Sigh.

My only assumption is that the school district thinks that parents know how to purchase and distribute foods sold to them and had no control over what their children did at school, trading for PB&J sandwiches!? What is so disturbing is that the really bad guy is the 6 year old kid with a peanut butter sandwich in his back pack! What ever happened to mom and dad telling children that they are allergic to peanuts and CANNOT eat anybody else's lunch!
What happened to logic and parents taking control of their own issues!?

I'm going to go out on a limb regarding the peanut allergy and peanut butter in lunches. I believe that the issue is that in many schools, lunches are eaten in shifts. In my son's elementary school, there are 5 lunch shifts, and in the middle school there are 4 lunch shifts. If some in shift #2 has peanut butter in his lunch and gets even so much as a microscopic speck of peanut butter on the table and peanut allergy child is in shift #3 and sits at that place, that child potentially runs a risk of anaphylactic shock, depending on exactly how allergic he or she is.

Of course, one would hope that tables are cleaned in between shifts, and most of the time they are - but they are cleaned by students. Likely it's not 100% effective removal.

I absolutely hate sales of any kind and refuse to participate, so I won't go into that issue.

As to the self defense - both my boys know they are to keep themselves safe first. They have the right to defend themselves. If they are called on it by school officials, their dad and I will deal with the fallout. I find the fact that they can't defend themselves beyond ridiculous (note that both boys are brown belts in Kenpo Karate).

My own personal issue is what to do with peanut butter loving son (okay, he lives on peanut butter) who has recently acquired a peanut allergy girlfriend?

And if said allergic person sits anywhere near the peanut butter sandwich that is being eaten, he/she can have an attack just by the peanut butter in the air. Yes, some are soooo allergic.
Lisa

I have a friend who has an allergy to peanuts so severe that once, having taken a bite of cake (who'd have thought of a peanut butter cake??) which he immediately spit out, he ended up in the hospital for three days.

However, he managed to get all the way through his school years without his allergy forcing all of his school mates to curtail their eating habits on his account. Heck, his family liked peanut butter cookies, so when his mom and sister baked them, he stayed outside.

He learned to ask at restaurants whether they used peanut oil to fry in, checked candy bar labels, and basically took responsibility for protecting himself.

Perhaps I'm running the risk of being labeled, "insensitive", but I'm really getting sick and tired of the way our society has been bludgeoned into catering to tiny minorities of people. One parent squawks about "religious discrimination", so the school choir can no longer sing Christmas carols and the class valedictorian can't include a thanks to God in the graduation speech. One kid has an allergy, so every other parent with a kid in the school must pack lunches accordingly.

I have a novel idea...how about we take responsibility for raising our own children? How about we instruct them about God and their diets in our homes? How about we teach them how to deal with a situation where they encounter different religious ideas and peanuts outside our home?

Guess I'm insensitive also because I sure don't understand altering an entire school's environment because a kid has an allergy to peanuts.

What on earth does that kid do when they head off to university? What happens when they venture out into the world & get a job? You can't ask a company with 1,000 employees to give up peanuts because the new employee has allergies...or, at least, I don't believe that should happen.

Next, are they going to ban peanuts from the Red Sox & Pats games?

If a child has a life threatening allergy they need to be taught that food choices are serious decisions with serious consequences. I have empathy for that child; but just don't get prohibiting the other 499 kids attending that school from eating a PB&J sandwich for lunch.

Diabetic children have special dietary requirements also but we don't expect the entire school to go without cookies. Oh, I forgot. We don't want cookies in schools anymore either! :)

I was sick as a kid. Missed some of 4th grade, all of 5th grade, all of 6th grade, all of 7th grade, & some of 8th grade. Nobody expected the entire school to cater to my needs. Instead, the school provided a home teacher for those years. Is that no longer a solution? It worked great for me...got a much better education also because it was one-on-one for those years.

Of course, from the other thread...everybody already knows that I don't believe the government should be dictating our food choices. The rest of the world is not accountable or responsible for my child's health needs be it dietary, or otherwise.

/tricia

Are allergies getting more common or do we now have better healthcare and screenings..or both? When I went to school and dinosaurs roamed the earth...I don't remember any single person in any of my classes who had a food allergy. If they did it wasn't common knowledge. Just wondering?

Duane

At our elementary school, there are several children with life-threatening allergies, and also several diabetic children. The cafeteria has at least one peanut-free table for each shift, the same one used for all 5 lunch shifts. The mothers of the allergic/diabetic children do not let their children ride the bus, and are very instrumental in organizing the Halloween and Valentine's parties. As they tend to do the organizing, they send home the checklists of what food they'd like contributed, and always ask that there be no peanut products. I don't really have an issue with that, given that the food is in an unprotected environment during a class party. We are also not allowed to send in cupcakes for birthdays, but can send them in for the holiday parties. For birthdays, they encourage us to send in small favors for the classmates, such as pencils. I've chosen to forgo that option, since I know what happens to all that junk that comes back to my house. Yep, trash it is ;)

However, I also choose not to plan the class parties, since I don't want the responsibility of making sure all the food is safe for kids.

In Kindergarten, they had a party to celebrate the 100th day of school. During that party, the children counted out items to equal 100. One of the activities included counting out different snack items in 10's till they reached 100. There were two children in my son's class with allergies. Rather than abstain from the activity, which included items like M&M's, the children wore surgical gloves to avoid contact. The parents were notified in advance and gave their approval. Everyone was happy, and the allergic children were not set apart from the others. In fact, all the kids wanted surgical gloves, LOL.

I like the way my school approaches this issue.

Nancy

Duane, I dont' remember anyone in my school being allergic to anything either, although one boy did have asthma. One boy out of 100 kids in my elementary school, and by the time we got to high school we were expected to take responsibility for ourselves so if anyone was allergic to anything, they weren't saying. No diabetics either, although there was one epileptic girl. However, lifestyles have changed, children are overweight, inactive and exposed to air pollution, hormones in milk and meat, pesticides and chemicals of all sorts. Plus, they are not exposed to the allergens we were exposed to, my old doctor said we are "sanitizing ourselves sick" and if kids aren't allowed to get dirty they can't develop immunities to so many things. I think all of these things contribute to some of the current health issues. Anyway....

Now in my office we have one lawyer allergic to tree nuts, so I make sure that I tell him if I've baked anything with nuts in it, and he ALWAYS asks if he doesn't know.

Makayla has two kids in her class that are allergic to peanuts, so when it's her turn to bring in a "healthy snack" there can't be peanuts in the snack. The kids take turns bringing in a snack that's "healthy and not too messy", LOL. One each day, and enough for the class. She still takes her favorite, peanut butter on homemade Frisian bread for lunch, though. She baked sugar cookies and frosted them for her birthday treat and Amanda took in cupcakes at Halloween, and Makayla and I made trail mix for one treats day and cereal bars for another, homemade treats are allowed and appreciated. We always send an extra treat so the teacher can have one too.

I suppose if one of the peanut allergic kids were so allergic that just sitting next to peanut butter caused a reaction, that peanut butter sandwiches would be banned. I know there are people with allergies that severe, but I never met one personally, nor do I know anyone that knows one.

They were all allowed to wear their halloween costumes to school, including the witches, devils, ghosts and "George Bush", LOL. Their Christmas concert was cancelled because of snow, but they were supposed to sing "Away in a Manger", and their spring concert included "God Bless America". No complaints that I know of.

So, maybe the reaction depends on where you live? Here we tend to be self-reliant, independent and responsible for ourselves. A promise is still as good as a contract and deals involving thousands of dollars are still done on a handshake. Doors are seldom locked and I know a lot of people who not only leave their keys in their car, but leave that car running on Main Street while they run in to the bank. Yup, I love it here and Makayla can still take home baked goodies to school, right along with her peanut butter sandwich.

Annie

My school could be Nancy's school. I have no problem with the peanut allergy precautions. I have met a bunch of kids with severe peanut allergies and if I can make their lives a little easier, then it's done.
I think allergies have gotten much worse than when we were kids. The kids with these allergies really can have fatal reactions. Even from just touching a table that is contaminated.
Jo

Forgive me, but this is just curiosity on my part. These kids who are so extremely alergic to peanuts that the school needs to ban all forms of peanuts from the entire campus, how do the function out of school? Are that not able to go to any public places where peanuts might be present? I mean like movies, the mall, grocery stores, restaurants, etc. How will they be able to go to college or get any kind of a job? It all sounds terribly sad to me, if it really is that severe.

Duane & Annie,
I'm with you. I have no recollection of any of these kinds of issues being around throughout my days in school. Not that I was totally aware of everything going on then, or even now, but these cases seem to be so extreme. My kids are in college now, but their schools never had any of these kinds of restricitons or issues either.

my sons school has a peanut free table like someone mentioned earlier. They eat in shifts. We are friends with a teenager whose best friend is severely allergic to peanuts. The precautions don't remain the same through school. by the time they were in high school everyone was who wasn't allergic and she had to be responsible for herself. Earlier there were peanut free rooms, then tables etc.

Personally if my child had a severe allergy to something so commonplace I would be grateful for some of these precautions. When my kids eat peanut butter or peanuts it is on everything. I know mothers of children with severe allergies live in dread of the cross contamination. A friends son has had to go to the emergency room several times from other peoples lunches at daycare.

When I was in high school I had a classmate with a peanut allergy. At the time it was extremely rare. I agree that it is probably our use of antibacterials or food.

-Robin

I know of a four-year-old with peanut allergies. His parents took him to a baseball game. The kid had a reaction because someone nearby was eating peanuts. They had to give him the shot and everything. They always have that kit with them. How scarry! How can you even let the kid out of your sight?

I hate when they come over, I'm so nervous. I always show his mom the stuff I use to make something and the ingredients lists for any store-bought stuff. Even if there are no nuts on the list, she'll say no to things like bakery goods.

Nobody wants to babysit him for long. His parents say to boil a hotdog and give it to him, but it's just too scarry.

Where did this kind of thing come from? I can't wait til they have a cure for allergies.

There is a boy in one of our elementaries raising funds to help buy him a peanut sniffing dog..His allergy is so severe that he can react quite quickly for those microscopic bits or the breath of another person.

I too, wonder why allegeries are so much more prevelant and asthma is another issue.

Hmmmmmmmmmmm

Forgive me, but this is just curiosity on my part. These kids who are so extremely alergic to peanuts that the school needs to ban all forms of peanuts from the entire campus, how do the function out of school? Are that not able to go to any public places where peanuts might be present? I mean like movies, the mall, grocery stores, restaurants, etc. How will they be able to go to college or get any kind of a job? It all sounds terribly sad to me, if it really is that severe.

My daughter has a friend whose mom is severely allergic to several things. I won't bore you with the details, but she was misdiagnosed and treated incorrectly a few years ago, which caused her allergies to become waaaay more severe. So she didn't have these issues to this extent as a child.

Anyway, it is just as lowspark wondered. This mom can't go to the grocery store, restaurants, the movie theater, other people's houses. She can go in something like a fabric store, but not places where food is prepared. Her job opportunities are severely limited. It is very difficult for her to have guests in her home because of the soaps, softeners, deodorants people use. And she cannot go stay in a hotel or motel, which lets out long distance travel. One of her allergens is latex, so she has to be careful when she gets medical care.

I have some chronic health problems which are annoying, and people often express their sympathy to me. But I count my blessings every day that I don't have severe allergies the way this mom does. Knowing her has made me so grateful for my health. She is the sweetest person, too. It's doubly sad that she can't get out more, because we would enjoy her company so much.

Yes, the number of kids with allergies and asthma has skyrocketed. My pediatrician has changed her guidelines on when to give peanut butter, etc until 4 years old because the numbers are so high.

Terri - you hit the nail on the head. There have been studies that say the use of antibacterials as a society over the last 30 years has changed the immune system in children to cause them to react to things they should not react to like food proteins. One of Grace's allergist is involved in a study.

I appreciate the comments on here that are so kind and understanding of children with this issue. To be honest, the argument of what will they do when they go to college or get a job is nonsensical. There are many things we do for children to protect them because they are only children that doesn't mean they will be an incompetent adult. Should we not have crossing guards because how will they ever cross the street when they grow up?

I am not the type of person that likes attention or likes to ask for special treatment, but am learning with Grace that I have to advocate for her and of course teach her what she can have and not have. But she is still a child. I had to ask this past weekend when going to a communion if there would be peanuts and eggs. They said no. I feel stupid asking but if there is I cannot attend and this is my daughter's life. Well, I go and there is deviled eggs on the coffee table. It's their right, of course! But, I didn't expect it and she is a toddler so everything is in reach, etc. I kept quite and stayed outside the whole time and had my eyes open for cocktail plates left in her reach. It is the worst feeling to think everyday things could hurt her.

School is only 5 days a week, 6 hours a day. Is it really that big of a deal to not have peanuts there? Our school is not peanut free but they do advise when their is an allergy in the classroom like in my son's class. It is also posted on the door. Parents ignore it. They send home goodie bags with snickers, peanut butter cups, etc.

It really hurts my heart to see that some people think these kids should just be kept home.

Kids aren't adults. There's a reason kids can't carry guns, can't vote, can't drink, etc. Because they are not developmentally capable of being "responsible" the way you would expect an adult to be. So it's up to the adults to step in and do it for them until they're old enough. Schools are there to teach, not to babysit, and I would posit that realizing certain kids could be endangered, the "responsible" thing to do is just ban peanut products and move along. The rules are clear, and no one has to worry about whether something is ok or not. And there's also something very basic to the social and legal construct of the county about the "tyranny of the majority" - which is why it's imperative to protect all these annoying minorities. So are we saying it's ok to "ban" a substance that'd harm all the kids, but if only a few would be harmed, well screw em' - let them take their chances? I REALLY don't get this attitude.

Also, if everyone can be expected to do the right thing and be responsible all the time, why have rules or laws about anything?

A former neighbor had her son a week after I had my daughter. Her son ended up having severe, life threatening allergies to many, many foods. When I had to watch him, I was give one of those epi-pens in case he ate something and stopped breathing. I was always in a constant state of panic when I watched him that one of my kids would drop a cheez-it or something and he'd find it and eat it and go into shock on me. If it were YOUR kid that could possibly die, I don't think you'd be so blase about the issue. In the grand scheme of life, is not being able to have a PB & J at school something to be so riled about? We don't balk at other seemingly silly rules that are put in place in our schools to keep our kids safe, so why the angst over this issue?

As far as the peanut products not being allowed, but peanut products being for sale for the school fundraiser - Maybe since the items were kept separate for parents to pick up, it wouldn't impact the students? I have to say, it doesn't make sense to me since, as others have pointed out, breathing in peanut dust can cause a life-threatening reaction in some people, but I would imagine these items were packaged and kept somewhere the kids wouldn't be around them. It's still weird tho and I agree it sends a confusing, mixed message.

Lisa

btw, as a type 1 diabetic myself I don't understand the analogy of a diabetic child in the school meaning that the school would ban cookies. A child with diabetes is not going to possibly die form eating or inhaling sugar dust. Diabetic children have to manage food in a very different way, one in which the sugar which is usually carefully measured is sometimes a medicine or cure.

Maggie, My heart goes out to you and what you have to deal with. That does sound like pne of the scariest scenarios , Grace is lucky to have you as a mom!! Keep up the wonderful advocacy and teaching of adults.

To be honest, the argument of what will they do when they go to college or get a job is nonsensical.

Firstly, it's not an argument on my part, it's a question. And the question has to do with my understanding (or misunderstanding?) that these people, whatever age, cannot be in a room where peanuts in any form exist or may have existed recently.

Thus my question about what they will do for college and/or career -- surely there are likely to be peanut particles in the air everywhere at a college or most places of business.

Sorry if I offended you by simply asking the question, maggie2094, but it looks like daisyinga understood what I was asking and answered it.

OH, no Lowspark! You didn't offend me at all and truthfully there were several comments in that vein that were making the argument and I didn't even notice who said what. It is a good question.

I do think that people whose kids are grown or do not have kids do not realize the enormous growth in allergies and how it is related to our environment and unnatural food sources.

Robin, I really appreciate your comments and know it must be hard for you with the diabetes and know how great you are with nutrition and your kids. You are truly a role model.

You know...every child has something. No one gets off scott-free and I have to remember in the scheme of things, there are worse things. It's ya know...my baby and I know we can never become complacent.

I don't expect the world to conform to us, but like Lisa said, I don't understand why people would place such importance on a pb&j. Although, I do realize that peanut butter is a cheap, protein source that many families rely on. I did too before this - so I understand that part.

I don't think it's so much a matter of people placing importance on peanut butter sandwiches. It's people, myself included, getting sick to death of the tyranny of the minority. Lisa spoke of the "tyranny of the majority" and I agree with her that we must be equally as chary of catering to that, and will for the sake of decent discussion assume that she wasn't referring to any particular poster when she referred to people who have an attitude of "screw them" or are "blase" about the health of children as long as the children are not their own.

If there are children whose lives might actually be threatened by such minute particles of peanuts or peanut related products as to make sitting at a table where another child had eaten a peanut butter cookie half an hour before, then they would not be safe going to a store, going to a movie, eating at a picnic bench, or even walking down the street!

I guess we should just ban peanuts altogether so as to remove the risk!

While we're at it, we should ban automobiles. Far more children are killed by and in them than are killed by peanuts. Oh, and we must ban buckets as well. Children have drowned in buckets. Gosh, and pools! Lots of children die in fires, perhaps lighters, matches, and electricity should be banned.

Yeah, I know, I'm being silly. But I'm trying to make a point. There are all sorts of things that can harm our children. The responsibility of parents is to do the best they can to mitigate the risks. It is up to people in general to submit to reasonable precautions. But what is reasonable and what is intrusive?

Is it reasonable or intrusive to expect me, since I have a pool in my back yard, to be responsible for making that pool child safe in case some neighborhood child whose parents aren't watching properly gets into my yard and falls in?

I think this is the problem. As a society, we have allowed ourselves to become so tyrannized by lawsuits, individuals who squawk the loudest, pressure groups and worst-case scenarios that we are becoming irritated and resentful to the point where that PB&J does become an issue.

rachelellen,

Thank you for phrasing my thoughts so well.

Of interest, I've learned from Googlin' that approximately 100 people die each year in the US from nut allergies & about 150 die from all food allergies combined. I didn't find how many of these 100 people are children but did see one report that stated 20% of allergic kids will outgrow the allergy.

I respect every single life & mourn the loss of even a single child. But, gosh, for all of the hubbub about peanuts in schools today...I have to admit I was expecting to see a significantly larger number of deaths.

As comparison, according to this PA article, 1,000 children under age 14 die each year in pool accidents & another 5,000 are seriously injured.

I'm uncertain how I feel about the peanut thing. Why are these kids not assigned a home teacher like I was? It was dangerous for me to attend school without the entire school altering behaviors. Rather than change everybody to accommodate one (me)...I got a home teacher provided by the school district. It worked great. I loved it. I got a great education. Seems, IMO, that type solution would be safer for kids with allergies also? Am I missing something?

/tricia

Here is a link that might be useful: Pool Accidents

Tricia - Wow, thanks for the reality check on the magnitude of the peanut problem. You asked how many are children; I'd go a step further and ask how many of those 100 were exposed because they accidentally ate something that contained peanut versus how many sniffed elephant breath.

Re home schooling though... please... would you vote for a school budget that included the homeschooling of a kids that have peanut allergies? Heck that might even turn ME into an activist!

"There have been studies that say the use of antibacterials as a society over the last 30 years has changed the immune system in children to cause them to react to things they should not react to like food proteins. One of Grace's allergist is involved in a study."

I wonder if the several decades old trend of Mothers in the United States choosing not to breast feed their children has something to do with this now apparent increase in food allergies. Breast milk is the best food for infants. A mother's first milk is nature's way of boosting a young child's immunization system. Someone ought to study that possibility too.

Dan

If the breast milk theory was true, then my generation of 1950 babies would have been more affected than subsequent generations. We baby boomer kids were predominently bottle-fed because it was regarded as the modern thing to do. Since the 1960s far more babies are breast fed, which I agree is certain to be the healthier option.

I wonder really if the number of allergic reactions in children has risen or dropped off or stayed the same over the past half century. Awareness is certainly greater today.

Anaphalactic shock can result from all sorts of allergies. Stinging insects can be equally deadly to a kid who is allergic to bee or spider venom. It certainly must be a nerve-wracking challenge to protect kids with specific life-threatening allergies out in the public sector. Glad I'm not a teacher or school administrator.

Handicapping conditions were once used to exclude people from public places and regular schools/classrooms. Aside from cost, the current policy of mainstreaming doesn't permit segregating students when there is any way, however less than optimum, to accommodate them.

Aside from any increase in incidence of allergies, knowledge and precautions have allowed more allergic people to survive. So we are all going to have to deal with more allergies, and peanut allergies are particularly serious. Most other allergens are not deadly beyond early childhood unless actually ingested or inhaled, but peanuts can kill in microscopic amounts. My guess is that the school policy differences we're seeing here reflect the needs of students with different degrees of sensitivity.

Given the reluctance with compliance shown by some, it's a good thing there are epi-pens.

Putting aside the issue of whether or not kids with food allergies should be accommodated by school policy or not - I just want to say to Maggie2094 that for years I have often been in charge of food for class parties, school sports and club events, etc. And I have never minded accommodating children with allergies or children who restrict foods for religious or cultural reasons (my daughter's school is very diverse, so we have vegetarians and kids who don't eat pork at most functions).

Maggie, I hope when you read this thread you don't think that most parents mind accommodating your child's allergies. Every parent I've ever volunteered with has been happy to make sure allergies and religious issues are taken into consideration when we plan the food.

Thank you, Daisyinga. It is true and I can tell from your earlier post that you are one of them.

livingthedream,

"Handicapping conditions were once used to exclude people from public places and regular schools/classrooms. Aside from cost, the current policy of mainstreaming doesn't permit segregating students when there is any way, however less than optimum, to accommodate them."

Thank you for telling me that.

Funny, I've never once in my life considered myself "excluded" or "segregated" from school. Yes, I was treated different. But, duh...I was different.

So, I gather that in today's world a district home teacher is politically incorrect.? I wonder why?

I really loved my teachers (2 different states) & I feel my education was far superior to what my peers received in the classrooms. Evidence of that better education was that I didn't need to attend high school because I'd already accomplished my high school studies by the time I was thirteen.

In addition to the academics, my teachers also taught me a useful employment skill. While my teenage friends were babysitting, working at car washes, & making $1.00/hr. I was working at city hall making $2.40/hr. The school district got me the job interview. I got the job because those home teachers made a 120+ wpm typist out of me by the time I was twelve (mid-1960s) & I ran circles around my competition. I got great OJT at city hall.

Because I didn't have to spend time on high school classes I spent those years learning French, Spanish, & German. By 18, I was the Product Shipping Coordinator for a major international pharmaceutical manufacturer. We shipped to 104 countries around the world. Those home teachers deserve the credit for my self-sufficiency. I had my own apartment at seventeen requiring zero parental assistance.

If that's what it means to be "excluded"...oh well. It worked for me.

I do understand the peanut thing better now. I didn't realize that home teaching wasn't an option. So, I've been assuming that these kids with severe allergies were forcing 500 people to conform to their needs & that didn't seem right, IMO.

I'm very glad I wasn't put in that position. I would have felt very self-conscious & dreaded school. My mind-set is gratitude that the school district provided me a chance at a good education even though I was "different".

FOAS, yes...I would vote to pay for district home teachers for qualifying children. I am the product of those teachers.

/tricia

For a peanut allergy, Tricia? And then those kids end up with that exceptional education that you're touting and the next fad becomes adding peanut butter to baby formula in the hopes that the kid develops an allergy and gets this great - free - opportunity. So now $100K/year or whatever gets sucked out of the school budget for every kid who can make a claim that they "can't" go to school. And who gets hurt, the "poor" healthy kids whose districts become more strapped for cash than they already are.

Based on what I infer from your various posts, you've had some serious conditions in your lifetime so I am not by any means making judgement on whether publicly funded home-schooling was appropriate for you. My guess is it was. But it's not appropriate for a peanut allergy no matter how you slice it. At least not in my book.

In my sons school they don't have any kids with peanut allergies that I'm aware of so it's not banned. I would not have a problem accomodating those children with allergies whether it was a peanut free table or peanut free school depending on the severity of the allergy. We all know young kids don't always make the best decisions, so we do have a duty to protect them until they fully understand.

My son happens to have a growing list of allergies which includes bananas, walnuts and some strange things like crunchy cheetoes and sun chips I don't know if there is a flavoring or dye he can't tolerate in those. He's now 12 so is aware he is responsible. I pack his lunch. He can't try anything new unless I'm with him and he follows this. I still remind him when he goes to a friends house. There is an epipen at school and everywhere else he goes.

The allergist did warn me that since he has a banana allergy he could develop a latex allergy.

I knew my son would probably have issues with asthma and allergies when he was an infant. He had eczema at an early age and I knew the predisposition was there.

I breast fed both of my children(I didn't eat any peanut butter or nuts while doing so). I was breastfed even when it wasn't popular.

My son didn't have any nuts until he was 3. Because of my son's allergies my daughter was over 4 when she had peanut butter (she doesn't like it). She was aware she wasn't allowed to have peanuts or peanut butter and she would ask when someone would give her candy or a treat. My daughter happens to be very vocal.

Many of my friends thought I was nuts(no pun intended) because I didn't allow my children to eat nuts or nut products until they were older. I don't care.

Maggie, It has to be so scary since Grace is so young. I also hope it gets easier for you.

Tracey

FOAS,

As stated in my post, I was addressing livingthedream's comment of..

"Handicapping conditions were once used to exclude people from public places and regular schools/classrooms. Aside from cost, the current policy of mainstreaming doesn't permit segregating students when there is any way, however less than optimum, to accommodate them."

Note the use of the words "exclude" & "segregating". Those words, IMO, create a negative tone to the meaning of the sentence. I wanted to say that, on the contrary, my experience was very positive.

Frankly, I don't understand all of this "mainstreaming" stuff? Trying to make us all the same is futile.

I would not have wanted to be "mainstreamed" if it meant that everybody in my school had to alter their behaviors on my account. There's not a doubt in my mind that I would have been too self-conscious to have done well in school.

You're right...some controls are necessary. You can't have every kid that might be allergic to bee stings receive a home teacher. That's just silly. But, I'm assuming that a child's doctor knows the difference between a life-threatening condition & a nuisance allergy. And, again IMO, I don't believe we should be requiring 500 strangers to be jumping through hoops for a nuisance-level allergy of one person.

As to the cost factor, I don't even know what to say? Our school system needs to be gutted & rebuilt. It's a money pit that's not even giving us the satisfaction of turning out well educated young adults.

I'm curious...what about the kid with seafood allergies? Can their classmates not bring a tuna sandwich to school? Or, do peanuts just have a more organized action commitee?

Guess I'm just old & a fuddy-duddy. I'm really not an unsympathic person.

/t

Hi Tricia, I'm sure you're not unsympathetic.

With the seafood allergies it's usually shellfish like lobster and shrimp. I don't know anyone with a tuna allergy but these days anything is possible.

What's different about peanuts, is that some are so highly allergic, that being in the same room with peanut products can produce a reaction. For anyone with food allergies each subsequent exposure brings on a more severe reaction. My son right now gets hives in his mouth if he eats bananas. When this first started it was just tingling so it is getting worse. I can see where the parents are coming from. More exposure means more risk especially with peanuts for some reason.

Even though the death rate is approx 150 per year there are approximately 30,000 cases of anaphylaxis and 20,000 hospitalizations each year from food allergies. I think awareness keeps the death toll down.

I agree we don't need everyone to be the same because everyone is different in some way, but a little understanding and tolerance goes a long way. There are times we have to alter what we do for the sake of others. I think it's a good lesson for kids.

I don't know about other parents, but I always ask the parents of kids visiting my house if their children have any allergies or health issues. Maybe it's the nurse in me.

Tracey

To the OP...selling peanut products at a school that has an absolute peanut ban is unbelievable!

I have a 14 y.o. with a life-threatening peanut allergy that he will not outgrow. He nearly died at 2 1/2 at a preschool party when a well-meaning mom gave him a tiny bite of a peanut butter and cream cheese sandwich. "Surely such a small amount wouldn't hurt him." Uh, yes, it could have killed him. Luckily we were literally 3 minutes from the hospital.

I don't and never did support a total ban. It gives a false sense of security. I do support education of what severely allergic or life-threatening allergic means. It's more than a nuisance. I can't even count the times teachers treated me like I was a silly neurotic mom who wanted special treatment for my child. There weren't a lot of similarly allergic kids in his classes back then, so it was a long and lonely road. He spent most of his preschool and elementary years eating in the principal's office...often thinking he was in trouble for something.

Interestingly through the years, his classmates have far more readily embraced his allergy and helped him manage it than the adults ever did. Yes, teachers and parents, when those little kindergarteners go straight from lunch to the computer lab and get their little peanut buttery hands all over the keyboard...I can totally understand why my son wouldn't touch the keyboard. It is hard to get someone who doesn't have to live the life to understand just how little a smidge of the life-threatening allergen can kill. I didn't want to ban peanuts...I wanted kids to wash their hands! How about that little smidge on the sink faucet? The water fountain? The salt shaker? The chair? The piano? The handbells? Yes, I really, really do have to worry about these things because that little bit can kill. So yes, teachers, please allow my child to wipe down the door handle, sink faucet, whatever, and quit ridiculing him because he's trying to manage his environment. Allow him to bring his OWN food on a fieldtrip, for heaven's sake. THAT's the kind of support I asked for. As I said, kids took it on as a welcomed challenge, fully alerted my son if they brought pb&j sandwiches, promised they'd wash up well afterward, etc, etc. The kids were great...the adults, not so. Even still, sadly, but my son handles it all pretty well on his own, feels left out sometimes, but he knows that's how it goes. Plus, there are more and more kids these days with some type of allergy, so he's never alone anymore.

Little ones can't comprehend all they need to look out for. Homeschooling may have been an option back then, but it is certainly not an option now. My son can actually live in the real world, go to college, get a job (not at a peanut producing plant, though!)...he just needs to learn how to manage his life-threatening allergy in food environments (all environments, really) he cannot control. It takes years to teach all that he needs to be aware of. At different points in his life so far, he has gone in and out of being self-conscious about it (sneaks a tissue out of his pocket to grab the cafeteria door handle) and not really caring if he looks like a germaphobe (it's okay, Mom, lots of kids have some kind of allergy now.). "If in doubt, don't eat it"...isn't as easy to put into practice as you might think. "Don't it eat unless it has been cleared by me." That's it for now. He really has a good perspective now. I do still worry, though, that he'll ask all the right questions, think he's got it all covered, then ingest peanut without knowing. He has to have people around him who know what to do. If passing out is the first of the symptoms he experiences, he can't self-inject his Epi-pen. So, yeah, it's scary letting him loose.

In the meantime, teachers, parents of friends, other adults in charge need to understand it's serious. These poor kids don't want these allergies. They don't want to be excluded from the special snacks and celebrations. They do get tired of being different. I don't want a ban...just a heightened sense of awareness, some understanding and some compassion. Ask me. I'll help educate you.

In the state of Iowa there is no provision for in home schooling of a child with a "health problem"...no money for that nonsense. we have special ed schools that cater to kids with physical problems as well as mental problems, and one of the main lessons learned in those schools is that everyone is different and we all need to alter our behavior in some way to accommodate others. In some cases it's as simple as altering your pace when walking with someone who has a leg brace, and in other cases it may involve eliminating peanuts from your lunch box. It's just the kind of thing that caring people do.
As to what will a child allergic to peanuts do when they go to work or to college...those things are a choice, elementary schooling is not a choice, it's mandated and it is up to the schools to find a way that every child can get an education.

As to allergies, I believe I went to school in the pre-dark ages if Duane went in the dark ages, and I was allergic to strawberries, raspberries, pineapple and spinach and chocolate. I never ate anything without asking first. Thankfully I out grew most of the food allergies. Now I am just bothered by MSG and a few other chemicals such as what they use to treat bagged iceberg lettuce.
But sitting near someone who is wearing certain perfumes causes me to spend the whole time sniffling wheezing and wiping my runny eyes.

Tricia, the thing about peanuts is that the allergen can be air born and breathed in, tuna or shellfish must be ingested. and another danger is that peanut products are so pervasive. We use peanut oil for frying peanut meal for cattle feed and the oil as an ingredient in soaps and shampoos, even the shells have use in wall board and similar products.

As to allergies, that was a fairly new word when I was diagnosed, but for lots of years people have known that certain foods caused problems. My grandfather got hives from strawberries, but ate them anyway, my mother got mouth sores from bananas, and my aunt was a severe asthamatic. I remember once her gasping for breath and sterilizing a needle in Scotch because she didn't want to take the time to boil it, and giving herself a shot.

Tricia, did you really miss almost 5 years of school because of rheumatic fever? Wow! that's unheard of in modern times! And you emerged without heart problems! Lucky you!
Linda C

I've been told by my doc that being truly allergic is different than being "sensitive" to some foods. My brother always got mouth sores from eating oranges but the doctor said he wasn't allergic, he was just "sensitive" to that particular item.

I can't stand those bath and body shops or candle places because I'll promptly become congested and get a headache. It's not an allergy, it's a "sensitivity" according to the doctor.

They aren't life threatening, just inconvenient and uncomfortable. I have developed a sensitivity to bees sometime in the last ten years, and so I carry an epi-pen. It sucks being a farmer and being "allergic" to my pollinators, LOL, although my reactions have not been extremely severe. Again, the doc says it's not a true allergy, but could develop into more severe reactions, thus the epi-pen (which I've never used). He also conjectured that bees have a more potent venom developed from trying to adapt and survive all the chemicals we feed insects to kill them, but that was a personal theory and studies are still being done on that.

As for the breastfeeding link to allergies, I don't know but I'm not impressed. I breast fed my first daughter and she has seasonal allergies but not food allergies. I bottle fed my second one and she's healthy as a horse. I know Maggie and I have discussed this too and her breast fed baby is the one with all the allergies. I was fed Carnation milk and karo syrup and have no food allergies at all.

As I stated, if a child in Makayla's school had a life threatening allergy to peanut products, I'm sure those products would be banned. I don't have a problem with that, my issue would be that two kids have allergies which are apparently not life threatening (since one of the kids sits at Makayla's table due to their assigned seating for lunch), and I can't see banning an everyday substance if it's not necessary. That's an over-reaction and unnecessary. Maybe it's just here, but all parents got a message from the school that snacks provided for consumption by the class as their "every day" snack cannot contain peanut products. Everyone has complied without complaint as far as I know because that was a reasonable request. Oh, and children are not allowed to "swap" lunch items, which I also think is reasonable in kindergarten, although I would have an issue with that being a rule for older kids who need to learn to think independently.

I don't think keeping an allergic child out of school is a good option either, that's another over-reaction. That child will eventually have to function in the outside world and the isolation won't help them do that at all. That person is going to have to find behaviors and adaptations that are acceptable to most of society and live with them thoughout their life, isolating them from the rest of the world won't help them gain that ability.

As for the child at the ball game, there are a couple of places in this part of the country where there WILL be peanuts. One is at baseball games and another is that steakhouse chain that encourages you to throw the peanut shells on the floor. I don't think I'd take a peanut allergic child to either of those if I were a parent and had a kid with a deadly allergy.

I don't have a problem with not giving an allergic person specific foods. Amanda had a friend in high school, Becky, who had the weirdest food issue I ever heard of. She was PKU intolerant, and so was her younger sister. It's apparently inherited, and the body lacks the enzyme necessary to break down the animo acids in protein (or is it the other way around?).

Anyway, this kid couldn't have protein rich foods. At all. She had a special formula that she got from Michigan State University that she lived on, and she couldn't eat meat, beans, peanut butter, cheese, yogurt, eggs. It was amazing. No artificial sweeteners either, no diet pop, no sugar free gum, but she could have all the full sugar stuff she wanted.

I was one of the few overnights she was allowed because most other mothers were too afraid that they'd slip and feed the kid something she wasn't supposed to have, or wasn't willing to remember all the dietary don'ts.

I figured in high school she was responsible for not eating something she wasn't supposed to have, but she would regularly "sneak" sugar free gum and make herself sick, I have no idea why. At least I didn't feed it to her!

Annie

I think PKU (phenylketonuria) is technically an inherited disease due to a recessive allele that causes the inability to break down the amino acid phenylalanine (sp?). A build up in your body causes severe mental retardation and enough people suffer from it that foods containing PKU must have a warning label (check out a diet coke can). (I'm taking microbiology right now)

To the OP, it is peculiar that the school would allow packaged peanut products in a peanut free school. Perhaps they thought that since the products were sealed it wouldn't be a problem. Still ridiculous though. I hate most school sales-oriented fundraisers anyway. They're usually more work for the organizers than their worth.

As others have stated, why is it such a big deal to be tolerant of children with a life threatening allergy? Kids can't be trusted to police themselves, not in life threatening situations. When my kids were in a town camp, there was an issue because eventhough the kids ate outside, one smart aleck third grader thought it would be hilarious to throw the crumbles from his peanuts onto an allergy kid. Trip to the emergency room followed. Now all nuts are banned from camp because an 8 year old couldn't control himself.

Like others, my kids' school has a peanut free table. Works great, there's never been an issue. Because it's a private school where other dietary issues come into play, no one is ever allowed to bring in food from home for parties and food sharing is strictly forbidden in case some families don't follow dietary laws as strictly as others. My middle kid, the one we call Radish, has a food allergy to all finned fish, tuna included. Airborn fish particles aren't really a concern, so we don't make a big deal out of it, but he knows and at 8 can take control of it.

Home schooling for allergy kids? No way. It's nice you had a good experience Tricia, but of the 8 kids I can think of offhand that have severe allergies, not one would be ok with homeschooling. And as a taxpayer, I'm not ok with it either. Even my friend whose daughter misses a ton of school because of Cystic Fibrosis, has turned down that option. There's tutoring when necessary, but her daughter goes to school as much as possible, and everyone in that classroom and in the school is happy to make any accomodations necessary to make her stay at school as safe as possible. It's a great lesson in tolerance and kindness.

AM

Linda, your comment about sick kids & district provided home teachers as being "nonsense" bothered me to my core. I had trouble sleeping last night & had trouble containing myself to give the staff enough time to get in this morning & have their coffee before calling.

I just got off the phone with my local middle school (Mystic Middle School) & I am very pleased to report that the school district DOES provide publicly-funded home teachers to children unable to attend classes for medical reasons. They do not consider it "nonsense". We discussed the situation for a few minutes & I am now reassured that nothing's changed since I was a kid. The school district, in conjunction with the child's physician, still make the calls. She told me that with a doctor's letter, to her knowledge, no child has ever been denied a home teacher for however long it was deemed necessary by the doctor.

I really don't see how it could be otherwise; but I guess Iowa just isn't willing to fund the cost. I have no idea what happens to sick kids in Iowa.

Peanuts? Separate tables is a common sense response. Requesting a particular classroom to respect a ban is reasonable. Trying to ban all peanut products from a school with 500-1,000 students plus hundreds of staff members is futile. Somebody will have toast/PB for breakfast & then breathe in school, almost assured.

/t

Tricia, your home teaching program must have been far removed from what they or at least Los Angeles provides today. The home teaching experiences that I'm familiar with are extremely limited hours, a few days a week. Too little to groom a remarkable student, fabulous typing skills or social interaction. Sorry to say it's one more stop gap measure to address a special need. The money isn't there and for all but the sickest of kids, it's not a worthy alternative.

How sad. I'm glad it is available in CT today.

BTW, I was a student in the LA County School District for a bit less than half of my home schooled years.

My teacher did come for only a short period of time each day. She, for sure, wasn't there 7:30-2:30! lol A couple hours/day, maybe? I don't remember exactly.

I was a music student & couldn't play after becoming sick. To keep my fingers nimble & fast, my home teacher taught me to type & then assigned me to type the evening news Monday-Friday as part of my social studies/history assignments. Killed two birds with one stone...taught me to type faster than greased lightening & taught me about current events. This was during the Kennedy/Nixon elections through the assassination period. Dad hired a teacher who came to teach me music theory...I hated him & learned more music theory than any one kid should have to endure. :) My teacher did come five days/week. Social interaction WAS limited & I've struggled a bit with that during my life. I'm more comfortable with myself than with a group. With individual instruction the student can work at whatever level they are capable of accomplishing. Since I was bedridden most of that time with little to occupy myself...I spent hours & hours with my studies. My teachers brought me more & more. I can remember blowing through my 7th grade history text in 2-3 weeks. So, we moved on to the US Constitution (8th grade work in CA at the time) in preparation for my 8th grade test. You had to pass the Constitution test to be admitted to HS. I passed the test in 7th grade. I was like a little captive sponge. I know I wasn't the only home schooled kid because sometimes I'd have a substitute teacher who would come at odd times around her other home schooled students.

Anyway, here in CT, it's still the same process. Sick, or well, a student has an opportunity for a public education. The differences in our country never cease to amaze me.

/t