Banning nuts in classroom debate

[Janeway]

Ok..here is the actual scenario.

 

One child has actual Celiac Disease. Not just parent decided to cut gluten and says there are health benefits. This is a child who actually had blood work and a biopsy and has Celiac Disease.

 

Another child is allergic to pork and fish. The smell of those foods makes child sick.

 

Another has heavy allergies to pollen and stuff outdoors.

 

Teacher bans nuts in the classroom. All parents assume someone is allergic.

 

Is this fair to the child with Celiac Disease or the child who is allergic to pork and fish? The child who is allergic to stuff outdoors is told to take medication. He does. But he still has problems. Recess still happens. Child allergic to pork and fish is told to sit elsewhere in the lunchroom to stay away from those who bring pork or fish or who have pork or fish from the lunch room. Same with the one with Celiac. Both kids are told they cannot have any nut products.

 

Is this fair at all? Answer this portion first separate from the next question.

 

A parent inquires about the nut allergy child. Previous year, no one had nut allergies in the classes that anyone knew of. Parents volunteer and work with the kids. Parents all basically assume someone has a life threatening allergy that makes it worth banning all nut products. Teacher tells parent that she does not know of any child with a nut allergy in the classroom, or even the grade, but they keep the rule for just in case. SO....known allergies in the classroom are ignored. The kids with the allergies are expected to handle these things individually (take medication, stay away from group when foods are around, etc). The class as a whole is not expected to change their diets or activities based on other children's allergies or medical problems. 

 

I think I will try to add a poll.

 

Also..this is my child's actual 1st grade classroom. 

 

This is actually my first graders classroom. 

 

Also..to clarify on the child with Celiac...apparently, that child is not even supposed to touch the crumbs from something with gluten. Apparently, the child was life threatened type sick when he was younger and spent a lot of time in the hospital before he was diagnosed. The mom says she even has to buy special shampoos and soap for him. He is not even supposed to touch the crumbs from someone else's celiac containing food. I do not know as much about the child who is allergic to pork and fish. 

 

 

[Jean in Newcastle]

All foods that cause an anaphylactic reaction to someone in the classroom should be banned.  This often is nuts but can be other foods.  Often other allergies are not anaphylactic in nature.  This is something that should be addressed by the parents of children with allergies and the school administration.  ie.  It shouldn't be just up to the teacher. 

[SKL]

I don't see why they eat in the classroom at all.  Especially cupcakes.  :ph34r:

 

[Why do we not have a cupcake smilie?]

[TheReader]

All foods that cause an anaphylactic reaction to someone in the classroom should be banned. This often is nuts but can be other foods. Often other allergies are not anaphylactic in nature. This is something that should be addressed by the parents of children with allergies and the school administration. ie. It shouldn't be just up to the teacher.

Yes, this. Although, honestly, a serious enough reaction might not be helped just by that student's classroom banning the offending food. If they eat in a shared cafeteria, with other classes at the same lunch table (even if those kids are there before this class, such that oils, crumbs, etc. might be left behind...), it is possible for remnants of the allergen to linger. I have heard of entire schools going peanut free, entirely, for this reason (since that is the most common anaphylactic allergen).

[ChocolateReignRemix]

Ok..here is the actual scenario.

 

One child has actual Celiac Disease. Not just parent decided to cut gluten and says there are health benefits. This is a child who actually had blood work and a biopsy and has Celiac Disease.

 

Another child is allergic to pork and fish. The smell of those foods makes child sick.

 

Another has heavy allergies to pollen and stuff outdoors.

 

Teacher bans nuts in the classroom. All parents assume someone is allergic.

 

Is this fair to the child with Celiac Disease or the child who is allergic to pork and fish? The child who is allergic to stuff outdoors is told to take medication. He does. But he still has problems. Recess still happens. Child allergic to pork and fish is told to sit elsewhere in the lunchroom to stay away from those who bring pork or fish or who have pork or fish from the lunch room. Same with the one with Celiac. Both kids are told they cannot have any nut products.

 

Is this fair at all? Answer this portion first separate from the next question.

 

A parent inquires about the nut allergy child. Previous year, no one had nut allergies in the classes that anyone knew of. Parents volunteer and work with the kids. Parents all basically assume someone has a life threatening allergy that makes it worth banning all nut products. Teacher tells parent that she does not know of any child with a nut allergy in the classroom, or even the grade, but they keep the rule for just in case. SO....known allergies in the classroom are ignored. The kids with the allergies are expected to handle these things individually (take medication, stay away from group when foods are around, etc). The class as a whole is not expected to change their diets or activities based on other children's allergies or medical problems. 

 

I think I will try to add a poll.

 

Also..this is my child's actual 1st grade classroom. 

 

This is actually my first graders classroom. 

 

Also..to clarify on the child with Celiac...apparently, that child is not even supposed to touch the crumbs from something with gluten. Apparently, the child was life threatened type sick when he was younger and spent a lot of time in the hospital before he was diagnosed. The mom says she even has to buy special shampoos and soap for him. He is not even supposed to touch the crumbs from someone else's celiac containing food. I do not know as much about the child who is allergic to pork and fish. 

 

It depends on the type of allergic reaction and the feasibility of a ban.  Based on what you have written, the nut ban seems reasonable.  The others not as much.

 

[Zinnia]

I could see banning the food from the classroom, though with celiac it might be harder.  

 

If it was *my* child, I would push hard for no food in the classroom or only very obviously non-gluten foods (fruits and vegetables).  When my children were in public school, they mostly ate in their classrooms when something special was going on in the cafeteria.  I think that for one class, they could find alternate arrangements.  

[ChocolateReignRemix]

I could see banning the food from the classroom, though with celiac it might be harder.  

 

If it was *my* child, I would push hard for no food in the classroom or only very obviously non-gluten foods (fruits and vegetables).  When my children were in public school, they mostly ate in their classrooms when something special was going on in the cafeteria.  I think that for one class, they could find alternate arrangements.  

 

Some schools do not have cafeterias.

[MASHomeschooler]

This is hard. On the one hand, banning everything anyone is allergic to makes it easier for those kids to stay safe, and to be included in anything involving food in the classroom (birthday treats, parties, etc.). On the other hand, there are so many allergies, a lot of times that would make it so restrictive, there'd hardly be anything anyone could bring. I tend to feel that any allergy with anaphylactic reaction should be banned, and others probably not. My youngest is going to school this year. She probably has Celiac's (didn't get the testing because she lost 3 pounds in 3 weeks of eating gluten, at age 1) but has no official diagnosis. Even if she had the diagnosis, and even though it very clearly negatively affects her digestion and mental state significantly, she's not going to die if she gets glutened. So I am not going to argue that she needs the same precautions as the kids with anaphylactic reactions to nuts (there are some in her grade, not sure about her class, but they do stuff together or mixed-classes a lot). The specific policy is no nuts in the classroom, but nuts are allowed at lunch, and there is a separate table that is nut-free - all allergic kids sit there, and can have one friend w/o nuts in their lunch join them there. On the other hand, her teacher has been great about following our list of precautions for her, and she has not been glutened so far. If that weren't the case, I would probably push for something more formal. And it is ridiculous to have a no-nuts policy without any allergies!

[maize]

Celiac is a serious disease but does not cause anaphylaxis.

 

I was actually quite surprised to learn that my son's elementary school serves peanut butter sandwiches as a school lunch option. I know at least one child in my son's grade has a serious peanut allergy.

Edited September 19, 2016 by maize

[tm919]

Other? In general, I think it should just be classrooms with a child with a life-threatening allergy. But at my daughters' school they do have "nut free" rooms. Even if there were no children (in a given grade) with a nut allergy, if you are in a nut free room, you don't bring nuts... I guess to make there be "safe" places for kids with nut allergies?

[freesia]

I do not think peanuts/nuts should be banned unless there is a specific allergy.  Our family deals with other allergies/blood sugar issues and nuts are one of the few foods that are easy for us and affordable to bring to classes.  Of course, when there is an allergy, we don't, but it is difficult for us b/c the work arounds for us are not as portable.  I often hear (irl) parents of nut allergy kids say "it's easy" to bring other food. Well, no, not if you have our family's issues.  But I am willing to do it. Absolutely.. (Dh has an anaphylactic allergy so I know how important it is).  Just don't make me do it if no one has the allergy.

[Rebel Yell]

You forgot "other."

 

I think it is reasonable to ban foods that a child could have a life-threatening reaction to for elementary and younger. I think older children could more easily manage on their own, younger kids need help. I would include a nearly-certain hospital stay along with life-threatening.

 

I also believe that even with the most concerned and diligent schoolmates/staff/parents that it would be impossible to guarantee an allergen free environment. I'm too much of a worrier, I would wreck myself from stress if it was my child. Hugs to you and all the allergy parents!

[vonfirmath]

Celiac is a serious disease but does not cause anaphylaxis.

 

I was actually quite surprised to learn that my son's elementary school serves peanut butter sandwiches as a school lunch option. I know at least one child in my son's grade has a serious peanut allergy.

 

Are you sure it is peanut butter and not sunbutter?

 

They do sunbutter and jelly sandwiches at our school lunches.  All of our school district lunches are nut-free. Students do not have to bring nut-free lunches even when their classroom is nut-free. They do have to remain nut-free for snacks. The lunches are not brought out in the classroom.  There is a strict "No sharing food" rule at the school.

 

The out-of-money option is a cheese sandwich.

 

Edited September 19, 2016 by vonfirmath

[wapiti]

The school should have a policy for handling food allergies.  E.g., in my kids' charter school, at the preschool-K level, the classrooms are nut-free by state regulation, I think.  However, the grade 1-3 and 4-6 classrooms it is case-by-case; they are only nut-free when there is a student with an allergy and there is a designated table for foods free of particular allergens.

 

Two random points:

 

While there are IgE anaphylactic allergies to wheat and less commonly to gluten, I was under the impression that celiac was not an IgE anaphylactic allergy (not that there can't be a reaction by contact, just not an anaphylactic one).

 

Peanut allergy is the most common cause of fatal anaphylaxis.

Edited September 19, 2016 by wapiti

[MASHomeschooler]

I wanted to add that kids with diagnoses could probably get a 504 plan in place to formalize and legalize what they need.

Here is what I gave her teacher (and have given any time she's done drop-off activities, etc.) and would basically ask for in a 504 if she had a diagnosis:

 

[dd] is gluten-intolerant.

 

Snack/lunch: She can only eat things I provide or approve. She needs to wash her hands with soap and water (not just sanitizer) before eating.

 

Play dough: Play-Doh and Crayola Dough have wheat; she cannot use them. Lakeshore and Colorations are safe, as is clay, including air-dry, and Model Magic.

 

Finger paint: Elmer’s has wheat; she cannot use it. Crayola and Colorations are safe. (All other Elmer’s products are safe.)

 

Crafts/activities: She cannot do crafts or activities that involve any wheat, barley, or rye products (flour, dry pasta, some cereals, flour-based paper mache, etc.). I can provide substitutes with notice.

 

Please feel free to email me at ... or call me at ... if you have any questions. Thanks!

[me]

 

ETA: She also allows me to keep a small bin of non-perishable gluten-free food in the classroom, which I would also ask for in a 504. She has some safe snacks (Pirate's Booty and freeze-dried fruit) and safe lunches (GoPicnic) in case she forgets to bring those and some safe treats for when somebody brings in cupcakes or something for the whole class for their birthday.

Edited September 19, 2016 by MASHomeschooler

[Guest]

I agree with banning or limited the contact of anaphylactic allergies with the allergen. If someone is bothered but it isn't life threatening, no ban. With celiac I also wouldn't ban because it's not life threatening to have another child eat it but not come into contact with the sufferer. So it sounds like nothing would be banned this school year?

 

Banning but products when there is no active sufferer and limited the diet of the other kids unnecessarily is stupid. It would be different if a classmate had a nut allergy at the moment.

[sarasue7272]

You need the obligatory other.

The banning of nuts in this classroom sound ridiculous if no one is allergic, unless it is actually a school wide ban.

First graders will probably have a snack in the classroom. If celiac child gets violently ill from touching crumbs, measures should be taken to prevent this. Parents need to push and push until something is done. Maybe snack is only at your own desk which is then wiped down,then bathroom break so everyone can wash hands.

My sons' school has a nut free table in the lunchroom. It is ONLY for kids allergic to nuts, but no one else in that class can bring nuts. The marked off section is so there is no contamination from an earlier class.

 

Banning something no one is allergic to doesn't make sense. But the other allergies are not anaphylactic. That is the difference to the school. If the mom wants changes she may have to BTB (be the bitch).

[SKL]

I don't understand wanting a policy that doesn't allow my kids in the same room with a food they cannot eat (assuming just being in the same room does not hurt them).  Are these individuals never allowed to go to parties or restaurants?  How will they eat when they travel?

 

Last summer we went to a restaurant with a family with 2 gluten free / celiac kids.  We all sat at the same table and ate whatever.  The parents were only concerned with the content of their specific kids' dinners.

[MistyMountain]

I put nuts should be banned but only because nuts cause an anaphylactic reaction that can kill a child. Nuts cause the most deaths from allergies and typically have the most serious reaction. Any allergen that can cause that kind of reaction should be banned even if it is not nuts. Non life threatening allergies do not need to be banned. I know celiac causes a really bad reaction and even crumbs are a problem but it is not typically life threatening. I do not think nuts need to be banned if there is no child with a nut allergy in the classroom.

[Zinnia]

We have a couple of kids with celiac in our homeschool co-op.  They also have a few co-morbid food allergies, so I'm not sure what precautions we take for what.

 

Everyone washes hands on arrival to co-op.  We eat in one designated room only; no snacks anywhere else.  Immediately after eating, every person goes and washes their hand.  The tables are immediately wiped down, and the floor is vacuumed.  Every.single.week.  These are the precautions that these two children need for them to feel safe at co-op.  Perhaps that is extreme?  I'm not sure.  I do know that it adds a bit of work, but not much, and it seems pretty straight-forward and understandable.

[Guest]

.

Edited September 9, 2020 by Æthelthryth the Texan

[EmseB]

I honestly don't think this can be about fairness. Trying to make things fair never works as a policy, IMO. Ideally the teacher should know what food allergies are present in her students and act based on that information.

 

On the other hand, avoiding gluten is very, very difficult. You'd be asking parents not to send anything processed that doesn't say "gluten free" on it. No breads, crackers, etc. Avoiding nuts is not. I base this on my experience of having a nut-allergic kid and a relative who is celiac.

[wapiti]

I don't understand wanting a policy that doesn't allow my kids in the same room with a food they cannot eat (assuming just being in the same room does not hurt them).  Are these individuals never allowed to go to parties or restaurants?  How will they eat when they travel?

 

It has to do with kids who have problems from dermal contact or inhalation.  Peanut butter in particular is hard to clean off if it inadvertently gets on something in the classroom.  Such a situation occurred several years ago at my kids' school in the preschool classroom where a peanut-allergic kid had a very serious reaction due to peanut butter on something.  For reactions to other things, like the PP whose child has some sort of dermal reaction to wheat, a 504 plan is the way to go.

 

Travel with allergies is a pain.  Fortunately many restaurants post menu and allergy info on line.  I assume kids who have inhalation reactions will be limited to certain restaurant chains if they eat out at all.  Peanut butter is a bit less of a concern in certain types of restaurants as opposed to actual pieces of peanuts and tree nuts that more easily cross-contaminate food.  (So, for example, my ds who has allergies to peanut, tree nuts, sunflower and sesame will never eat food from a Chinese restaurant.  Ever.  Inhalation hasn't been an issue for him though it's not as though he'd enter a restaurant that has peanut shells on the floor.)

Edited September 19, 2016 by wapiti

[catz]

You forgot "other."

 

I think it is reasonable to ban foods that a child could have a life-threatening reaction to for elementary and younger. I think older children could more easily manage on their own, younger kids need help. I would include a nearly-certain hospital stay along with life-threatening.

 

I also believe that even with the most concerned and diligent schoolmates/staff/parents that it would be impossible to guarantee an allergen free environment. I'm too much of a worrier, I would wreck myself from stress if it was my child. Hugs to you and all the allergy parents!

 

:iagree: My kids have other allergies and food sensitivities and antibiotic allergies are in our home so I do get it.  Part of what I have a hard time wrapping my head around though is cross contamination.  What about the kid that has peanut butter toast every morning and is not the best hand washer?   Human beings aren't perfect.  I homeschool my kids, but if my kids had this kind of allergy issue I don't think I'd be comfortable assuming 20 other kid's families and the teacher was going to be 100% on top of this all the time. 

 

Having a classroom (and I'm assuming this means lunch period too) being nut, wheat, lunch meat (pork), and recess free is not super reasonable to me as a parent.  My kids have sensory quirks and in early elementary I'm not even sure what I could have packed for lunch within these limits.  And my kids NEED outdoor time. 

 

I agree with that banning should only happen if allergies exist. 

[Loowit]

I think it should be on a case by case basis.  Each child has different needs, obviously, that need to be addressed in different ways.  Any life threatening condition needs to be taken seriously but what is the right course is often dependent on the actual allergy and their reactions.  My DS egg allergy when he was a toddler was anaphylactic, but only if he ate eggs.  He could be around them with no problems.  Some children get hives just touching eggs. These should have different protocols.  Nut and peanuts have the highest incidence of fatal reactions, so that is why people tend to take a more hard line stance on it.  But I do have great sympathy for those dealing with allergies that are often taken less seriously, even though they can also be life threatening.

 

I find it in poor taste for people to try to figure out who the nut allergic child is or even if there is one.  Sometimes parents, for good reason, don't want that information getting out.  My SIL was treated horribly by other parents when they found out that nephew was the student with an allergy that made it so that they couldn't have nut foods in the classroom.  That information is private IMO until or unless a parent or child want to tell others.  I don't think the teacher should be talking about children's medical conditions with other parents.

 

As for being fair, as I tell my kids, Life is not fair.  It isn't fair that my DS has a life threatening allergy  I did everything the experts said to do to reduce the incidence of allergies in children throughout pregnancy and infanthood and my youngest still ended up with life threatening allergies.  Not fair.  But such is life.

[maize]

Are you sure it is peanut butter and not sunbutter?

 

They do sunbutter and jelly sandwiches at our school lunches. All of our school district lunches are nut-free. Students do not have to bring nut-free lunches even when their classroom is nut-free. They do have to remain nut-free for snacks. The lunches are not brought out in the classroom. There is a strict "No sharing food" rule at the school.

 

The out-of-money option is a cheese sandwich.

 

Yep, it's peanut butter.

[EmseB]

I don't understand wanting a policy that doesn't allow my kids in the same room with a food they cannot eat (assuming just being in the same room does not hurt them). Are these individuals never allowed to go to parties or restaurants? How will they eat when they travel?

 

Last summer we went to a restaurant with a family with 2 gluten free / celiac kids. We all sat at the same table and ate whatever. The parents were only concerned with the content of their specific kids' dinners.

My relative's celiac has seriously impacted her ability to travel, for what it's worth. She has to travel to a place where she can prepare her own food. It is severely limiting. Especially if you had some bucket list trips to foreign countries or what not, but even domestic travel is hard and often involves fasting. She doesn't eat at parties.

 

There are apps and websites now where you can find restaurants that prepare gluten free dishes and are knowledgeable about cross-contamination and if they are aware then going out to eat is a possibility, although still a gamble because how do you really know? Thankfully celiac does nut typically cause anaphylaxis, rather "just" a couple of weeks of misery.

 

Also, being gluten free and not caring about cross-contamination is not the same thing as being celiac.

Edited September 19, 2016 by JodiSue

[SparklyUnicorn]

I don't agree with arbitrarily banning the nuts.  Ban them if there is actually a need.  I don't think it is reasonable to ban all possible foods anyone is allergic to though.  I know here they don't ban nuts.  For one thing PB&J is a regular school lunch offering (they give free lunch to all). How this plays out when there is an allergy I don't know.  They don't eat in the classrooms though so maybe they make some arrangement during lunch time.  Although if a bunch of kids have eaten peanut butter at lunch then I don't know how they deal with that.  

[SparklyUnicorn]

Celiac is a serious disease but does not cause anaphylaxis.

 

I was actually quite surprised to learn that my son's elementary school serves peanut butter sandwiches as a school lunch option. I know at least one child in my son's grade has a serious peanut allergy.

 

Here it is offered every single day.

[PinkyandtheBrains.]

 

 

Any food that causes an immediate life threatening response such as anaphylaxis, should be banned.

 

I would apply this to substances too, such as latex, if someone has an immediate life threatening reaction.

[momacacia]

From our travels, I would assume that most campuses are at least peanut free, if not also tree nut free, everywhere kids go. That's been my experience in the church/homeschool world. When we were grain-free, it was very hard because so many baked goods were made with tree nut flours. But, you do fruit, dried fruit, and other things as treats.

 

As a mom with a peanut allergic kid.who.followed a special diet for epilepsy for 2 years, I say its on the family with the health issues to deal with what is best for the child. That may mean a celiac can't eat with everyone else. It just hasn't become as ubiquitous as the nut allergies have, and isn't as.consistently anaphylactic.

[poppy]

I can't imagine not being OK with a peanut ban if there is a child who could die if exposed to peanuts.  I can't comprehend that mindset, at all.

 

My son't classroom has a dairy ban, which I follow but don't understand.  Kid gets sick (not seriously ill though) if dairy touches him (but..... what, is yogurt spilling a huge problem?)

 

My husband is celiac and banning wheat based on celiac is absurd to me.

[kewb]

Other: From a school administration level at the elementary level, ban all peanuts. Even of you don't think anyone has an allergy this year, it is simply a solid policy that can prevent death.

 

I do not think it is realistic for a school to ban every allergen. If there is a student who might die from their allergy, such as peanuts, then ban the food. Everything else, reasonable precautions. I know people with all kinds of allergies. Peanuts, poultry, raw fruits, certain raw vegetables, celiac disease, gluten intolerance, soy, dairy, corn, and so on. If you cover every allergen you are left with plain water.

Edited September 19, 2016 by kewb

[cjzimmer1]

From our travels, I would assume that most campuses are at least peanut free, if not also tree nut free, everywhere kids go. That's been my experience in the church/homeschool world. When we were grain-free, it was very hard because so many baked goods were made with tree nut flours. But, you do fruit, dried fruit, and other things as treats.

 

 

 

Really?  Cause I've never been anywhere that is peanut free.  None of my homeschool activities are, none of the 20+ churches I have attended or visited are, and our large metropolitan school district isn't either.   I actually would have assumed most places are NOT peanut free and those that are in the minority.  I wonder if this is a regional thing that some areas are better about acknowledging allergies than others.

[NoPlaceLikeHome]

I do not think peanuts/nuts should be banned unless there is a specific allergy.  Our family deals with other allergies/blood sugar issues and nuts are one of the few foods that are easy for us and affordable to bring to classes.  Of course, when there is an allergy, we don't, but it is difficult for us b/c the work arounds for us are not as portable.  I often hear (irl) parents of nut allergy kids say "it's easy" to bring other food. Well, no, not if you have our family's issues.  But I am willing to do it. Absolutely.. (Dh has an anaphylactic allergy so I know how important it is).  Just don't make me do it if no one has the allergy.

I have not read every post yet. IMO peanuts/tree nuts should be banned from all classrooms and not lunch rooms in general. Peanut butter and nut butters in particular can leave smears everywhere on classroom equipment and students spend most of their time in classrooms. 

[SparklyUnicorn]

Really?  Cause I've never been anywhere that is peanut free.  None of my homeschool activities are, none of the 20+ churches I have attended or visited are, and our large metropolitan school district isn't either.   I actually would have assumed most places are NOT peanut free and those that are in the minority.  I wonder if this is a regional thing that some areas are better about acknowledging allergies than others.

 

Me either.

 

One time in several years the drama teacher asked people not to pack peanut snacks for the rehearsal because of a known allergy.  But it was just the one year and she never said to do that otherwise.  And this wasn't a big deal because the rehearsals are very quick.  I don't even send a snack with my kids at all for that.

[gardenmom5]

I'm tired of the bans.  (yes, I've dealt with classrooms where NO CHILD in the class  is allowed to bring nuts - in any form - for snacks.  and no child in the entire school is allowed peanut butter  - common lunchroom.)

 

nut allergies can be life threatening, very likely to show up in a classroom - in the form of peanut butter (which is technically a legume). 

shellfish can be life threatening, but not likely to be show-up in a classroom.

 

both tend to require direct contact.

other allergens tend to require direct contact (few are airborne), and while they can make someone ill, aren't likely to kill them.

I think the schools don't want the liability, so they ban everything.  they no longer allow homemade treats, everything must be individually wrapped and labeled.  they've moved on to class party treat rules of  - nothing edible.

[Lady Florida.]

Really?  Cause I've never been anywhere that is peanut free.  None of my homeschool activities are, none of the 20+ churches I have attended or visited are, and our large metropolitan school district isn't either.   I actually would have assumed most places are NOT peanut free and those that are in the minority.  I wonder if this is a regional thing that some areas are better about acknowledging allergies than others.

 

Our homeschool group was peanut and tree nut free. People were informed of this when they joined, and a reminder went out before every activity including park day.

 

For years we had just one child with a peanut allergy, but one child who could die is one too many. No one complained about doing what it took to keep this girl alive. Eventually a few other families joined who had children with peanut allergies and were very happy to find a peanut free hs group.

[Caroline]

Other-the teacher, due to FERPA, is not allowed to reveal that a child has a nut allergy. Therefore, I would guess there is a nut allergy child.

 

I have a child with celiac. It makes no sense to ban other kids from having gluten. She washes her hands often and only eats her own food. She has been at this since she was 2. She's a pro.

[Library Momma]

Here there are multiple children in school with a variety of allergies.  Each year in elementary there are one or two classrooms that are allergen/nut free.  This applies only to any snacks that would be brought into the room.  Before school starts all of the students in the classroom get a list with guidelines and acceptable examples of what can be brought in.  Most of the students have nut allergies (some quite severe) but others have gluten, dairy or egg,   Allergens that can cause a reaction from being inhaled or touched (usually peanuts) are completely banned.  Allergens that simply cannot be ingested are not banned but they are on the list of items parents should be aware of when bringing in treats for a birthday or party.  If no one in the grade has a nut allergy then there is no nut free room but the other allergies would be addressed and those kids would still be in some incarnation of an allergy free room.

 

 

During lunch there is a designated allergen free table.  students in the rest of the cafeteria can bring whatever they wish.  I would think that if the school had no cafeteria the snack rules would apply to lunches as well.

 

This seems to be the procedure in most of the public schools that I am familiar with, perhaps it is a state guideline?

 

[Katy]

It's not unfair to ban nuts and shellfish because those allergies are more likely to lead to anaphylaxis.  Life threatening allergies at a trace of a food trump diarrhea.  Kids are gross, and often cannot manage to eat something without spitting it all over everywhere.  I have one set of nieces and nephews that are fed whole wheat toast every morning for breakfast and I have yet to go anywhere near them without breaking out in hives, even if I don't see them until the afternoon.  A trace of wheat gives me hives.  If a trace of wheat sent me into life-threatening anaphylaxis, I would refuse to go anywhere near them, ever. 

 

A school is required to give kids a safe place to not be sent into shock or killed, and if the need to do that is stopping nuts or shellfish, they should do that.

[Jyhwkmama]

Are we talking about consuming these foods in the classroom or in the lunchroom? 

[Lecka]

Here nuts in snacks eaten in the classroom is based on the classroom.

 

Anything can be packed in a lunch eaten in the cafeteria -- kids just can't sit at a nut-free table.

 

I think it is nicest to send classroom treats everyone can eat.

 

For the gluten -- maybe the parents need to ask for more -- that is the parents' call and the child's doctor's call. If they think it is fine, so be it.

 

For the seasonal allergies -- parents could have the child stay inside, here. But that gets to be a trade-off. If it is a windy day maybe the child stays inside -- maybe you don't know all the details. Maybe on a day the child is feeling worse the child stays inside.

 

For the smell one -- it seems unlikely to come up in a classroom to me. Those are not snack or treat type of foods.

 

I think if you are having a hard time finding nut free snacks -- maybe look for more ideas. It was hard for me to think of things at first, but really there are a lot of options. I do like it better when my kids are in a class with no nut allergies, but those kids deserve a safe school environment, too.

[ikslo]

Other.

 

The school district should reimburse me for homeschooling so that they don't have to deal with the 504 plan we would otherwise have in place.  :D

 

Every year I submit educational objectives that contains the following under Health and Physiology: "Continued emphasis will be placed on how his severe food allergies affect his overall health and what preventive measures he should take to mitigate adverse impact to his health."  They leave me alone. 

 

 

 

 

[QueenCat]

. I have heard of entire schools going peanut free, entirely, for this reason (since that is the most common anaphylactic allergen).

 

The county my sister lives in has gone peanut free. Not all nuts, just peanuts. If you forget and bring it, it's confiscated and you're given the choice of buying lunch or a cheese sandwich.

[MotherGoose]

I didn't vote because I'm not surely. I guess other. If you ban things that can trigger celiac that mean that no child in th class can bring any sort of sandwich, ever. That seems to be an unreasonable burden on other parents. Nuts and things that cause anaphylaxis, sure. If there is an actual allergy present.

[Lisa R.]

I believe that, eventually, schools will be nut-free. The potential of having a dangerous situation is real and not worth the risk. Frankly, I'm surprised it hasn't happened already. We do not have nut allergies in our house, but I'm more than willing to follow a nut-free policy in a  public place.

 

Some schools, particularly small private schools, may not have cafeterias and so students eat in the classroom each day. It's not always practical to say that no one can eat in the classroom.

 

There are so many foods I've heard people are allergic to: gluten, dairy, strawberries, bananas, avocado, tree nuts and on and on.

 

Yes, allergic and intolerant are two different things. But peanut butter is a common lunch food and one that can is dangerous around certain children. It is uncommon to hear about dangers regarding other foods. If we can all potential problem food, there will be little to eat. This is concerning for kids who may not have a wide palate anyway. Then, you'd get concerns about the underweight child suffering from lack of food choices... When does it stop?

 

i realize the following isn't popular to say. There are those that say they have allergies, when no medical confirmation has been made, as they attribute many health issues to particular foods. This really does diminish the real danger of those that truly have medically confirmed,  life-threatening allergies. I know people that have anaphylactic reactions and don't make as big of an issue out of food as those with far less concerning food intolerances. It's the latter that are making things difficult for the former. 

[SKL]

Peanut free schools are not a thing here, and I haven't heard of any kids dying.  They have a peanut-free table at my kids' school.  They also offer pbj as a lunch option every day.  It seems that where I live, it's on the parents and eventually the kids to take safety precautions.  It seems to work reasonably well.

 

That said, if a preschool or primary classroom wants to go peanut free, that's fine, no biggie.  We've been in activities that ask people to bring a peanut-free snack or lunch etc.  If that's how an organization wants to handle it, whatever, but I don't think it's the only option.

 

I think the bigger issue is when the food source isn't accurate about what's in the food.

[SparklyUnicorn]

Ok I guess I'm confused . This is JUST the classroom.  Not the cafeteria.  This is not a huge deal if that is the case unless they eat their lunch in the classroom.  I think they can manage banning anything in a classroom assuming they have no real need to eat in there.

 

 

 

 

[MomatHWTK]

Did any of the parents request a ban. Some do not wish to do so. If they did and it was denied, then there are legal channels to go through. Much more effective than speculation.