes and be considerate to the safety of others is disheartening.

I know all of this, and I would not be waving peanut butter in someone's face or smearing it on the rails. I am not however, willing to stop giving it to my child at all as one PP suggested. I deal with this every day as well, as my DH is allergic to shellfish whit the same level of severity. Contact with them sends him to the hospital. No one is calling for a ban on shellfish in restaurants. We are told to just deal with it. We have the sense to stay away form them, and not to touch public surfaces that could be contaminated. It is OUR problem, not the problem of those around us. We cannot expect everyone to alter their lives just b/c my DH is allregic. WE are responsible for dealing with that and keeping him safe. This is a day to day life thing for us that we dael with. The situation presented below is a totally different one, as there should be a reasonable expectation that the child can be safe in her classroom. it would be unreasonable to expect the entire town to ban peanut butter.
There are simply too many foods out there with the potental to cause deadly reactions to realistically expect that none of them would ever be eaten in public. I have a friend that is severely allergic to milk. So are restaurants supposed to never serve anything made with milk for fear the someone would leave there, not wash their hands and touch the doorknob?? Peanut allergies are more reported than any other right now, but there are many,many foods with the potemtial to kill people who are allergic to them. It is just not practical to expect that no one ever consme any of them in public.

My best friend's DD is so severely allergic to peanuts that she cannot be in a room with a person eating peanut butter without having an anaphalatic reaction (the fumes cause it). Because of this her classroom is "peanut-free." Now her daugher may have to deal with them, but should she not be allowed to attend school because of it? If the world went by your frame of thinking that would be the case. Imagine if that were your child.

Totally NOT what I am saying. If that is the case then of couse peanut butter shouldn't be brought in that classroom, but there should be somewhere in the school where those who choose to have it can safely consume it and not worry about hurting her. I was responding to a PP who said that we should all just stop using peanut butter alltogether because of allergies. I am not willing to get rid of it in my own home when no one there is allergic.

 

[princessmom29]

I think this is a GREAT idea.. Wonderful way to get some much needed protein, calories, fat and needed carbs to those very picky eaters who are too busy at WDW to consume much of anything..

As for the allergy issue.. While we were at WDW in July. We made friends with a family there and spent many days with them. Their 13 yr old son has anaphalatic allergies to Peanuts/nuts, dairy and eggs. ( even touching surfaces) . We sat down to eat with them several times at food courts and I was concerned about what we wanted to order.. She stated that they are just "prepared." They have his epi-pen.. They do wipe down surfaces. They wash hands a lot.. The Mom states that "he has to live in the world." They just need to be vigilant and prepared. She stated that it is just a "fact of life for them" and they try and be safe but know they cant control the world so they are just always prepared for a reaction.

This is exactly the approach we take with DH, and what I am advocating. You cannot expect the world around you to cater to your allergy. All you can do is try to minimize contact, and be prepared when it happens. I eat shellfish at the same table as DH, but I am careful not to touch him or his plate until I have washed throughly. Life doesn't stop b/c he is allergic, and I love shellfish.