NWR: School Issue - Peanut Free or Not?

kererie · August 2013

Hi All, I am just trying to gather some opinions about the below issue:

My son is 10 and has severe allergies to nuts, seeds, and peanuts. I've attached a picture of his back from the last round of allergy testing...this was no more than 5 minutes in to the test (#3 is on the bottom portion of the picture & is the "peanut" test site- the remainder of his back is nuts & seeds.)

He started a rotating schedule yesterday and the school will not make the classrooms peanut/nut free. Therefore there are 6 classrooms & each one has a snack time where students are allowed to bring peanut & nut based snacks.

I'm not complaining or all too concerned about the lunchroom as he has a "safe" table to eat at which follows very strict protocol regarding the cleanliness & food allowed to be consumed. This table covers all allergies - dairy, peanuts (only), wheat, random other things the kids maybe allergic to.

Day 1 of school I received a call from the nurse saying my son was in her office with hives and an itchy throat (signs of anaphalaxis) - luckily it was caught in time and no Epi-Pen was used.

When I asked the school why the could not make the 5th grade wing peanut free to the best of their abilities they told me that it was "district" policy to not limit the foods consumed in the classrooms.

Would any of you (parents or not) balk at the fact that your kids (or anyone) couldn't bring peanuts/nuts/seeds into the classroom in order to protect a childs life?

Apparently there have been parent complaints that they don't want to limit the foods brought into the classroom.

I am not trying to start a political debate - I am just looking to see what I am going to be facing when I have a meeting later today with the school and the district administrators.

KeptInStitches · August 2013

Allergy info has been in the news a lot, so there's almost an oversaturation of coverage, if that makes sense. I'm not a parent, but if I knew there had been a student with an anaphalaxis reaction merely from being exposed to peanut dust in the air/on a desk, I would not send nuts, seeds, or peanuts with my child. Is there any way the desk your child uses can be cleaned before he gets there? Ugh, there's no good solution, and I feel for you and your kid.

You might have to rabble-rouse to get this one done, and even then I wouldn't count on 100% compliance.

kererie · August 2013

Stiches - I have tried to ask the school clean his area before his class and they told me they would be more than happy to let me come in 7 times a day to take on that responsibility. I need to work so I don't think that my boss would be too happy about me leaving...

I dont think I will get 100% compliance by all parents/students but a 50/50 would be nice - at least my son would have less of a chance of ending up in the ER if the foods were restricted from all the 5th grade classrooms.

tammym1001 · August 2013

I'm not going to lie I get annoyed when parents want everything removed from sight because thier kid isn't supposed to eat it. I feel like they need to teach their kids to be responsible for their allergy and not punish everyone else because of it (disclaimer: I have a food allergy so I do understand how hard it can sometimes be to manage). This is something that your child will have to spend his whole life dealing with and I highly doubt he will find colleges and workplaces that will eliminate all nuts and forbid anyone to bring them, so he will have to learn how to avoid them.

With that being said, if your son's allergy is so bad that he can't even touch nuts then I think the school does need to make a few provisions like letting him clean his desk before every class and possibly being excused if there are a lot of other kids eating nuts. This doesn't really affect the other children. Also, I don't think it would be terrible to let the other 5th grade parents know that one of the children has a very bad nut allergy.

krizzo17 · August 2013

I have nut and peanut allergies. My brother has nut, peanut, and chocolate allergies. We learned to read labels, and ask questions. That said, I really dislike "nut free" classrooms and lunchrooms, and would be annoyed if my kid was in one.

Do you never take your kid out to restaurants? How about the grocery store? None of these places are nut-free. Part of being an independent person, which your child will be some day, is learning how to protect yourself. Your kid will not suddenly enter into a nut-free world after high school, he'll have to navigate the regular world himself.

And this reaction that was caught in time and no Epi-pen was used - what was used? Unless you gave him a mega-dose of benedryl, chances are it was a minor reaction to an environmental irritant (pollen, perfume, cleaning products) rather than a food allergy. For us, a reaction to nuts ends us in the ER within 30 minutes of ingestion, but because we've learned the skills necessary to deal with our allergies, we haven't had reactions since we were about 6 or 7.

Xstatic3333 · August 2013

I have a medium-severity tree nut allergy. It sounds like exposure to dust or other allergens gave your son a mild "two benadryl" reaction, similar to what I would get from eating a walnut (my least severe allergy). TBH? If he reacts to dust then he has a "need" that the school is not accommodating, and I would be furious. Not every nut allergy needs a nut free environment-I don't-but it sounds like he does.

I wouldn't compare this to restaurants or other public places. I bet OP can't really take him restaurants safely with his kind of allergy. School is someplace he is required to be, and it should be safe for him. If your school cannot keep him safe in their facility, they are legally obligated to pay to send him somewhere that can. I am so sorry they are being so insensitive. I would push back as hard as you need to. He can control what he puts in his mouth, but not where dust falls.

southernbelle0915 · August 2013

How as your son made it through life thus far? School? Shopping? Friends' houses? Field trips? School bus? Extra curricular sports? Restaurants? Hotels? Traveling? Has he ever had an anaphylactic reaction from spending time in any of these places? How does he deal with the allergy now? Immunotherapy? Oral medication?

I would not honor your requests if I were the school for several reasons:

1) There is no evidence (or at least not in what you've posted here) that this is a life threatening condition.

2) You are requesting that every single teacher, employee, student, family, parents, visitors comply with a nut-free policy. This is a huge burden on everyone. Not worth it for something that can be managed by the person affected.

3) Enforcing compliance with this is quite near impossible.

4) $$$ what you've requested would be incredibly expensive. For something that can be managed by the person affected, it's not worth it for the school.

I know it's hard when it's your kid and you want to protect him/her however you can. But as other PPs have said, this is something he's going to have to deal with forever. The world is not nut-free. Your energy would probably be better spent helping him learn how to deal with it than to try to adjust his environment.

kererie · August 2013

@SouthernBell - Yes, he has an anaphalactic reaction at the grocery store on Sunday, We have also had them in hotels, cabs, and unfortunately yes, he has had one at school. There is no "treatment" for this severe of an allergy so we manage the best we can - universal precautions - it takes about 3 to 4 hours to read every label of every single item that goes into my grocery cart.

So, In response to your list:

1 - How would I prove to you it is life threatening? Feed him some peanuts and you can watch him stop breathing?

2 - No, I specifically said his 5th grade team/wing be peanut free - I specifically mentioned in my OP that I was not talking whole school or lunch room.

3. It may be near impossible but wouldn't it be nice to limit exposure to the least amount possible?

4. How would it cost more money to keep a wing of classes peanut free?

@Krizzo - no we rarely eat out & if we do go to the store, we have to wipe the carts down top to bottom in an effort to reduce the protiens left behind. Nothing is failsafe, but again, I dont want my kid to be afraid to do things that he is going to have to do in his life - I am teaching him how to cope in "the real world" - He is 10 not 18 going to college. And yes, it is required under a 504/IEP for colleges to provide the same level of needs to a student. And under ADA of 1973, a workplace has to make reasonable accomodations for anyone with a disability and if that is saying - no peanuts in section xyz - then that is what they do because legally they can't refuse to hire someone based on a qualified disability and I am sure no employer would say there isnt' enough time to wash/wipe down a desk everyday (teachers said this to my son yesterday!)

@Xstatic - No, he has moderate to severe reactions to contact (ex - surface to skin) with the protiens, eyes swell shut, throat closes, tounge swells. He has severe to anaphalatic reactions if the proteins are consumed (ex. accidentally ingests OR hand to mouth - ex nail biting). And YES - we dont' go out much - but school is somewhere I am legally obligated to send him so I am saying the environment should be adapted to meet his needs. Sorry, any child can live the first 3 1/2 hours of a day without eating peanuts.

But I trying to get both sides - so don't take anything too personal - I am trying to prepare an argument to present to the school in a few hours.

krizzo17 · August 2013

You say you don't go out much, but that doesn't mean you never go out. You're asking an entire class of children to never bring peanuts. And when you say "anaphalactic," do you mean that on Sunday you had to call an ambulance, which rushed your son to the hospital where he was administered medication through an IV. Because that's what my brother and I went through when we ate nuts; yet we never felt the need to ask others to change the environment for our issues.

10 is certainly old enough for him to be aware of and monitor his own environment. I know he's not 18 now, but when exactly is he going to start taking care of this on his own?

I know having food allergies sucks. But it's life. And quite honestly, as a kid it was easier for me to read labels, ask questions, and do what I needed to do than have a mom who made every other kid in the 5th grade maintain my diet for 6.5 hours a day.

krizzo17 · August 2013

And for the record - I'd bet you're going to get your way with the school. It doesn't change my opinion on the issue, but it seems pretty par-for-the-course these days. You probably don't need stress as much as you are about this.

kererie · August 2013

Yes - Ambulance called - 2 epi pens administered and we were at the hopsital for monitoring for an additional 8 hours. Yes, I do know what it means to have an anaphalatic reaction. It's not my first day with a kid that has an allergy.

My son reads labels, asks questions, wipes down surfaces and most of all avoids the places he knows are triggers (baseball games/football games, circus, specific restaurants etc) - he's not incapable of monitoring himself and I never said he was.

I said that within the school environment with 160+ kids circling through a classroom there is NO way for my son to monitor everything that is going on. He can only watch what is going on in the classroom he is in at the time - so if a kid in his next classroom eats a PB&J for snack at my son's desk - then my son could easily end up in the ER or worse.

Just out of curiousity - whats your age range? 20 to 30? 30 to 40? Because I am only 31 and I know that in all of the schools I attended there was only one confirmed allergy - it was a rarity when I grew up so the environment was adapted to that student - special tables, eats w/ the nurse, no field trips, everything was sterilized for him - so yes accomodations are made for every student with a disability.

Also, I have to stress this much because this is the 4th meeting we have had about this issue since July - AND - their stance is just like yours "screw the kid who could die because I can't live without my peanut m&ms for 6 hours a day"

I hope your opinion about peanut free classrooms doesnt change when you have a kid - a kid that could very well inherit your allergies and could die from exposure.

KeptInStitches · August 2013

For the record, I'm 26. And if there were allergies, the students dealt with them on their own or ate at the special table. No further accommodations were made that I am aware of.

The problem with stressing this much is you're starting to sound way overwrought in words, and I can't blame you! This is your kid's life you're talking about. However, if you go in sounding overblown, it's not going to help your case.

ETA: Please note that, were I a parent of a kid in your son's wing, I would cooperate with your request, as I stated earlier.

krizzo17 · August 2013

I'm 26 as well. The extent of our accommodations was a note at the beginning of the year and a meeting with the school nurse in elementary school - after 6th grade, my parents assumed we didn't need the nurse looking out for us. Epi pens were kept in the nurse's office until 5th grade as well, which was the standard age in our district to be allowed to carry your own, at which point we did.

I asked what you meant by anaphalaxis because of the number of people who have told me they're "deathly allergic" to mangos, mushrooms, milk, whatever, by which they really mean "it upsets my stomach" or "I don't like them and that way the waitress will take me seriously".

And thanks for wishing medical problems on my future kids. I appreciate it.

Xstatic3333 · August 2013

@kererie I think you may have misread my post. I actually agreed with you that the school should make his wing nut free. I brought up my own, less severe allergy as a contrast to show that his, very severe allergy is worthy of creating a nut free environment. I brought up his contact reaction because I think anyone with contact allergies is extremely severe and in a different category from people like me who only react if we eat nuts. KWIM?

Every allergy is different. Yes he should learn to be advocate for himself and navigate his surroundings, but he's only ten and the consequences are life and death. Also, I think school should be a place where kids focus on their friends and their studies, not avoiding touching strange crumbs.

I've worked in nut free schools for years and its never been a big deal. I'm sorry yours is being ridiculous. I'd start documenting your interactions, and show the superintendant documentation from your doctor that his allergy is life threatening. If that doesn't work, I'd talk to a lawyer. I think he's really being put at risk, and over what? Some parents might need to send nutra grain bars instead of Nature Valley?

Also, for the PP who asked what qualifies as anaphylactic, my understanding is that its anything that makes your windpipe start to constrict. These don't always require use of an epi-pen, and in fact, using one when Benadryl would suffice can be very harmful. Anaphylactic reactions tend to get worse with repeated exposure, so OP's son's next contact allergy could be worse.

And, although I really agree with your principles, hope your son's school comes to their senses, and can't stand when people generalize about or minimize severe allergies, what you said to krizzo was way uncalled for.

@krizzo18, though we disagree on some things (totally our right to do so as people with allergies, and no hard feelings at all) I also can't stand when people misuse allergy! Food allergy to me means "my throat could close." Anything else is an intolerance.

Maggie0829 · August 2013

scribe95 said:

My best friend has a severe peanut allergy. When she was very young it was only triggered by consumption, and she could avoid the peanuts by reading all the ingredients etc. But over the years it has worsened to include airborne peanut dust. She carries - and has used on many occasions - six epi pens. She has spent countless days in the ICU after exposures. Her life is pretty hellish/limited at 40.

The doctors have explained that every reaction to a peanut allergy slowly worsens the severity of the next reaction. So acting like this boy should just be fine because his last reaction was relatively minor is ridiculous.

Yes, school is required and unfortunately he has a SEVERE airborne allergy, and I believe it is required by law to provide him some accommodations if it is a public school.

P.S. I might be old but why are 10-year olds still having snack breaks in individual classrooms?

This was the first question that popped into my head. I stopped having snack breaks when I started elementary school. Also, many schools (if not all) in my area do not allow homemade snacks in the classroom (all snacks should be store bought and individually packed), plus they also do not allow food products to contain peanuts of any kind, since, it seems, this allergy is becoming more and more wide spread.

OP, I think your son's school is being a bit ridiculous. I understand some of what PP have said that this is something he will have to deal with when he grows up and he can't be placed in a plastic bubble forever, but school is supposed to be one of the few places where kids should be able to go to and feel safe. I also cannot believe with how prevelant peanut allergies are that your son is the only 5th grader with this issue so I am sure you are not the only parent who is worrying over your child's safety.

I don't know what else to say but to just keep pushing back on the school. Honestly it really wouldn't surprise me if one day peanuts (or nuts in general) were banned from schools completely. And that is coming from someone who ate PB sandwiches almost every single day of her academic career.

Simply Fated · August 2013

OP, my cousin went through something similar with her son. He's highly allergic to tree nuts and eggs. A few other things, too, but tree nuts and eggs will send him into anaphylactic (sp?) shock. All he has to do is ingest even a little. What people don't understand is that it doesn't have to be directly consumed.

A lot of people don't know how easy it is to help him by doing just a few, little things. Someone with severe peanut allergies will probably never be able to go to a baseball game. But, we're talking about a school... a place where it's mandatory to go and it's mandatory to keep the kids safe. The school needs to be actively helping you.

Having said that....
Asking parents to not pack their kids snacks without all your son's allergens in them is hard to do. Most parents don't read labels and you're essentially asking them to learn how.
I remember when a bunch of schools near me went peanut free. Parents went apeshit. "what do I give my kids for lunch nowwww?" Because it's not just peanut butter sandwiches. It's everything that's made in or near a conveyor belt that may or may not contain peanuts. I've had to turn down proud parents who thought they were being clever by giving their kids regular M&Ms instead of peanut M&Ms. And the parents who brought in Munchkins for their kid's birthdays. There are no "peanut flavored munchkins!!!" But, alas, Dunkin Donuts could not guarantee there would be no cross contamination.

My cousins ended up providing snacks for all the kids in her son's class. I don't know how the other parents felt about it or whether or not the other kids liked the snacks she provided. But if you're asking other parents to do you a favour, maybe you could offer a favour back?

TiaTea · August 2013

While I understand what you are going though, I can understand the school position too.

If they accommodate your kid by making everybody else to alter their behavior , the school will open themselves for lawsuits from parents , who's children have other needs.

For example , as a child I was diagnosed with many allergies. Some were to egg white * those are not just the actual eggs, a lot of baked goods are made with whole eggs or egg whites) and dawn/feathers. And those are just some of the ones that would make me gasp for air. I am not even counting the skin allergies

(Lucky for me , it all wet away, or got much better during puberty)

So if the schools makes a special rule for peanuts, it would be reasonable to expect the same for other common allergens.

The school may need to ban chocolate, honey, wheat, gluten, diary, dawn ( coats mostly) , synthetic fabrics ( in clothing and backpacks, etc) ...the list can go on.
Its practically impossible to comply.

@scribe95 " I am surprised by the school's pushback as well given the recent peanut allergy prevalence." , @Maggie0829 "your son is the only 5th grader with this issue so I am sure you are not the only parent who is worrying over your child's safety."

Actually, most common allergies are to 1. milk , 2. eggs. Yet instead of banning milk, there are special programs to provide milk for school kids

Xstatic3333 · August 2013

Hmmm, in nut free programs I've worked at, only snacks directly containing nuts were banned, not shared equipment snacks or "may contain traces." This was easier on parents and still did a lot to reduce risk.

I don't think the school would necessarily have to ban all common allergens. I would say the bar is any allergy of a child in that school that causes an anaphylactic reaction with contact or dust alone. For example, the last school I worked at had a child with an EXTREMELY severe kiwi allergy. Contact with the juice could have hospitalized him. The school went kiwi-free while he was there, but removed that restriction after he left.

krizzo17 · August 2013

Yeah, I think eliminating snack time would help please everyone. Quite honestly, in my house we don't eat processed food in general, so I dislike the idea of having to bring something with the ingredients labeled (try finding one packaged, peanut free snack without "high fructose corn syrup" in the ingredients). The last time we had snack time was kindergarten, when we got a pint of milk and a single graham cracker. It also creates tension in socioeconomically diverse schools - whether your parents pay for your lunch or it's subsidized it looks the same; but lower income kids are less likely to bring a snack, and certainly not something "fun" or "exotic". And from a health perspective - I know a lot of kids at the school my mom teaches at bring soda and chips for snacks. And you can't really define "healthy," since that really varies from family to family.

I remember being a little hungry in the mornings, but snack time really seems to create more trouble than it's worth.

southernbelle0915 · August 2013

kererie said:

@SouthernBell - Yes, he has an anaphalactic reaction at the grocery store on Sunday, We have also had them in hotels, cabs, and unfortunately yes, he has had one at school. There is no "treatment" for this severe of an allergy so we manage the best we can - universal precautions - it takes about 3 to 4 hours to read every label of every single item that goes into my grocery cart.

So, In response to your list:

1 - How would I prove to you it is life threatening? Collaborate with his physicians and his school to get the appropriate and necessary documentation. Feed him some peanuts and you can watch him stop breathing? That approach is unreasonable.

2 - No, I specifically said his 5th grade team/wing be peanut free - I specifically mentioned in my OP that I was not talking whole school or lunch room. But it's not like people/their food/their clothes with nut dust/whatever cannot come and go from the 5th grade wing. School staff and kids go everywhere. It's not like the 5th grade wing is going to be quarantined with people and things that can't come and go.

3. It may be near impossible but wouldn't it be nice to limit exposure to the least amount possible? It would be nice, sure. But a school can't accept the liability to commit to a peanut free environment. They can't promise you that because they can't control it. If they said "sure, we'll make it peanut free." and then a kid has a reaction and dies, they're probably going to get sued. I can tell you from a legal perspective, they're not going to accept that risk when they cannot control it.

4. How would it cost more money to keep a wing of classes peanut free? It costs money to implement policies, notify parents, monitor for compliance and implement penalties/notices when compliance is breached. You're also asking them to do extra cleaning - this costs money (hiring people or paying for overtime hours, etc.).

@Krizzo - no we rarely eat out & if we do go to the store, we have to wipe the carts down top to bottom in an effort to reduce the protiens left behind. Nothing is failsafe, but again, I dont want my kid to be afraid to do things that he is going to have to do in his life - I am teaching him how to cope in "the real world" - He is 10 not 18 going to college. And yes, it is required under a 504/IEP for colleges to provide the same level of needs to a student. And under ADA of 1973, a workplace has to make reasonable accomodations for anyone with a disability and if that is saying - no peanuts in section xyz - then that is what they do because legally they can't refuse to hire someone based on a qualified disability and I am sure no employer would say there isnt' enough time to wash/wipe down a desk everyday (teachers said this to my son yesterday!) I feel for your son, but I have to side with the school here. As in real life/the work place, the environment should be clean, but your workspace if your responsibility. No one comes in and cleans my office every night - even if I had a severe allergy, I wouldn't expect them to.

@Xstatic - No, he has moderate to severe reactions to contact (ex - surface to skin) with the protiens, eyes swell shut, throat closes, tounge swells. He has severe to anaphalatic reactions if the proteins are consumed (ex. accidentally ingests OR hand to mouth - ex nail biting). And YES - we dont' go out much - but school is somewhere I am legally obligated to send him so I am saying the environment should be adapted to meet his needs. Sorry, any child can live the first 3 1/2 hours of a day without eating peanuts.

But I trying to get both sides - so don't take anything too personal - I am trying to prepare an argument to present to the school in a few hours.

Honestly, I feel for you and your son. But without any documentation, I can tell you the school isn't going to take your word and implement a sweeping policy (I'm not trying to be mean by saying that). It seems like everyone has "severe" allergies these days (nuts, gluten, etc.) and I think it desensitizes people to being sympathetic to people who actually have issues (your son).

If you're going to cite ADA laws, your son needs to be officially qualified as disabled - otherwise these laws don't apply to him. So apply for disability. Get your medical records from the allergist, the ER, etc. If you can show the school that he is officially disabled by his allergy and have medical records to prove his reactions, they will not have a choice. Until then, though, you don't really have a case other than a complaining parent (again, not trying to be mean, but trying to show you the school's perspective). You just can't expect them to make a sweeping change without proving your case.

FTR, I'm 27 and consider myself progressive, but I don't know why you think age has anything to do with this.

Also, when you revert to sarcasm when people don't agree with you "I hope your opinion doesn't change when you have a kid...." gets you no where here and will probably discredit you and get you negative progress with the school.

kererie · August 2013

Sorry guys - Its been a few hellish days fighting with the school...I do want to clarify again, I didn't ask for the whole school to be nut free nor did I say I didn't have documentation from multiple doctors. The required form was filled out by my son's DR & provided to the school the week before classes started. Yes, my son qualifies for ADA under section 504 (read all about it - no "qualiftying needed" just proof of the allergy) which doesn't need to be applied for, so I have had this before but because he is also Autistic he can't have a 504 plan running at the same time as his IEP and it is a challenge to get any school to put the 504 accomodations in place within the IEP...been there tried that and still working on it.

I only asked for the 5th grade wing, which is 1/2 of a building (6 classrooms & 2 bathrooms) to be nut free.

I went into the meeting with a 2 1/2" binder full of doctors notes, pictures from ER visits, my son's discharge papers from the Sunday visit to the ER. Needless to say they couldn't argue with the diagnosis of an airborn/contact/consumable allergy.

So, the school decided on the following things:

1 - My son would have a "designated" workspace within each classroom - no other students will be allowed to sit at the desk throughout the day (except the other peanut free kids) and it would still be included into the group so my son wouldn't feel like an oddity.

2 - The teachers are supposed to be wiping down my son's desk before he comes into their classroom (this hasn't happened yet so this is something I have to follow up on)

3 - All 5th grade parents were supposed to receive the general, "FYI - we have multiple students with severe peanut/nut/seed allergies - could you please be mindful of this when packing snack?"

4 - All teachers/student teachers are getting Epi-Pen trained by a health official & they are being educated on what to look for in students with allergies

5 - My son got the age restriction lifted to carry his own Epi-Pen (although he isn't sure that he can self administer it yet - he's only 10 & shoving a large needle into his thigh isn't appealing to him) - but it will be closer for the teachers to administer

6 - My son was given the option to eat snack outside of the classroom - either with the Nurse or in the library

Also, my son is 10 not a full grown working adult...that's why I want the school to help him out here - I assume by the time he has entered the work force he will be able to handle this himself.

I recieved a copy of his IEP and no accomodations were listed - so I need to go back to them on that because I want to hold them legally responsible if they don't follow the guidelines they put into place.

And I know a few posters asked, yes this is a public elementary school - k to 6, which is why I think they still get snack - When he reaches 7th grade and goes to middle school there is no snack time. Oh and I did ask why they still had snack and from what they said - some kids get to school at 7:45am and the last lunch for the day is at almost 1pm - so they assume that the kids are getting hungry by 10 or so.

Quote:

FTR, I'm 27 and consider myself progressive, but I don't know why you think age has anything to do with this. - Allergies are expodentially more common in today's youth than they were when we were kids - so yes age and experiencing the consequences of allegies is about age...how many kids did you know that had life threatening allergies in your 3rd grade class? Because in my son's 3rd grade class there were 14 total.

Also, when you revert to sarcasm when people don't agree with you "I hope your opinion doesn't change when you have a kid...." gets you no where here and will probably discredit you and get you negative progress with the school.

No that wasnt sarcasm - I was being dead serious. For the people who don't think my son has a right to a safe(r) environment in a public school setting because they are too lazy to read an ingredient label or don't want to worry about other kids because it would be inconvenient for them - I really hope they don't have kids with allegies because their unsympathetic views on a disability are horrifying. Just in case anyone cared to know what my opinion is.

tigersgirlgv · August 2013

I teach kindergarten (so very different from this situation) and had a child with a severe peanut allergy last year. Families sent in shared snacks every month, so it was easy for me to check labels before I served them every day. Probably not going to fly in fifth grade.

I have also worked at a school that was completely nut-free. They didn't even allow anything processed in a plant with nuts. It had been that way before I got there, so I don't know how well it was received at it's inception, but we had very few problems while I was there. The office kept a small stockpile of "safe" snacks and if a child brought in something that wasn't nut-free he/she could go trade it for something from the office.

As for why they still have snack time, kids (or even adults for that matter

don't focus as well and can't really learn well when they're hungry. It can be a long time between breakfast and lunch (and that's assuming they've had breakfast!) and I'd rather my students take a few minutes to eat a snack and get back to learning, than spend the whole morning hungry and not learn anything.

kererie · August 2013

@Tigersgirl - I agree about the snack situation - I have no problem with them eating snack during the day...I know how hard it can be to have a grouchy & hungry child on your hands so multiplying that by 26 to 30 would be unbearable.

And yes, we have a lot of different socio-economical classes in our town and also have a program for homeless children - so I do find it important that all kids eat while at school - sometimes it's the only place they get to eat.

I just don't necessarily want peanut products in the classroom which I think is so easy for parents/school (when providing snack) to do.

KeptInStitches · August 2013

Are you willing to provide a shared pool of alternate snacks for a kid whose parents might have forgotten? Because I know I would do my level best to make sure that my kid wasn't endangering yours, but I might forget once or twice and send my kid with peanut butter crackers. Being willing to do that might help smooth this over.

kererie · August 2013

I have done that in the past when he was in a single classroom all day and wouldn't be against it but I cant see how I would afford to cover a snack for 160 or so who may forget in one day.

I was and am really open to all ideas to make school safe not only for my son but for all the 7/8 kids that have the allergy within the grade.

KeptInStitches · August 2013

If it's 7 or 8 kids in the grade, perhaps all the parents could pool in together. I don't think every kid would forget every day.

Xstatic3333 · August 2013

I'm glad the school is being slightly more responsive! Although, personally I think just saying"nut free" would be easier for everyone, especially given the new info that there are multiple nut allergies in his wing.

rmaynar · August 2013

Side note here: I always wonder why airlines still serve peanuts with what seems like an increase in the prevalence of nut allergies these days. As others mentioned, nut allergies are more than just consumption allergies. Add that to a confined space that you can't readily escape. Anaphylactic shock at 30,000 feet doesn't sound too fun...

kererie · August 2013

@xstatic - I agree completely but they don't want to infringe on peoples right to eat whatever they choose. So many schools are completely nut free it doesn't make sense for them to be so hardheaded about the issue.

@Rmaynar - it's funny you mention that - I have asked the same thing and they say "affordable snack option"

Ok - well there are a few airlines that have banned peanuts but will not make an announcement to the passangers that there is an allergy on board...

Never understood it and probably never will

MobKaz · August 2013

In my district, there have been severe restrictions put on all foods. Outside food brought in can only be store bought; homemade items are no longer allowed. For grades that still allow snacks, there is actually an "approved" list of what is and what is not allowed. There is a long list of approved snacks, but it is a peanut free list. There are still plenty of options. Some parents complained. No one likes when changed is forced upon them. Within a few weeks it became a non issue.

From a teaching standpoint, I would much prefer a peanut free and healthy environment versus constant worry whether a student's health, and potential life, is at risk.

Simply Fated · August 2013

I THINK it's Southwest airlines where you can request a peanut free flight. The problem is, not everyone adheres to it.

At fifth grade, we were mostly all packing our own snacks. In sixth grade we were mostly packing our own lunches. There are going to be parents who make mistakes or ignore the rules. There are going to be kids who don't give a crap. There will even be teachers who mess up and forget to wipe down the table or whatever.
I think providing alternative snacks for those that bring in Snickers is a good idea.

I have seen kids even older than 10 that sneak products with nuts. At one camp I worked, nuts were strictly forbidden. I was a bus monitor there and one girl every single morning would pull out a canister of mixed nuts and chow down. I would literally beg her to stop and threaten to take them away. Her argument was that no one on our bus had the allergy. I tried to explain to her that the smell set off a kid in my group, so I couldn't risk it. Her mom was furious with me, but when the camp intervened, her mom chilled. The girl still snuck them on the bus. She was 16 and should have known better. She was a spoiled brat and just didn't give a fuck.
So when you say that you hope insensitive people end up with a son or daughter with a severe allergy, I understand where you're coming from. I wouldn't want a child to get sick, but I would LOVE for that girl to someday feel the anxiety, knowing there are people out there that don't care just like she didn't care.

NWR: School Issue - Peanut Free or Not?

Re: NWR: School Issue - Peanut Free or Not?

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