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Date: 3/23/2005 8:06:00 PM
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Author:
bobbiann
(bigddog803@go.com)
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Subject:nut allergy madness
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My nephew's school has told parents the school is now "Nut Free' since a new student is severely allergic to nuts. The girl is allergic to nuts/nut meats/ and sesame. Another parent figured out this means no P&J; sands, no Little Debbie/TastyCake snaks packed. No chips cooked in Peanut Oil. Watch out for chocolate or breakfast bars. Parents now are to read labels so they don't 'contaminate' the school lunchroom, endangering the girl's life. What about the kids in school allergic to other foods? Why not ban milk! Wheat! I think the media has contributed to this frenzy.
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Date: 3/24/2005 6:02:00 AM
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Author:
Rudy
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Subject:allergy
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or course you don't want the child having a reaction but why should you penalize the other children. Can't they have special things for her to have during snack and lunch times?
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Date: 8/3/2006 10:57:00 AM
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Author:
MOM OF BEAUTIFUL CHILD W/ NUT ALLERGIES
(RENOQTGIRL@HOTMAIL.COM)
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Subject:WHY PENALIZE ALLERGY FREE CHILDREN
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IF YOU HAD A PEANUT ALLERGIC CHILD YOU WOULD UNDERSTAND. REALIZING YOUR LACK OF EDUCATION IN THIS AREA I WILL DISMISS YOUR CONCERN FOR YOUR CHILD MISSING OUT ON A TREAT CONTAINING NUTS IN LEIU OF MY ALLERGIC CHILD HAVING A FATAL ANAPHALACTIC ATTACK.
PLEASE EDUCATE YOURSELF BEFORE POSTING A MESSAGE THAT MAKES YOU LOOK HEARLESS ENOUGH THAT YOU'D PUT A CHILD IN GRAVE DANGER FOR YOUR CHILDS RIGHT TO CONSUME A STUPID TREAT.
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Date: 1/11/2007 11:13:00 AM
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Author:
Rudy
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Subject:educated
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I have a cousin that has a peanut alergy. I do know about it. She gets other thingsthat she can have. The other children get the peanut things. Of course every measure should be taken to protect your child. I totally agree but that can happen without depriving everyone else so educate yourself on that situation also.
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Date: 1/31/2007 1:26:00 PM
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Author:
Joanne
(bright779@hotmail.com)
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Subject:educate yourself
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Kids have always had peanut allergies. It's not something new. I grew up with a severe allergy to them myself. My mother prepared my brother's peanut bitter sandwiches on the same counter where she made my lunch every morning. No special precautions. Somehow I managed to live. When you have a peanut allergy you learn what not to eat. My 7 year old is also allergic to peanuts, if something has a may contain label on it, we both eat it {with exception to chocolate and granola bar products.] I have been doing so for years without incident. Society is making these kids paranoid. Banning peanuts is one thing, but banning any product that has the words may contain is going to far. Do you know that in years only 3 children in all of the US died from a peanut allergy. How many do you think were killed by being hit by a car... Maybe we should ban them. I am deathly allergic to cats, I wish they would ban them. You are the one uneducated on the suject. Only a very small percentage of people with anaphalactic peanut allergies are even allergic to peanut oil at all.
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Date: 3/24/2005 8:55:00 PM
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Author:
Hershey
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Subject:not a frenzy
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My daughter and I are both allergic to nuts. The reason that nut allergies are so dangerous, is that each time there is a reaction, it is worse than the one before. If someone were to put a nut on a table and then I were to touch that spot, I would react to act. We are also allergic to milk and my daughter is allergic to wheat. Those allergies are not nearly as severe and they tend not to be. There is a very supportive website at the food allergy network that has educational tools for parents, schools, and children. They have a video that shows what it is like to be a child with a nut allergy and lets the other children know what to expect.
I can understand the banning of PB& J. If the allergy is serious enough, this child could die from accidently ingesting something or touching a spot that had it on it.
Now - foods that say 'may contain nuts' aren't nearly as dangerous. Other children could certainly be permitted to eat these kinds of foods - just not that child with the allergies. Those foods shouldn't contain a threat.
A word of caution - really think about how this makes the child with the allergies feel. In my daughter's old school (we are long gone from that one) My daughter was made to leave the classroom for the afternoon because one kid had to have peanut butter cookies for his birthday. She was made fun of and treated like a leper. which is ridiculous. I think we just need to be sensitive to these children - send in classroom snacks that are nut free to make the child feel part of the group, and to be careful with lunches and make sure lunch tables are cleaned properly between groups of children.
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Date: 5/11/2005 6:59:00 AM
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Author:
Liz
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Subject:Nut allergy
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I am a critical/trauma care nurse and almost lost my daughter this past mother's day to a nut allergy (that I was unaware of). I do not think that putting precautionary measures in place is an inconvenience or frenzy like when a life is at stake. I pulled my daughter out of her pre school because they do not have a nut free policy. This year, I worked as a school nurse and have had three accidental nut ingestion incedents that thankfully did not lead to death. We have only minutes to react and hope that the child doesn't stop breathing or experiences laryngoedema. If this happens your chances of survival are slim. Would I want to chance this? No! So we become more vigilant. What's the big deal about reading ingredient labels and only permitting those snacks without nuts. You are not excluding anyone, you are just excluding dangerous snacks. School is not about snack time, it's about educating kiddos in a safe environment. This safe environment belongs to every kiddo-even those with life-threatening nut allergies. Milk and wheat allergies are not life threatening, by the way!
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Date: 9/11/2006 5:12:00 PM
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Author:
KAREN
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Subject:Milk and Wheat
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YES MILK AND WHEAT ALLERGIES ARE LIFE THREATENING! IF A CHILD HAS ANAPHYLACTIC ALLERGIES TO MILK OR WHEAT, IT IS THE SAME AS NUTS. IF YOU ARE A NURSE, EDUCATE YOURSELF - I'D HATE YOU TO BE THE NURSE AT OUR SCHOOL WHERE THERE ARE 2 BOYS WHO ARE ANAPHYLACTIC TO MILK. WOULD YOU DENY THEIR ANAPHYLAXIS AND NOT GIVE THEM THE EPI?
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Date: 9/4/2005 4:00:00 PM
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Author:
Megan
(megramsey@rogers.com)
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Subject:Nut allergies
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I supervise a child care centre & enforce a very strict "no nut" policy.
After reading your post I can only assume that you have never had to inject an epi-pen in to the thigh muscle of a 3 year old child. Nor have you ever had to watch that same child being wheeled away on a stretcher by paramedics. How can you place the convenience of the other children & parents over the importance of that child's life? I am sure you would feel differently if it were your own child.
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Date: 2/16/2006 2:42:00 PM
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Author:
momp
(mpickering2AZCC.ORG)
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Subject:NUTS
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What if it were your child?
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Date: 8/26/2006 8:43:00 AM
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Author:
mar gund
(jmgund@insight.rr.com)
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Subject:Our schools solution
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At my child's school, we have peanut-free classrooms and peanut-free tables in the cafeteria. This seems to be a more sensible approach. I do not have a child with any allergies, but it seems making the enitre school peanut-free is a bit over-board. Are they really going to assume that all parents are going to be careful enough to not send something in a lunch that could contaminate someone. I would not leave my child's health up to others. A peanut-free table and peanut-free classrooms approach is more sensible and makes it easier to monitor these small groups instead of an entire school.
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Date: 9/17/2006 11:25:00 PM
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Author:
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Subject:For the 5 meals a week your child eats a...
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For the 5 meals a week your child eats at school, I am sure doing without nuts will be okay. I live in a state that disallows smoking in all public places. Second hand smoke kills, but not like nuts kill kids with nut allergies. I do know it is hard to read labels, the childs family does it all the time with EVERYTHING>
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Date: 3/24/2005 1:51:00 PM
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Author:
Barb
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Subject:nut allergies
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We have a child in our preschool room who is also severely allergic to nuts. Even TOUCHING nuts or PB will cause a severe reaction. Our kitchen supplies an alternate snack for her when the planned snack contains nuts or nut oil. If the lunch is PB&J;, they send a cheese sandwich for her. The other children are very aware of her problem and will remind us that she can't have a certain snack, as does she. If the child is old enough to understand his problem, I think it should be handled this way. If school-aged, maybe "no sharing of lunches" should be enforced. That way everyone gets what Mom sends for him.
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Date: 6/8/2005 8:28:00 AM
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Author:
Kelly
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Subject:Peanut Allergy
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Some Peanut allergies are so serious that the smell of peanuts can send you into a serious reaction. Nobody I know who is allergic to milk has the chance of swelling nasel passages at the fist whiff of milk or cheese. Before people start blaming it on the media or other things they should do some research and then put themselves in that childs shoes or better yet the parents. They must go through constant worry every time they go out to eat (that is if they can), or everytime their child goes over to a friends house. Next time your at the store look at all the labels of your childs favorite foods and many are if not made with peanut ingredients it was made on a machine that is also used for peanuts. Just think about before you start complaning
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Date: 5/12/2005 10:25:00 PM
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Author:
Director/Owner
(g.still@verizon.net)
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Subject:I recently (in the last 6 months)went to...
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I recently (in the last 6 months)went to a peanut free environment. I held out as long as I could, until it actually concerned my center. PB&J; is an all time kid favorite!
I enrolled a child that has severe life threatening reactions to peanuts. It was not a difficult decision to make the change. We altered our menu slightly to accomodate the child's needs and made parents aware of the new policy. Absolutely no one had a problem with the change.
The way that I look at it is...first and foremost it is our responsibility to provide a safe environment for our children whatever the cost (kids can eat PB&J; at home.) And second, I certainly do not want to be the center that knowingly did not make a change to the policy when there was a child in its care that could suffer a life threatening reaction.
Better safe than sorry. If a child dies because someone doesn't feel a change is necessary, suddenly sorry just doesn't cut it!
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Date: 8/16/2005 1:17:00 PM
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Author:
Childcare worker
(fakeemail@yahoo.com)
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Subject:Peanut
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I completely agree with the better safe then sorry approach. My opinion may be bias because I too just found out that my son has a severe peanut allergy. Eventhough I work at his center, I can rest assure that he will not have a reaction since we don't serve peanut butter. It does make me very nervous that sometimes parents bring in snacks and it scares me to death that one may slip past the goalie and he gets peanut butter crackers or something to that effects. I myself have some very severe food and medication allergies and have spent many nights in the ER finding out what they were. I don't want my young son to have to go through that needlessly or risk his life, especially since we are living in a foreign country and have not yet become fluent in the language.
S.
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Date: 5/17/2005 9:27:00 AM
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Author:
DJ
(samsmom426@yahoo.com)
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Subject:peanut allergy
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I too have my child enrolled in a school with a nut free policy in effect. Some of the parents were angry when our school made that rule but I put myself in the parents shoes whose child could die from touching anything with peanuts. I find it very selfish when some parents feel 'penalized' because of someone else's allergy. What if that were your child? It is petty to grumble about being able to pack a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in your childs lunch when it can potentially make another child very ill.
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Date: 5/17/2005 2:42:00 PM
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Author:
bobbiann
(bigddog803@go.com)
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Subject:nut-free?
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I guess my dilemna is that I have a couple of vegetarians in our school, and cheese sandwhiches get old quick. P & J offers another alternative for lunch. I guess what I wonder is couldn't there be a nut-free zone in the lunchrooms instead of an all-out ban? Unfortunately, when you have kids all day, meals are an issue. I do side with the fear of an allergy attack. My son has a strawberry allergy, and he loves to eat them if he can sneak them. This means I've made three trips to ER (one was a stay in ICU) cause the teacher forgot about his allergy. and my son ate them knowing he would have an attack. (he tells the teacher, the berries were good, but now I need my epi-pen, and call my mom or 911). He also has allergies to milk, and they provided soy substitutes for him. But at least milk isn't a possible fatal allergen like strawberries.
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Date: 5/19/2005 8:44:00 PM
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Author:
Terri
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Subject:nuts about the media
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I agree that the media has hyped up every possible danger to childhood. A recent article in Psychology Today examined the "nation of wimps" we are creating. I grew up in the days when kids with allergies coped. I am sure peanut allergies are not new to mankind, but why is it now that drastic measures affecting a large group are the only "solution" for one or two of that group? Is it fear of litigation? I dont think it is compassion for those with alleriges as much as I think it is fear of litigation that creates those all out bans of supposed allergens.
I never saw a kid suffer in school while growing up, and I am sure we all had PB&J; sandwiches.
I think the kids with allergies need to be protected, but i dont think every school, restaurant, baseball stadium and ice cream truck need to ban peanuts and peanut products. I think it is going overboard.
Wouldnt it be strange to go to a baseball game and be told that one person there is allergic so nobody can have peanuts?
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Date: 2/25/2006 11:58:00 AM
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Author:
Observer
(esunshine1225@hotmail.com)
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Subject:Milk allergy
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For bobbiann, who stated: "But at least milk isn't a possible fatal allergen like strawberries."
Tell that to the family of the Canadian girl who died from milk cross contamination on her fries at school.
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Date: 5/24/2005 10:58:00 AM
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Author:
Hershey
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Subject:empathy
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I am in my late 30's - I grew up with nut allergies. I grew up with in-laws that had your kind of mentality. (didn't quite believe in the whole allgergy thing) Because of it, I was hospitalized over 30 times as a child. They didn't think, it would hurt to eat a nut and give me a kiss. nor did they thing it was necessary to wipe off a table that had been loaded with nuts. It's not just hype - there are some children who do get really sick. A simple policiy of no nuts - allows them to be normal children in school. If nobody accepts that - that the ONLY place these children can eat and feel safe is at home. They already can't go out to a restaurant to eat (really think about that - or eat at a birthday party, etc.) Are you going to pay for these kids private tutors because you think the nut thing is overboard? Empathy can be a real asset to a teacher.
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Date: 5/24/2005 4:58:00 PM
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Author:
Terri
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Subject:one size fits all solutions
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My problem with the one size fits all rule about a nut free environment is that it does force everyone to adjust to one person's health issues.
Yes, a child with nut allergies should not be served PB at school.
Her/his allergy has been acknowledged and noted.
However, every public place is not able to accomodate every private food preference or health issue.
Therefor, I feel public schools should not have to function as quasi hospitals, and that a child with very severe allergies might need to pay for a smaller, private school in a setting that is willing and able to cater to individual food preferences.
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Date: 9/3/2005 9:30:00 PM
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Author:
debi
(djdennison@ameritech.net)
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Subject:peanut allergy
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In response to your query of what would happen if you went to a ball game and were told you couldn't have peanuts: My son is highly allergic to peanuts. He touched the oil of his first peanut and graham cracker snack at the age of 18 months and barely made it to the doctor before going into anaphylactic shock. Now, he is allergic to the walnut trees on our child care center's playground, and almost had an emergency room visit last week. My family loves baseball and even has season tickets to our local team's games, and I live in fear because of the nuts at the game. I understand the frustration, I love peanuts at a ball game. I love peanut butter. My question to you though is the following: Which is more important, your desire to have nuts or a child's life. When you have seen a little break out in hives and struggle for breath - the answer is simple.
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Date: 5/30/2005 7:59:00 PM
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Author:
Mom and teacher
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Subject:peanut allergy
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Reading all of this saddens me. I have been a teacher and a parent. While teaching, I didn't have nut allergies, but I did have a student who had nut allergies. I didn't mind accommodating his needs at all. Aren't we supposed to care about the kids--all of them? Peanuts and nut products can kill allergic kids--plain and simple. If we don't make some adjustments, we are hurting kids. I quit teaching when my daughter was born. My daughter happens to have just been diagnosed with a nut allergy. I think if everyone could put themselves in each other's shoes, we could all understand each other better. As for a solution, let's all work together! How about nut free tables--allergic kids and those not having nuts on that day who want to sit with them could sit at those tables. Kids eating peanut butter could sit at another table or in another room with other kids who aren't allergic and want to sit with them. All kids in this room or at this table would need to wash up carefully after lunch or snack though. Tables would have to be cleaned carefully by staff. Parents of those with allergies don't want to cause problems for the other kids. We just want to keep our kids alive--that's not too much to ask, is it? As for having to send our kids to private schools, what a horrible statement. Read PL94-142 regarding people with disabilities. You wouldn't ask to send someone who needed special education to go to a separate school. Don't treat these kids that way either.
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Date: 5/31/2005 7:27:00 AM
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Author:
Terri
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Subject:the nut nuisance
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I am just saying that if I thought my child would DIE if exposed to a very common food then I would feel responsible to take extra measures for my child's safety requirements. Perhaps that personal responsibility for my own child's health would include enrolling him/her in a small private school that was prepared to cater to our needs.
Your child is first and formost YOUR responsibility.
I disagree that your child's health is my responsibility, nor is it society's in America,as we are not a socialist country. I care about children with allergies, and I would provide alternatives for them in the cafeteria, but I do believe that the freedoms of the majority should not be trampled on in order to provide individualized solutions for one. If my child required complete protection from a common childhood food, I would place my child in an education environment that was highly individualized and personal, rather than take the risk of demanding an entire public school comply with my wishes!
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Date: 5/31/2005 5:26:00 PM
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Author:
Mom and teacher
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Subject:please try to understand
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First of all, I never said my daughter's needs were not my responsibility. I have taken extreme measures to be sure she is safe. However, I do need the help of school too. If you don't think others should help each other in this, then I suppose you don't need the fire department to help you when you have a fire, or the police department, or an ambulance to help you out either. After all, your problems are YOUR problems with that kind of thinking, right? Everything should be YOUR own responsibility and no one needs to help you either, right? You should thank your lucky stars that you don't need any kind of help. I hope you never know what it feels like to worry about something as simple as food killing your child! I hope you never have to worry about it for yourself either. People born with these problems didn't ask for them. You haven't even looked for alternatives to the problem. That's because it doesn't affect you. There are alternatives, you know. It doesn't have to be your way or the highway! We should all work together on safe compromises instead of arguing with each other. I'm certainly willing to be flexible as long as the kids are safe. I'm afraid you would never understand unless it happened to you or your family. Of course, I don't wish that on anyone, so you'll just never, ever understand. How sad! If only you could try to be sensitive to other people. You could learn something from the 4 year old who didn't eat the candy!
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Date: 5/31/2005 12:41:00 PM
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Author:
DJ
(samsmom426@yahoo.com)
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Subject:How sad
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How sad that your attitude is so cold. There are very few allergies that are as deadly as nut allergies. You don't seem to get that a child's life is at stake and it isn't worth being so stubborn about whether or not your child can have a pb sandwich. Just because a school is private, doesn't mean there isn't more parents just like you who attend there and aren't willing to overlook their wants over the health of a childs. Some parents can't afford a private school. It isn't just a matter of the child not ingesting the nuts, just touching where there might be some peanut oil can be catasrophic. I am lucky my son has no food allergies. I think about his classmate and her parents who are willing to trust everyone to read labels and be aware of what they are packing in their childrens lunches. I am sorry to admit that the other day, I accidently packed a peanut butter candy in my son's lunch. I never pack candy in his lunch but I thought I would as a treat. I wasn't thinking. I was surprised to see it come back in his lunch at the end of the day. He knew about Macy's allergy and remembered it could make her sick so he didn't take it out. You could learn a thing a two from my 4 year old son about selfishness and putting others needs before your own.
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Date: 5/31/2005 1:02:00 PM
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Author:
Barb
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Subject:Im glad your son is such a caring person...
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I'm glad your son is such a caring person. You must have done a great job raising him so far, if his friend's safety meant more than candy. That's saying a lot for a 4 year old! The kids in my room are very conscious of the nut and dairy allergies we have. They offer to have just jelly on their sandwich so they can sit with the girl who can't be near PB. They also remind the boy with lactose intolerance that cheese will make him sick. He'd have some, if we don't watch him closely! We provide lunches and snacks at our daycare. Alternate proteins are provided, although Sam does bring in soy milk,and soy icecream when snack is icecream.It seems to work well for us. We have some children who don't eat certain foods for religious reasons, also, and we adjust the menu for them too.
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Date: 6/3/2005 9:12:00 PM
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Author:
Terri
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Subject:Caring about others is not the same as b...
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Caring about others is not the same as being responsible for the life and death of a child with a severe allergy.
If I knew that a child in my care would die if exposed to the slightest amount of peanut product I would NOT take that child to a ball game or a movie theater. Peanuts, and peanut product residues will be present at both venues.
Should we then "solve" this by demanding that no peanuts or peanut products are sold at these venues????
I think not.
It has to do with common sense, not "caring".
Are peanut allergies a new disorder?
No
It is our reaction to them and other childhood problems that have become a kind of media driven hysteria.
The same parents that claim their child will die if exposed to a child three seats over eating a PB&J; sandwich in the cafeteria, can be seen taking that same "highly sensitive" child into the mall, the movies, and sporting events where peanut products are common! Explain that.
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Date: 6/8/2005 11:16:00 AM
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Author:
DJ
(samsmom426@yahoo.com)
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Subject:I dont get it
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Terri, So your solution is to allow pb at school? How would you know that parents with children of severe peanut allegies take them to ball games and movies? Having a child with severe allergies is hard enough and I am sure those parents are trying to keep their childs lives as normal as possible. One of the things parents can do to make their childs life normal is to put them in main stream school. You don't seem to get the severity of this allergy. With each exposure, the reaction is worse. I am still not understanding what is so hard about not allowing PB at school. Whom does it hurt?
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Date: 6/8/2005 2:55:00 PM
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Author:
bobbiann
(bigddog803@go.com)
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Subject:who is hurt?
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vegetarians. picky eaters. parents trying to save $$ at the school lunch. and as far as my situation goes, indeed the allergic girl at our child's school has been seen at the ice cream stand many times this summer. small town, big talk. parents are already planning to send their kids to school next yr w/ P&J;'s, and order their kids to stay away from the girl. So, who is this ban helping?hurting? my biggie is, why an all-out ban? why not a nut-free zone? and for the worsening of with each attack, I have had the opposite with my son and strawberries. They still set him off, but not as severe needing med attention. I could never image asking the school to ban strawberries just because of him. I tried to do the best to keep him away from them.
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Date: 10/10/2006 11:36:00 AM
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Author:
Linda Arocho
(t0good@webtv.net)
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Subject:no food in
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At my childcare, I keep it simple for parents - NO ONE brings in ANYTHING. No candy, no food, no snacks, no beverages. I supply all of it. Everyone eats the same thing. I have children with allergies - one to dairy, one gluten free, one no strawberries, another no Oranges, and peanut products. When the no dairy child is out, we'll have grilled cheese, or creamcheese and jelly sandwiches, etc.. But they never complain about anything I give them and I don't have to worry about the wrong child winding up with the wrong thing!
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Date: 6/8/2005 4:51:00 PM
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Author:
DJ
(samsmom426@yahoo.com)
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Subject:Your son can not have a reaction from to...
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Your son can not have a reaction from touching a strawberry or touching a child who might have strawberry residue on him. Nut free zones don't ensure that someone won't have peanut oil on their hands. Would you seriously welcome a nut free zone if it were your son with the nut allergy? You would feel safe that all the children were cleaning their hands properly and all the tables were being washed down? Nut allergies, like shellfish allergies can be deadly. Maybe the child in your neighborhood isn't really allergic to nuts. I find it hard to believe her parents would say she allergic and still expose her to pb. What is the benefit of that? Maybe they secretly hate pb and don't want anyone to have any?
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Date: 6/9/2005 12:13:00 PM
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Author:
Terri
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Subject:allergic to media hype
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I have seen in my town also the child with the so called severe nut allergy attending all sorts of events where no controls on foods exist.
Ballgames and movies are two examples of the venues.
If I really believed my child was so allergic that even the residue on an arm rest at the movies, or the ball game seats, might KILL her, then I cant imagine that I would send her to those places.
The truth is, many parents love to draw extra attention to their child.
If their child has a mild allergy they will expect the world to stop and take notice.
I have seen this many times.
They can become overbearing and demanding.
How is it that in my own childhod, the baby boomer years, when society wasn't so terrified of litigation and were not overly protective of youth, how come not ONE kid in a school of hundreds DIED from PB&J;? In all my 12 years of public school it never ocurred.
Colleges serve peanut products and you can also find them served at movies, recreation centers and pools, sports events, and amusement parks. Ever seen a kid there who is the one who requires a total ban on peanuts at school? I have.
I believe the media and our society have gone nuts with overly stating the allergy factor!
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Date: 6/12/2005 9:22:00 PM
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Author:
Mom and teacher
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Subject:information
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Have you ever spoken to an allergist? Have you ever researched allergies? You are making judgments based solely on your opinions. If you took a look at the book, The Peanut Allergy Answer Book by Michael C. Young, M.D., you would find out that no peanut allergy research was done at all until 1976 and the first research linking anaphylaxis death to peanut allergy was in 1988. That's why you didn't hear about it when you were a kid. Did you hear about AIDS when you were a kid? It wasn't a problem in this country when you were a kid. Peanut allergies are increasing at quite a rapid rate (peanut allergies in children have doubled in the past five years.) You didn't hear about them when you were a kid because there probably wasn't anyone around you who was allergic to peanuts! You are entitled to an opinion, but it helps to have hard, cold facts to back up that opinion. By the way, a child could have a mild reaction to nuts one time and then the next time they could have a reaction so bad that it's life threatening. That's why they are told to avoid nuts and to keep an epi pen with them at all times. You never know what the reaction might be. As for the child going out to public places, kids would be stunted socially if you kept them at home and didn't ever let them go out due to the fear that they might be exposed to nuts. However, the fear is a realistic one and parents do what they can to safeguard the child. We carry my daughter's meds with us wherever we go--even if we just go outside to play. I monitor everything she is eating and I don't allow any products with nuts in my house. We do a lot. However, keeping her at home is not an answer. She has to function in society just like anyone else. We just have to be prepared that she might have a reaction when we are in public. Maybe you should talk to your doctor if you don't believe this allergy really exists. Get the facts. Then make up your mind.
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Date: 7/14/2005 11:41:00 AM
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Author:
Ginger
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Subject:Response to Terri
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Terri-
Seriously, do yo even think about half the crap you write and how it is that you come of sounding?
Peanut allergies are REAL! Not some conspiracy. I know a child that ate an animal cracker that had a reaction. The child had to have the epi pen given and 911 was called. Animal crackers are not made with peanuts, but it was process on a line that "may contain traces of peanut", and it DID! And yes, he started to have a severe reaction.
Your posts have such a bite and bitterness to them that I wonder why you have anything to do with this site or industry at all. Nobody likes a wet blanket all of the time.
All parents, schools, child cares, doctors, lawyers, etcetera are not BAD!
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Date: 6/13/2005 8:15:00 PM
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Author:
Terri
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Subject:peanut problem
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People have been eating peanut products for hundreds of years. Our genetic make up has not altered, so why would there suddenly be a massive increase in human intolerance to peanuts?
AIDES is a virus...it is not a similar situation to peanut allergies! Not a good analogy!
Viruses mutate. Viruses emerge and disappear throughout history. Humans in increasing numbers are not suddenly intolerant at a "life threatening" level to peanuts, popcorn, and cracker jacks!
I believe the health insurance industry and the media, along with lawyers, have overhyped the threat of food allergies for their own benefit. If an allergic child is safe with an epi pen at a ball game, amusement park, etc. she is safe at school with the same arrangement.
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Date: 6/14/2005 10:57:00 AM
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Author:
Mom and teacher
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Subject:never said the child was "safe"
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I never said an allergic child was safe at a ballgame or amusement park. That is a precaution that will hopefully save the child if necessary. There are educated risks that each parent must take and they all have different levels of "comfort zones". Some people wouldn't take that child to a ballgame. Others say that they would with an epi pen and a cell phone to call 911. You have to make these difficult decisions when you are a parent of an allergic child. As for the increase of food allergies, you are right only in one respect. People have been eating peanuts for a very long time. However, the facts do state that peanut allergies are increasing. Truth: doctors don't know why right now. They are currently researching that. I can't believe you think the health insurance industry, the media and lawyers all got together and said, "Let's hype this up. Maybe we can get people to stop eating peanut butter. In the process maybe we can get a few lawsuits." Gimme a break! I've said it before and I'll say it again. I know you'll never change your mind. I could show you textbook after textbook filled with answers and proof, but you won't change your mind 'cause you want your peanuts and peanut butter. Why won't you talk to a doctor about this? Are you afraid that you will be proven wrong?
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Date: 6/14/2005 2:52:00 PM
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Author:
Terri
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Subject:media hype and insurance
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Insurance companies are a multi billion dollar machine.
Together with the media they have indeed hyped "risks" associated with normal childhood foods, activities, and experiences.
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Date: 10/24/2005 3:13:00 PM
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Author:
Corinne
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Subject:nut allergy
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For those who are so insensitive to the nut allergy of others just remember you could be next. Allergies can occur at any age and genetic engineering is causing more allergies each year.
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Date: 6/14/2005 5:51:00 PM
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Author:
DJ
(samsmom426@yahoo.com)
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Subject:I think Terri is just closed minded to t...
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I think Terri is just closed minded to the allergy issue. She can't admit she is wrong and is basing her assumptions about severe allergies on her encounter with the mom who is dying for attention. The teacher and mom of the child with the peanut allegies brings up a good point about trying to keep your childs life as normal as possible. They do need to be out the real world and you certainly can't keep your child confined to their house. How would they grow and learn? I am thinking even the mom that is out for attention is probably not faking her childs allergy and is simply doing what most loving parents would do, make their childs life as normal as possible. Peanut allergies are very real and are getting worse and more common for unknown reasons. I am sure that our government is probably involved in many conspiracies but hyping up peanut allergies is not one of them. Get real!
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Date: 6/15/2005 5:35:00 AM
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Author:
kristina
(hipney@hotmail.com)
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Subject:nuts over nut allergies
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I work at a centre that have several severe allergy children in relation to nuts - we are also obviously now a nut free zone. Our menu offers a wide variety of meals and the nut free zone has not effected us in this regard as we rarely depend on a sandwich as a frequent meal and there are many substitutes to peanut butter
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Date: 6/16/2005 11:12:00 PM
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Author:
graham
(tgpanda@cox.net)
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Subject:nut allergy
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ok, just this past year I had a child with severe nut allergy in my class. I have to say up front that this was very stressfull for me as a teacher! It did wake me up to what the parents must go through on a day by day basis. With that being said, I must also say that our school was NOT a nut free zone. Also, the child went the ENTIRE school year without ANY reactions...which by the way, the mom said was a first!!! I did have to find alternatives to normal food activities that I did in the classroom...working with the parents, this was not too hard. But, the child did eat at the normal tables with everyone else...just not by anyone with a PBand J. Also, EVERYONE in the school knew about the allergy. His was not as severe that he would have an attack just from smell...but, he could from the peanut oil/residue. I even had Guinea pigs and a hamster in my room which their food can have nuts in it. I think that if the teacher and parents are willing to work together that there is a way for the school to accomodate these special issues without EVERYONE paying for it! If the child is so allergic that the smell can set off an allergic reaction I would not be able to send that child (if he/she were mine) to school. I think I would spend my entire day worrying...homeschooling would be my option in that case! Not worth it! I'm saying that as a parent of 3 children...two with special needs. AND as a teacher that has had to deal with the stress of this issue! Think about it-you are putting your child's life into someone elses...more than one, hands. That's a big deal! I mean, we all do that on a daily basis when we send our children to school..however, this situation really amplifies that trust and need. Someone asked what the big deal of reading the labels was...it's hard to always know what you are looking for in those labels, you are so used to it-it's easy for you. I was always second guessing myself and checking with the parents before I gave him anything. He did have his own snacks! And, you know-you are also trusting that the one teacher can monitor all those children...What if one of them shares somethng from home??? I actually had that happen...Thankfully, it didn't have peanuts! I think that maybe the parents need to put themselves in the teacher's shoes. Think about everything that is on our plate, we have to accomodate EVERY CHILD's special needs...and they all have something! this student's mom even went so far as to "threaten" me this past year..all because I was not taking a ice-chest on a field trip. I would think that if she was that concerned that she would have come with us...those of you with children that have this allergy...do you go on your child's field trips? I'm sure that the zoo, children's museums..etc..all have or have had nuts in them. I even know of one children's museum that has walnut shells as an interactive hand-on exhibit. Again, I think that if this issue is worked on together and the parents help in the responsibility of keeping the child safe then a comprimise is attainable. One more thing...our district tried to go to nut-free lunches a few years back. We are no longer nut free for school lunches. It takes everybody putting themselves in the other ones shoes! Not just the teachers trying on the parent shoes...the parents need to try on the teacher shoes to see what we are dealing with as well. We are responsible for up to 30 children at a time.
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Date: 6/17/2005 4:20:00 PM
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Author:
Terri
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Subject:teachers cant be surrogate parents
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Great post graham! I too have experienced parents who demand more than the teacher's fair share of time, effort, and thoughts and they used the allergy issue to force adjustments to their version of policy.
The fact is that very severe reaction to peanuts is quite rare. Although the allergy is becoming more prevalent, the severe reactions are more hype than reality.
Teachers have been duped into taking on the role of parent, nurse, and counselor in today's public schools.
I feel that if a parent wants that kind of attention for their child then they should pay for extra care and individualized programming and specialized diet that a private school will be able to provide.
Public schools have a curriculum to teach, tests to administer, and crowded classrooms to control.
Teachers should not have to play the role of surrogate parents in schools when parents choose to relinquish their own responsiblities.
If you dont have money to support a child and all the surprises that come with parenthood, then don't have one and expect others to do your job for you!
If your child has allergies and you accept the risk of taking them to ball games, amusement parks, zoos, and theaters then you cannot expect people to believe that a school environment is more of a risk than the entertainment venues. It doesn't make alot of sense to say that the risk of peanut exposure is acceptable when it is something you choose to do for fun, but the risk of exposure is unacceptable in schools unless you can dictate demands! There is something nutty about that kind of logic.
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Date: 6/17/2005 7:02:00 PM
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Author:
bobbiann
(bigddog803@go.com)
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Subject:parents
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grahm, I too can understand your woes with an hyper parent. I had one one year with severe asthma. Meds 3xs a day + the areosol treatments 3xs a day. (and I never saw an attack)(and he never had a hospital visit for 2 yrs) yet, when we went to the zoo she insitied I give him his required 2PM areosol treatment. our schedule was lunch 12:30-1:30 lunch, 1:30-2:30 zoo tour, then go home. (half-day pre-K program, so the schedule was tight) So, was I supposed to take the kids, drag around a heavy machine, cut back the tour and go to the first aid station to give the kid the 15 minute+ treatment? What about the other kids? She threw a fit all the way to the day, even shoving him on the bus. I had no support from the administrators. I told her bluntly, you send him, and I WON'T treat him. I won't take away from the other kids experience for this. Our bus was parked in an outer lot, requiring me to keep the machine, the 1st aid station was in the front gate away from exhibits, so going back to the station was a walk. The kids would have only a 20 minute zoo visit if I treated this one kid. I didn't treat him. She sued. I won, luckily.
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Date: 6/18/2005 11:34:00 AM
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Author:
Terri
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Subject:yeah for bobbiann!
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bobbiann, that is exactly what I have been talking about!
Too many people react sympathetically at first to the demanding parents, making sure that they appear as "caring" , and then the parent insists on an increasing level of accomodations for the child's "potential" problems.
Many times I have seen the so called highly sensitive allergic child engaged in experiences at locations that cannot be monitored for allergic substances, and there just doesn't seem to be a fear factor involved with the doting parent at that time!
But, put the child in a public school environment and the parent insists that the teacher become nursemaid, and the policies be rewritten to "protect" the child .
I do believe the danger is being overstated.
Schools respond in fear of litigation.
Hurray to you for standing up to the parent who wanted the whole class field trip to be scheduled around her child's supposed allergies and breathing treatment! The parent should have gone on the trip, or sent another family member to provide the role of nurse. It isn't the teachers job!
We have gone a bit too far with the "victim" mentality in our society.
Shame on the school administrators for not supporting you with either extra staff to administer the treatment, or for requesting that special medical needs be performed by family members, not teaching staff.
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Date: 7/14/2005 8:25:00 AM
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Author:
williamsmummy
(sarahchapman_gb@hotmail.com)
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Subject:nut allergies.
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I am the mother of a severely food and envrionmental allergic child.
I am also from the UK, and am a pre-school leader ( qualification NNEB).
This debate is interesting because is shows a wide lack of comprehension or understanding of the many common medical conditions young children have.
This is common over here in the UK too.
I was greatly saddend to hear of the child who was not welcome to join in a fun day out with the school because they were dependant on a heavy piece of equipment to breathe.
( no asthma attacks in 2 yrs , does not mean that the child is not asthmatic BTW)
I dont care how much fuss or irritation a parent of a child in my care makes. The primary thought would be what was best for this child. Exclusion is not a aspect I would consider.
As for food allergies, even those with allergic children showed a little unclear understanding of food allergies.
Every one should take each allergic child as an individual, their body behaves/reacts in different ways allergy wise.
The whole point of keeping a school as nut free as possible , its to make sure that the child feels safe and secure in their learning environment. This includes the parents. On a basic note, we want these children to grow up and learn and have time to become a confidant survivor .
For the record any food can cause anaphylaxis, normally the most common in the particular country. For France, celery, For japan, rice and fish, for Canada, UK and America its peanuts.
Often anaphylaxis can be caused by direct injestion or going to to the blood stream via the eye.
Its possible to have a reaction if you are( milk allergic) sitting next to someone drinking milk , who sneezes. most common reaction would be hives on skin ( a mild reaction), but if droplets landed in to eye, anaphylaxis is possible.
If you have one allergy , you more than likely have another, peanut, tree nuts and egg are common.
I have worked with many children with many educational and other health problems, living with allergy in its most severest form has helped my understanding of the pressure parents face daily.
I also work part time with the anaphylaxis campaign in the UK, with teenagers with life threatening allergy.
My sons potentially life threatening allergies are,
peanut/all beans/egg/ kiwi fruit/dog/ marmite and bovril savoury spread.
others , cat,dust mite, tree pollen, hay fever/claritin/zytec.
any parents of allergic children are more than welcome to e-mail me. Parent to parent support is vital.
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Date: 7/14/2005 6:26:00 PM
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Author:
Terri
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Subject:expecting too much
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While I understand that many children have health problems I do not believe it is fair to expect non medical personel in the schools to provide individualized care on class field trips.
If you have a child that demands medical care then go with the class on the trip and provide the care!
The teacher is not your child's surrogate parent!
My problem with the pushy parents in such cases is their expectation that everyone will cater to the physical, emotional, and health needs of one child in the group at the expense of the other children's schedule and opportunites.
It is not fair to expect 30 children to sit and wait for a "treatment" for one asthmatic child . The parent could and should come along on the trip to provide that medical care, NOT the teacher.
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Date: 7/14/2005 6:54:00 PM
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Author:
bobbiann
(bigddog803@go.com)
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Subject:teacher expectations
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Williamsmummy, The child did enjoy a trip to the zoo, and no ill effects. Sympathetic to med needs? I am, but this went beyond what a teacher should be expected to do. This kid runs, plays hard, gets through winter and never misses school. I never heard him even be short of breath through the school year. Now the other asthma kids, another story. So, was I to lug a 6 pound machine, handle 12 kids with one other chaperone, carry the emergency inhalers for 3 other kids (he never had one), an epi-pen for another kid, and keep spare pants and emergency info in my backpack. The other parents said skip their kids' machine, it was too bulky and crazy to carry 4 machines around and watch the kids, just use the inhalers if needed. And the time the parents said, the kids would miss most of the zoo trip, we figured two or three exhibits before we had to turn around. It just wasn't resonable and fair to all. We tend to focus so much on the rights of one, but what about the majority? If resonable accomadations could be made, if I had someone care for the child, we would have been fine. Only the kid would miss ome of the zoo, and the other kids could share what they saw to the other kid.
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Date: 7/14/2005 9:50:00 PM
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Author:
Rudy
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Subject:zoo trip
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I would require that an adult go on the trip with their child and take all the equipment necessary that should not be yor responsibility.
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Date: 7/15/2005 5:23:00 AM
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Author:
williamsmummy
(sarahchapman_gb@hotmail.com)
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Subject:I do sympathise with much of what has be...
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I do sympathise with much of what has been mentioned re the school trip.
However, medical needs should be included in any safetly and health policy and requirements on day trips outside school.
If you would be short staffed if a child needed medical attention, than the trip should not of happened.
I would have still insisted that inclusion of all was of more importance, and if the senior member of staff did not work to provide the required members, either voluntary or paid school staff , the trip should have been cancelled.
Someone should have come of the school trip to oversea all medication throughout thew whole day.
As for teachers not being requried to help with the medical needs of children, its worth bearing in mind that we are replacing parents as they are in our CARE for the school day.
I do object to the latest problem we have in schools over here in the UK when parents are in some schools being forced to leave work to administer 5mls of antibiotics to their child.
This is not forward thinking, the allergy crisis is such that every one needs to have asthma treatment and allergy treatments as part of first aid.
First aid should be part of a teachers training.
I have no real clear idea of how your schools are run, but the uk does not have any qualifed nurses on site , up the age of 10.
Senior schools do have 'matrons' or school nurses.
For most teachers of young children , the meds are the responsibilty of the staff.
In the area of epi pens, this is still voluntary, but if they do volunteer( for training), there are covered legally by the local school authority , as long as they were taught by a medically qualified person.
I have organised many school trips,
One for 260 pupils age from 4 months to 7 years,
and a few pre-school age trips,
and I personally find them very stressful to organise, but enjoyable once we get there!
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Date: 7/15/2005 7:52:00 PM
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Author:
Terri
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Subject:I disagree
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I disagree that teachers are there to care for other people's childrens every need.
A teacher is there to educate.
Society has forced more and more responsibility upon the teaching staff that is secondary to the purpose of education.
Teachers are NOT there to babysit and provide medical care.
If your child has health needs then take care of it yourself! Why impose your medical problems on others? Fear of litigation has forced schools to accomodate every little whim and complaint from parents who feel schools OWE them more than the average child receives.
I think it is an outrage.
If your child needs medical care take the child to a health specialist, or provide one for a trip. If you choose not to inconvenience yourself to attend the field trip, WHY should others agree to be inconvenienced?????? I notice that those parents who make demands quite often on teachers for the domestic/medical "care" of their child usually refuse to offer help , nor do they attend field trips. They also rarely help other children who have medical issues. They are too busy making selfish demands.
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Date: 7/16/2005 4:26:00 AM
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Author:
williamsmummy
(sarahchapman_gb@hotmail.com)
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Subject:I dont think that asthma and food allerg...
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I dont think that asthma and food allergy come under the subject of a parents whim and fancy.
Even the most dim teacher can work out that if a child in class is having difficulty breathing, spending time teaching them is going to be a complete waste of time.
The reason many of these children have inhalers and epipens are because they are under a doctors care.
Children are too young to take responsibility for there own meds , if every working parent had to go to school and give meds and inhlalers , etc , the country( yours and mine) would grind to a halt!!
I think litigation has taken away many parents choices and freedoms ,the whole fear factor is making many otherwise caring teachers less sympathetic to a childs real needs.
That is a real sad reflection on any society.
When it comes to medical needs parents are not being selfish, they are concerned and worried about their child.
Perhaps thats the reason that they dont have time to help other children with medical needs in class.
Certainly when it comes to the big common medical conditions, like diabetes, asthma and food allergies, its worth taking note that people do die of these every month, and every year.
Because these disease's are so common, and are simple in care if medication is taken they are controlable and a normal school life should be encouraged.
teachers dont just teach the basics , they are there to prepare a child for adulthood, developing a ability to be sympathetic to certain medical conditions or disabilities is part of that.
On another note, I would not let only 2 members of staff attend a small trip of 12 children.
If one child fell ill with any sickness virus and had to have a adults attention( contacting parents etc or hospital?), that would leave one adult with 11 children. (by adult I am thinking qualified staff)
This is not acceptable, if another child fell down some stairs broke an arm or got lost ,was snatched by a pervert ( just throwing ideas here!) that would leave that one member of staff with a problem. Find the lost child, abandon the other 10? Call an ambulance and then stay with the other children?
I would go for 3 members of qualifed staff and two parent volunters if possible.
I have to also congratulate the parent of the child who has a well managed asthma condition.
Not all asthma is allergy related, and may have been caused by other medical conditions, such as premature birth which damaged lungs.
(I have had a child in my care with only one lung, and am quite familier with nebulisers)
Other children who do have allergic asthma will have episodes during their asthma season or other air quality conditions. This is hard to control obviously for those children and parents.
I am still of the opinon that all those medical conditons should be part of a teachers training, as it effects many areas of education.
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Date: 7/18/2005 4:33:00 PM
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Author:
terri
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Subject:sympathy is not responsibility
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I think it is absurd to expect an educator to fulfill every role a child requires, from medical to emotional to educational.
It simply will not happen, no matter how much you demand.
It is impossible for a teacher to cater to one child.
Once the demanding mommy leaves the building, the teacher will perform her job of educating, but not that of medical attendant or psychologist.
Being sympathetic is not really an active expression of responsibility.
A teacher might be passively sympathetic to any child with health issues, but she may very likely not feel responsible for providing medical care. I believe it is not her responsibility. A school nurse or health aide should be provided at school, and a parent should attend all fieldtrips if their child requires individualized attention.
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Date: 7/30/2005 9:38:00 AM
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Author:
williamsmummy
(sarahchapman_gb@hotmail.com)
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Subject:teachers and childrens medical concerns.
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Your phrase of 'demanding mother/parent' is very revealing, its unfortunate that your perception of any child who may have a medical problem , ( and their parents) just add to being a irritation in a teachers busy day.
i would be very concerned if I found out that a teacher was paying 'lip service' to our food allergic child's protocal. This would certainly put our child at risk.
I would certainly view that teacher as being unproffessional, and would then question her/his teaching abilites as well.
I have no idea what sort of money each school may have in your country, but as for school nurses, our community ones visit many schools many miles apart.
So the idea of having a school nurse at school every day is impossible.
Catering to a childs individual needs is covered by teacher training. Certainly it is in the UK, I am sure that other countries are the same.
In an ideal world I would like to attend every field trip my child goes on, but as i have two jobs and four children, its difficult.
Then again, field trips are there for educational reasons, and for my allergic child who is now 9yrs, he is of an age when he can start to become more allergy aware , and take steps to keep himself safe.
Every adult in his care still needs to be trained to use epi-pens and the signs of food allergy.
This is something that will have to happen all his life, as some reactions are so severe that even adults do not have time to administer their own epi pens.
Its vital that a normal life is maintained, at all ages and development of these children and many others with life threateing medical issues. ( diabetes is a common child complaint these days , and is life threatening )
As for emotional issues, again I disagree with you, when a child is visibly upset because they find a certain task difficult, the encouragment a teachers gives at that point can make a huge difference.
If a teacher is uncapable of dealing with this emotional issue , without asking for a kiddie shrink, they are in the wrong job.
Teaching, has many overlapping areas, all aspects of school life should reflect this.
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Date: 7/31/2005 2:39:00 PM
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Author:
Terri
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Subject:school nurses
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Most schools in the US have a school nurse of some sort. If a student has severe medical disabilities we can usually expect the school board to provide an aide for that child.
But, you are dreaming if you think a teacher who has the job of educating 20 to 30 children who all have various levels of academic skills, also has the time to cater individually to YOUR child. It doesnt happen.
Does that mean she doesnt care? No, it means she doesnt have the time, the helpers, the support, and the energy to regularly provide one on one specialty services, including health services! Why should see? She went to college to learn to teach subjects, and the parents have decided they would rather she take on all of their roles too so they dont have to deal with it! Now, they demand that she provide for their development of values associated with community service, their helath needs, their emotional neediness, and their academic standards.
It is too much for one person to do and when a parent demands extra care for a child, even at the expense of ruining the opportunites for the other 29 students, a teacher will most likely resent it. And that resentment will be expressed, but you wont be there to see it! So, if you want specialized care, extra individualized attention, medical care, and academic help for your child, I suggest you get a grip on reality and either offer to volunteer at the school each week, or send your child to a private school where you must pay for all those time consuming extras.
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Date: 8/1/2005 8:38:00 AM
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Author:
DJ
(samsmom426@yahoo.com)
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Subject:Not getting it
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Terri, it should not be an issue for a teacher to cater to a child with allergies. If it is, then maybe they should find a new profession. In fact, I really don't see what the teacher really needs to do other than know basic first aid and how to administer an EPI pen. The child in my sons class who has the nut allergy is certainly no burden to her classmates or the teachers, her parents provide her snacks and the school is a nut free zone. How hard is that? You seem to be knowledgeable in how severe someone elses childs allergy is and that the parents are blowing it out of proportion and being demanding. How would you even know what the parent demands from the teacher? I certainly don't know what goes on between my son's classmates parents and the teacher, why do you? Did you mention you were a teacher? If so, how sad that you feel that way, you should not be working with children. If not, and you just seem to know everyone's business, maybe you should get a life of your own and stop trying to dictate how other parents care for their child. I am sure there are parents who expect all things from a teacher but that would go way beyond the issue of a child with an allergy.
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Date: 8/1/2005 1:47:00 PM
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Author:
bobbiann
(bigddog803@go.com)
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Subject:maybe
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an epi-pen is simple to administer. maybe what Terri is referring to is an ever increasing number of kids coming to school w/ allergies and medical conditions. Sometimmmes, a teacher can be overloaded. I was once asked to monitor a child for her diabetes, and administer her shots. In a half-day class. It was just too much. I went to school to teach (and preschool is low pay). I did not go to school to nurse. Hospitals do not expect nurses to also teach their patients in long-term care. Insensitive, no. Just realistic.
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Date: 8/2/2005 5:12:00 PM
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Author:
Terri
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Subject:in reply to DJ
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I am respondidng to a previous post by the parent who demanded that a child with asthma be given special attention on a field trip by the teacher, and she was expected to withdraw the entire group of children from the field trip exhibits earlier than expected in order to walk the entire group back to the entrance where the child could be given a breathing treatment! The asthmatic child had not suffered any attacks in years.
This is unfair to the teacher , her profession, and the other children.
I have worked in many classrooms of various levels.
I have seen parents in the grocery store not even be able to control one or two children, and I have seen them react with bribes and other quick fixes. Yet the same parents would expect a school teacher to pander to their child, and multiply that by 30 other parents and you can imagine how unrealistic that idea is.
There was a time when teachers were respected as educators.
Parents did not trample all over the teacher's territory.
Children were instilled with expectations for their behavior in school.
But, today we have a victim society, and that has reached the schools where all these parents see their child as vicitmized by an uncaring teacher if every whim isnt addressed.
I dont accept it, and neither do most intelligent educators that I know.
Schools should have a nurse or health professional to address medical issues.
Teachers have a huge job in educating a society that is declining in academic standards compared to other nations!
Parents need to reassume their role as caregivers, and stop demanding that opthers do their job. It's got very little to do with allergies and asthma, and a whole lot to do with the abdication of parental responsibility
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Date: 8/2/2005 2:45:00 AM
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Author:
williamsmummy
(sarahchapman_gb@hotmail.com)
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Subject:overloaded teachers
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Its true that lots of children have medical problems, and this does have an impact on schools , teachers and parents.
However, what choice do we all have?
In the UK one in 50 children have a life threatening food allergy, I am sure America and Canada have the same rates if not higher.
There would be very small classes in school if every child with a medical condition was excluded from school!
what would be the answer in your opinion?
I still think that food allergy, diabetes and asthma education should be part and parcel of first aid.
I would even go as far to add ezcema to this, as this condition has a huge impact on a childs ability to learn or concentrate at school.
Teachers should/are trained to plan a lesson with each childs development and abilites in mind.
A teacher should not gaze around at a class and see just a group of children, but the individuals that they are.
yes , teachers are overloaded, its the very nature of the job.
As for the epi pen being easy to use, it is, but I would far rather we didnt get as far as the need to use one!!!
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Date: 2/25/2006 12:14:00 PM
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Author:
Observer
(esunshine1225@hotmail.com)
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Subject:uh, I guess youre not a nurse, then.
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posted by bobbiann:
"I did not go to school to nurse. Hospitals do not expect nurses to also teach their patients in long-term care."
tsk tsk tsk. yes they do. "PATIENT EDUCATION" is a HUGE part of nursing. Any nursing that has patient care. Probably ALL NURSING.
If you didn't go to school to be a nurse, I guess I wouldn't expect you to know anyway. :p Let me guess, you know so and so, who is, and they say blah blah blah....?
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Date: 8/10/2005 1:53:00 PM
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Author:
Greenlady
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Subject:additional thoughts on peanut allergy
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Schools are for learning. Peanuts and peanut butter are not necessary for learning, and there are many healthful alternatives. Demanding that a child have access to special foods that are not medically necessary is unreasonable. If your school had a ban on chewing gum, would you protest? Frankly, I would rather have gum on my shoe than have a child in the hospital.
Also, keep in mind that having an allergic child in a class can be a positive thing. It gives the children opportunities to learn compassion, respect, and an understand how precious every life is.
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Date: 10/4/2005 5:53:00 PM
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Author:
Rhonda
(cilleypeople@direcway.com)
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Subject:I just came upon this post after learnin...
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I just came upon this post after learning that our 2 year old son has a severe allergy to tree nuts. I have to say, I am shocked at some of the posts on here that are in favor of anything from sending a child out of a classroom so a kid could enjoy a peanutbutter cookie - to the suggestion of sending your child to a private school - all so that kids can eat peanuts. You have got to be kidding me? And those of you who believe the allergy is simply too hyped up - I have had to watch my son twice in the past week get completely covered in hives from head to toe, his lips swelling, his eyes swelling, he has been in the emergency room, and we now have to carry an epipen with him wherever he goes. Both times it was simply from coming in contact with oil from a nut. Not even the actual nut! If a kid in school eats a peanutbutter sandwich, then goes to get up from the table and pushes the chair back in and my son comes up hours later and pulls the chair out to sit in it - he will have a reaction and it is severe and it is scary!
School is a place that children go to learn - NOT to have a privilege of eating peanuts. I cannot believe that people get offended. What is this were your child?? Are you honestly telling me that you would expect him to go to a private school or should he wear gloves so that he is not touching anything in a classroom that could have 10 peanutbutter sandwiches at lunch.
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Date: 10/5/2005 3:49:00 PM
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Author:
terri
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Subject:food police
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Some kids are allegic to strawberries but there isnt a ban on bringing those to school. Some kids are allergic to milk...should we ban that too? Why not?
Where does it end? If a child eats a peanutbutter sandwich in the car on his way to school he still will have a residue on his hands. Should we then ban all peanut products in the US so that your son is never ever exposed to any peanut oil residues?
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Date: 10/5/2005 4:37:00 PM
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Author:
Rhonda
(cilleypeople@direcway.com)
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Subject:
Someone allergic to milk will not ...
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Someone allergic to milk will not die if the person sitting next to them has a glass of milk. Someone who has a strawberry allergy will not die if someone sitting next to them has a strawberry. Someone who has an allergy to a nut CAN die if someone sitting next to them has a peanutbutter and jelly sandwich.
I can't imagine my son's throat swelling shut because 3 kids in his class had a pb&j; sandwich. We're talking about something that is truly deadly to children. That is the difference between peanuts/nuts and other allergies.
When I sit here and weigh my son "enjoying" strawberries sitting next to a kid who is literally deathly allergic to them - I guess I'd have to ask myself why I am putting my son's enjoyment of a a food item above the safety of another person's child. I could not imagine thinking "hey, that's his problem. If he is so allergic - go home!"
There is a child at our school who is allergic to latex - and we are not allowed to bring anything latex into the school. Appalingly, there are parents who are angry that they cannot bring balloons in for their childs birthday because why should their child have to "suffer" because of another child's allergy? You have got to be kidding me.
Many schools are going nut free for a reason. They cause death in many children. That, in my book, is a good enough reason for me. Same reason airplanes are no longer serving them.
Personally - I could not imagine sending in a pb&j; sandwich with my daughter if she had a child in her class who could die from it.
As far as the other ingredients - obviously that is hard to police - I totally agree with you on that - but, at least not having peanutbutter and jelly sandwiches all over the classroom would help. That is all I am saying.
As far as the question about the sandwich on the way to school - I guess I would answer that if I knew that my son had a child in his class who had a potentially fatal allergy to pb - I wouldn't be giving it my son on his way in to school. That would be like rubbing a latex balloon all over my daughters body & sending her to her school where that child has a latex allergy. I simply wouldn't do it for the safety of that child.
And are you kidding me, Terri, that you actually think this is all "hype" and parents just trying to get extra attention for their child. What is wrong with you? You think this is a "look at me, look at me" kind of a situation, just blowing this allergy out of proportion? What an ignorant comment to make. Have you researched this allergy at all? Do you know that it is the number one death causing food allergy in the United States? Do you know that it can cause an anaphylactic reaction? And you wonder why we might be just a bit concerned about our child having a child sitting right next to them with peanutbutter all over their hands?
I have to say - your comments are not comments that are being made to debate this issue - fairly representing your side - your comments are presumptuous, uninformed and rude. Whether you agree with a ban or not,there is something called compassion - something that your posts completely lack. Others on here who do not agree with a ban are not making rude, snide comments - why are you?? How obnoxious for you to make a comment that we are simply looking for attention - trying to get our child in the spotlight.
My son at this point is not allergic to Peanuts, he is allergic to tree nuts, yet I do what I can to support a peanut ban in school. A peanutbutter sandwich or peanutbutter cookie is simply NOT worth the risk on someone getting that sick - or worse - dying.
As far as watching every single, teenie, tiny ingredient that you send to school with your child - of course that would be difficult and I do see your point in this. But come on - to not be able to agree to not send a pb&j; sandwich for well being of a child - that's terrible. I'm sorry - but that is just plain callous.
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Date: 10/5/2005 5:10:00 PM
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Author:
DJ
(samsmom426@yahoo.com)
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Subject:Are you joking?
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My God, some people just don't get that peanut allergies are serious! I can't fathom some parents' attitude about their children 'suffering' because they are denied a peanut butter sandwich or a balloon. Amazing! We are talking about a childs life!
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Date: 10/6/2005 2:53:00 PM
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Author:
terri
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Subject:myth
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Allergens are everywhere and I do think the danger has been overstated. The same parents that insist their child cannot be around any peanuts at all, nor any peanut products or oils, or else the child will die, is exaggerating. That same parent can be seen at sports stadiums where peanuts are prevalent. Oil residues from nuts would be on seats and stair rails. Why is the risk acceptable to them there??? Why does the family seem oblivious?
Peanuts are thrown at the zoo..the same family strolls nonchalantly. Why?
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Date: 10/7/2005 12:28:00 AM
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Author:
williamsmummy
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Subject:nut allergy
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I can explain Terri, allergies are individual, someone can have mild hay fever for instance ,and just have a slight sniffle and waterey eyes. But another can have more extreme reactions, and cant go to work or leave the house. ( I met a man at the houses of parliment ( UK) who was put on strong steriods for his extreme hay fever, after 10 years he needed both hips replaced due to bone thininng at 40 yrs old)
Each allergic reaction, and it's out come is based on other circumtances, the amount injested, and the health of the allergic person at the time.
In my comfort zone, based on my childs previous reactions and his immunologist advice, I would consider, at 9yrs it to be a low risk if my son was to sit next to anyone eating a peanut butter sandwich.
This was a very different picture at 4 yrs.
Its hard for parents and family relations to accept the reality of the severity of a reaction to the basic stuff of life , food. But its true, small amounts can have the potenital to kill.
There is hope for a cure in a few years, but until then, avoidance is the only safe way to keep a food allergic person safe.
How that person or their familes approach this is due to their own comfort zones, and each individual allergies.
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Date: 10/7/2005 10:20:00 AM
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Author:
DJ
(samsmom426@yahoo.com)
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Subject:Great response
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very well put williamsmummy.
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Date: 10/7/2005 4:28:00 PM
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Author:
terri
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Subject:true
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Yes, I see that it is more of an individual's specific tolerance level, health, and especially, comfort zone with the degree of risk.
But the risk is portrayed as being of the highest level, even by those with mild reactions, and it is this aspect of overhype that I am weary of.
Nicely put though williamsmum. thanks
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Date: 10/8/2005 4:47:00 AM
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Author:
Rhonda
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Subject:Great Response!
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Yes, Williamsmum, excellent response. You really clarified what most of us have been trying to say, thank you!
I can't speak for other parents, but I know for my son - there will be NO circus's, there will be NO baseball games, there will be nothing like that when at 21 months old he is already responding with anaphylactic sypmtoms to tree nuts.
It is a terribly scary thing to have to think that there are people out there who take a nut allergy lightly. Some kids have a low level allergy, some have a moderate allergy, but some - yes, they could truly die from coming in contact with the residue from a peanut, JUST the residue. I guess some people's reaction to this is "well, then keep him home. And that is so sad. What kind of a life is that?
Where my son is having anaphylactic reactions to a nut, yes - call my paranoid - but I will do whatever I can to protect him, while trying to make his life as normal as possible.
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Date: 2/16/2006 3:58:00 AM
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Author:
Renee
(Sheilawheila1@yahoo.com)
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Subject:peanut free
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I just stumbled upon this site. Having read the entire thread, I admit to being absolutely outraged!
Firstly, nowhere, NOWHERE did I read of any interest in anyone else's sufferings. The one theme that runs through the postings is, "MY problem is so severe that you must care. If you do not, and if you do not make allowances, you are..." Here you get to choose your adjective - uncaring, unfeeling, selfish, lacking in compassion, uneducated, ignorant, etc. How dare you!
Yes, it is a fact that 150-200 people in the US die each year of all food allergies. That is a tragedy, one that I would not want to experience. However, it is also true that 100-150 people die each year from insect stings - virtually the same number. My son happens to have a bee sting allergy, one that has not improved with venom immunotherapy. I say, make a new rule in school that no windows are allowed to be opened. In addition, a field trip outdoors is out of the question. He could be stung! He could die! You must change your ways!
My daughter has severe asthma. While for the most part it is under control, it is triggered by respiratory infections. Do any of you caring parents send your little darlings to school with colds? Every day I see kids coughing and sneezing all over the place. Are you aware that this could send her back to the emergency room? According to the CDC over 4,000 deaths occured in the year 2000 which are attributable to asthma. Over 4,000!! I say, check the temperatures of all kids at the entrance of the school. If their temps are elevated, or if they are coughing, sneezing or have runny noses keep them out until they provide a physician's permission.
Does this sound bizarre to you? Of course it does, and you are probably shocked at the suggestions. Well I am shocked at the suggestion that I MUST stop my child from doing something he enjoys because of your child's problems. Your child has problems, so does mine, so does the child of the parent down the block. You cannot, nor should you be asked, to make allowances for each. Deal with it!
In the last decade "for the children" has become the first and last bastion of every scoundrel wanting to curtail liberties, including: banning peanut products in schools; fountain pens for children under the age of 14 (a school system in the UK); fattening foods and soda. There are more, and the list is growing daily. Where will it stop?
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Date: 2/16/2006 1:02:00 PM
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Author:
bobbiann
(bigddog803@go.com)
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Subject:you made a point!
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one year I was stung by a bee in the classroom, windows closed! There was a crack in the foundation, which bees got into the walls. grabbed the epi-pen, tried to convince any 4 yr old to go to the other room to get help, they all thought that me giving myself a shot was 'cool'. {"are you going to die?' are you going to throw up? 'do you get to go in an ambulance?' 'wow! we get to see fireman!'} Renee, after your post the memory flooded back! thanks for a good laugh! Maybe I should stay safe and just lock myself away in a sealed tight room, just make sure I have plenty of P&J; sandwiches and milk!
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Date: 2/21/2006 2:40:00 PM
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Author:
Renee
(Sheilawheila1@yahoo.com)
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Subject:If it were my child I would take him out...
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If it were my child I would take him out of the public school. Why is a child with such a severe allergy enrolled in public school, anyway?
Recently there was an uproar because Brittney Spears was seen driving with her infant son on her lap. From every corner of the land we heard, "irresponsible; child abuse; arrest her; take the child away." And why? Because she knowingly put her child in a situation that could have cost his life. Well, if your child has such a severe allergy, and you send him to school, aren't you knowingly putting your child in a situation that could cost his life? Why isn't that child abuse? What, exactly, is the difference?
You can't trust your child's safety, indeed life, to a stranger. Nobody (aside from the child's other parent) can or will love your child like you. You can't just ban something and walk away with your fingers crossed, hoping that somebody doesn't violate your edicts. Somebody will bring a peanut product to school. Then what?
When your child is lying in a hospital bed, are you going to tell him that a stranger didn't care enough to keep him safe, or are you going to tell him the truth - that you didn't care enough to homeschool him? I'm not saying it's easy, it isn't. Trust me, I have pulled my son out of school and am homeschooling.
Is time a problem? Tough - find the time.
Is money a problem? Tough - find a way.
If you want something badly enough you will find a way to make it happen.
If you care enough about your child you will find a way to make it happen. Quit whining, and take care of your kids!
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Date: 2/17/2006 3:03:00 AM
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Author:
Arlene
(arlenrob@aol.com)
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Subject:I have to say i find some peoples respon...
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I have to say i find some peoples responses on here very sad indeed. As a mother of an allergic child i know the measures mothers have to take each day to keep their child safe. My boy is 4 years of age, obviously he is not at an age where he is able to keep himself safe. If you saw a 4 year old boy walking up the middle of the road would you not go get that boy and lead him to safety?..or does it not come into your job description? If you saw a child playing with someones medication would you go out of your way to remove the tablets from the child? Kids depend on adults to keep them safe...and sometimes ALIVE. I'm sorry but i dont care how much of an inconveniance it was, i would go out of my way to keep ANY child safe. I mean c'mon how much of an inconveniance is it anyway?..what are we talking here...carrying equipment...not eating nut products at school??? Yeah i can see why that is such a huge pain in the A**. You know one day you may well have to rely on someone else going out of their way a little to keep your child/grandchild safe, whether it be helping them cross the road...taking them to hospital after a fall...help finding a lost child in town. I hope its a caring person you find that day and not one that doesnt like going out a little to help.
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Date: 2/17/2006 5:54:00 AM
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Author:
Renee
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Subject:You find some responses sad, I find some...
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You find some responses sad, I find some responses vulgar and dismaying. For instance, in my post above I stated that more than 4,000 people died from asthma - 20 times as many as from food allergies. Yet I would bet that almost every single poster here, including you, sends their kids to school with colds. If you want to help others so much you would keep them home when they are sick, since MY child could die from catching YOUR child's virus. You care so much for the suffering of your nut allergy child, and want me to do so as well, but you care naught for the sufferings of my children or the myriads of other children with other problems.
You are sad because there are those who disagree with your dictates about banning peanut products. We have been called ignorant, uninformed, uncaring, bad, selfish, uneducated, etc. Well, the same applies to all of you who do not change your ways to protect my children, as well as HYPOCRITE.
You people who are so caring about your own children, who want others to shoulder the burden for their care, truly ought to be ashamed of yourselves. Instead of removing your children from the deadly situations, you want the inherently deadly situation to change. Brilliant! Or is it just plain laziness? I suspect the latter.
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Date: 2/17/2006 8:35:00 AM
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Author:
debi
(djdennison@ameritech.net)
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Subject:Cant We Just Get Along?!
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In your first post you stated and, if I am not wrong, implied condemnation that everyone seemed to be looking out for only his/her child/children, yet in this last post you go on and on about your child's special needs and call everyone else a hypocrite! Most if not all of us in this posting thread are parents. It is our job to look after our child, and it is instinct to think that our child/children are the most important. The problem I have is that you have called us all hypocrites, and I take offense to that! I know I am not perfect, even when it comes to my own children. My job, my calling is to protect children, not just my own. I advocate on the behalf of abused children, children with special needs, and any child who is in a dangerous position. I personally do not send my children to school with colds and other illnesses that could be contagious. I am aware of the dangers. If I saw a bee near your child and knew he/she was in danger I would take the sting rather than let your child take the chance of an ER visit or worse. It seems to me that we are not asking for everyone to give up their beloved P&J; or open windows. What needs to take place is a mature dialogue with no name calling and with open minds. How can we keep children safer? There is no way on this earth to protect every child everyday, but it is possible to do our best. And yes, we need to be aware that there are problems outside of our own. I hope we can all realize that to raise our children in an atmosphere of apathy for their fellow human beings is not being the best parents we can be.
I don't mean to "preach"; I am just bothered by our tones in these postings. How can any of us with children who have allergies, asthma, special needs, etc. expect policies of schools, governments or personal feelings to be changed when we are in the "attack mode". Good luck to each of you with your children's own special "problems"; I truly hope they stay safe from harm!!!
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Date: 2/17/2006 9:50:00 AM
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Author:
Renee
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Subject:Name calling? Just look at the above th...
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Name calling? Just look at the above thread. The name calling started with those so-called "caring, compassionate" parents. I called the people hypocrites because they demand that I care as much for their child's special needs as they do. I don't, sorry. I care more for my child's special needs. I am being honest. I admit I care more for my child than theirs. They are not being honest, they don't care as much for my child as theirs, and they are certainly not practicing what they preach to others. They want me to make adjustments for their child's sake, but they do not make adjustments for my child's sake. Yet, at the same time, they tell me that I am uncaring and more.
I do not want the schools to change to accomodate the needs of all. That is not the function of government or government-run schools. I will change for the sake of my own child. My child, not theirs! I have already pulled my child out of public school and am now homeschooling, because SCHOOL IS AN INHERENTLY DANGEROUS PLACE for him. See, unlike the "caring" parents who would rather complain and dictate the behaviors to others, I choose to take responsibility for my own family. Unlike the parents who would rather drop the kids off at school and force others to acquiesce to their demands, I make no demands on others.
If the parents on this site truly cared for their children, they would also homeschool their children or put them in a private school that meets their demands. Yes, some mothers work. Is the life of your child not worth quitting your job? If finances are a barrier, there are always other solutions. Of course, it is much easier to inconvenience others than it is to inconvenience ourselves.
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Date: 2/25/2006 11:22:00 AM
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Author:
Concerned Mom
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Subject:Single parents?
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What about single parents who can't afford to homeschool or send to private school. Their children deserve a free appropriate education just like all the other children with their disability and all. Are you calling them neglectful, uncaring, etc. etc, when they ask a school to accomodate for their child's life threatening allergy??? It is a life and death matter not A CHOICE. It is ashame that people feel inconvenienced. Didn't you ever hear it "Takes a village to raise a child." If your child ever needs help from a caring stranger to pull them out of danger, I hope they find it and not someone who feels inconvenienced or it's not my responsibility attitude that this thread shows. It might do some good to try and walk in another shoes and understand why accomodations for children with life-threatening allergies need them.
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Date: 2/19/2006 8:18:00 AM
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Author:
Canadian
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Subject:Christina Desforges
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Did anyone hear about 15 year old Christina Desforges who died from a kiss from her boyfriend. She was 15 years old and lived in Quebec. He had eaten peanuts hours before kissing her.
Go ahead, do a search on her name.
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Date: 2/20/2006 4:18:00 AM
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Author:
Renee
(Sheilawheila1@yahoo.com)
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Subject:Yes, I did, and it is terrible. It also...
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Yes, I did, and it is terrible. It also affirms that banning peanut products in school is ridiculous.
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Date: 2/23/2006 8:02:00 AM
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Author:
Karen
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Subject:hooray for renee
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I am thrilled to see someone finally call out the hypocrites here who do indeed expect all the world to accomodate their child while they do nothing to inconvenience themselves. I applaud renee for taking responsibility for her childs health and welfare, rather than demanding that everyone make adjustments to accomodate the individual. If my child had seriopus allergies, i would take measures to protect her by selecting either a private school or homeschooling. i would never feel it was my "right" to demand that everyone else follow rules that simply relate to my childs health or a very very few others, in order to make life easier foor ME! congrats to renee for doing what this society is failing to do these days-take personal responsibility and not engaging in the blame game toward the schools and the government!
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Date: 2/24/2006 5:07:00 AM
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Author:
williamsmummy
(sarahchapman_gb@hotmail.com)
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Subject:Ahhhh!HHHHHHHHHHHH!!
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Trying to remain calm in a sea of over reactive people, with extreme opinons.
I like to keep an open mind over the subject of home schooling. I would like to think that a parent has based their child's schooling choices for many reasons than just purely on avoidance of an allergic reaction/asthma./diabetes etc
There are advantages to home schooling, as well as disadvantages.
As i have posted previously, children should at all times be included in school and its life, and not just excluded for a health concern that is managed well.
My sons school is , (like all the other pupils) teaching him the survival skills he will need for adult life.
I am not a parent who thinks a school should declare themselves nut free, such declarations are pointers to my mind, that they dont understand the allergy.
There are many foods in school that my child is allergic to, and to a certain extent , that is good.
I feel quite offended over an opinon that feels that all allergic children should be homeschooled.
I am not capable of being a primary /senior school teacher, i am not trained for that, however I have learnt the skills needed to bring up my child in a way that will keep him alive and well, regardless of his allergies.
It's vital that my son learns to cope with his allergies, and mixes socially with all types of people, as well as eating with them. Even if they are eating foods to which he is allergic.
I dont think homeschooling is the answer for us, social exclusion of any kind is not helping a child to cope with their allergies, nor prepare them for a normal adult life with them.
As a qualifed NNEB i have just come home from giving a lecture to college ( various childcare/teaching related) students on the subject of allergy management and protocals for young children in school.
The wave of allergic children is so huge, that accomadations have to be made to include these children, and can be made to work extremely well.
The atopic child is here to stay and is more common than you think.
Its not a problem that is solved by stamping 'exclusion' or 'homeschooling' on the foreheads of normal healthy children who just happen to have atopic diseases.
I have to say that my first reaction to the last posts was of extreme anger and rage, thankfully I am calmer now.
Being of a atopic disposistion myself, I shall depart and sit and scratch my ezcema for a while.
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Date: 2/24/2006 6:50:00 AM
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Author:
Karen
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Subject:rage and anger
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We have a society now that seeks to overburden the teachers and the entire public school system with taking on nearly full responsibility for the health, moral, and social issues related to child development as well as the academic subjects they were trained to fulfill.
It is too much.
It is wrong to demand that teachers become alternate "parents". It is insane to pretend that they have the desire or the abiality to answer most of YOUR child's needs.
They did not go into the field to become health workers.
They did not go into the field to monitor the emotional development of YOUR child, and to provide guidelines for soicla deelopment.
That is the responsibility of the parents. And too many parents want to spend their time avoiding those responsibilites and seek to load them on others, seeking to have more time on their hands for TV, shopping,etc, not wanting to do the hard work of raising a child.
If a child has very serious helath problems that mean the child could DIE if exposed to a microscopic fleck of a common food, than it is a reality that the parent needs to accept. That parent may wish that her child could be free of health problems, but that doesnt mean she should expose her child to danger, and then blame the general public for not protecting the child!
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Date: 2/24/2006 5:42:00 PM
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Author:
Cathy
(dave_alvarez@yahoo.com)
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Subject:Use the system!
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I would say to all the teachers here who feel that their students' health needs are burdensome and should be managed by an aide, don't blame the parents for being "pushy". Instead, use the system to get that health aide for your student. Refer the student for evaluation under Section 504. If the student is found to be disabled and in need of "related services" (i.e. a health services) at school, the district will be required to allocate an aide for field trips, etc. Many of the conditions you describe here, such as asthma, diabetes and severe food allergies, qualify as disabilities under Section 504. Let's use the system to get help for students AND teachers.
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Date: 2/25/2006 11:12:00 AM
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Author:
Swazi
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Subject:Federal Law regarding students with disabilities
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Wow. Are some of these posts really coming from teachers? I am horrified by the lack of understanding, not only of the nature of food allergies, but of the Federally mandated rights of students with disabilities (and yes, in the US, life-threatening food allergy is a recognized disability). Look up Section 504 and the IDEA. A teacher IS indeed responsible for the physical, emotional, and social health of their students while they are under their care. If a teacher believes otherwise, they need to find another profession.
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Date: 2/25/2006 5:55:00 AM
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Author:
Renee
(Sheilawheila1@yahoo.com)
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Subject:So thats it, huh? Declare to the entire...
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So that's it, huh? Declare to the entire world that your child is a victim and deserves special treatment. Great, just what I want my children to learn. I'm sure they will grow up strong (mentally and emotionally) and independent that way.
Don't we have enough special interest groups traipsing around demanding preferential treatment?
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Date: 2/25/2006 6:48:00 AM
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Author:
gi jo
(gagadacare@aol.com)
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Subject:nutty ways of thinking.
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If all teachers have the same attitudes shown here it comfirms one thing to me, that the UK education system is superior to yours.
I am feeling quite smug about it.
My son is in no way a victim of his allergies, and demands very few changes or 'special treatement' , he even eats his food next to other children. I dont demand a nut /egg/bean etc allergy table.
I see home schooling based purely on health reasons to be the last resort, and certainly a tempory action, with a the view to attend normal school when child is old enough to start to care for themselves.
I dont believe that my child would gain the social skills that will keep in alive if I kept him apart from his peers.
Every child is an individual, are you suggesting that a teacher should not give special consideration to a child that has educational needs? or give extra time and attention to a child who has undergone some form of emotional truama that has lessoned their abilty to learn?
There are many special needs that over lap on a childs abilty to learn, and a teacher has to continually plan ahead to include supporting these children.
I have worked in many schools over here over the years, and I have never seen the attitude from the teachers that I have witnessed here.
Never have i been so grateful in that respect.
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Date: 2/25/2006 9:30:00 AM
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Author:
Cathy
(dave_alvarez@yahoo.com)
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Subject:Whos the victim?
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Whether or not you, personally, agree, our society has decided that we should try to help those who are less fortunate. We have made laws to protect disabled children from discrimination in school including The Rehabilitation Act of 1973, The Americans With Disabilities Act, and the IDEA. Why do you see working to right an injustice as "being a victim?" Are people so determined to complain that they would ignore constructive advice which could make their lives easier? To me, those people are the ones crying, "I'm a victim!"
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Date: 2/25/2006 10:36:00 AM
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Author:
williamsmummy
(gagadacare@aol.com)
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Subject:nuts.
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As for homeschooling, I have met a few parents ( mainly those that follow natural parenting styles) and a wide majority of these children attend the school system at yr 7 onwards.
These parents prepare themselves before hand to educate the children themselves and for the most part these parents are middle class ,and often achieved a high level of education themselves , and have the money to support their childs education. And do an excellent job. ( I have to say that my children find the three of their friends in there school year who where homeschooled a little childish. mature with the adult teachers, but imature with their peers. They rapidly catch up though!! )
For the families with disabled children or have children with severe health problems etc, the LEA support is a bit of a postcode lottery, depending on the local area LEA budget, for homeschooling teachers.
So relying on this form of teaching on a low income does in some areas = to little or nothing.
I have heard of children only receiving 2 hours of teaching a week.
I am faintly curious as to why you would wait for a child to grow out of their allergies before you send them to school?
I wonder at what age? , and what maturity would you let a child with allergies attend school ?
we all have to cut those apron strings!
Our fears are sometimes greater than actual risk , which IS lowered with decent allergy management in place.
Every parent likes to choose your child's friends, but there are very important life skills gained when making that choice on your own.
'aim higher' is a mission statement shared by many schools, and as for the three 'R's country wide that is a problem that the education system is trying achieve high levels .
Every school in the UK has to have an hour of each every day, preferably in the morning when concentration levels are higher.
I know that in the area where we live all schools are of a resonable standard.
There are allergic children in all of them, there are far too many not to have!!!
My son has a protocal in place at school , so in that respect I assume that if in any school outside the EU he would be considered a leech draining the chances of other children?.
It's an infantile conclusion.
My son is not a victim, agreed, nor is he treated like one, he will be given the same chances as all of his peers, some of whom do have severe problems.
He will be a confidant survior , and the world of 'aiming higher' is his right, along with everyone else.
Every child of every level and abilty deserves nothing less, and thats how a good school should base all of its care and education.
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Date: 2/25/2006 8:34:00 AM
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Author:
Renee
(Sheilawheila1@yahoo.com)
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Subject:Perhaps the UK system is superior, it is...
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Perhaps the UK system is superior, it is entirely possible. As to returning the child to public school when (if) he grows out of the allergy, that's fine. To say, however, that homeschooled children lack the social skills to survive is kind of silly. There are numerous opportunities for social interaction that don't involve school. I've seen enough kindergartners to know that their social skills are not those that I want my child to acquire, anyway. There are many reasons to homeschool, just one being a health problem. If the health problem is severe enough, that sending the child to public school endangers his life, then that would be the primary reason.
I'm glad to hear that your son is not a victim to his allergies, but your comment bolsters my argument. Here in the US there is a special interest group for everything. Now, if you are joining a group for moral support (i.e., a peanut forum to vent and find solutions), great. Unfortunately, most special interest groups declare that their members are victims of some sort, thereby demanding - not asking - for preferential treatment (i.e., peanut free schools). The problem with this special treatment is that it ALWAYS comes at the expense of some other group or class of individuals. The only thing these groups do is pit one group against another.
I, too, have been in a number of schools, though I should say that I am not a school teacher. I volunteered in classrooms across the country. Unfortunately, teachers are trying so hard to accomodate the special needs of 20 different children, there is no time left for "readin', writin' and 'rithmetic." The primary school where my son was going has the mission statement,"Our mission is to provide learning experiences that enable each student with
the opportunity to achieve his/her greatest potential..." Perhaps if everyone wasn't so concerned with meeting special needs, they could form a coherent mission statement.
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Date: 2/25/2006 10:09:00 AM
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Author:
Renee
(Sheilawheila1@yahoo.com)
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Subject:Are you kidding??? It is an injustice t...
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Are you kidding??? It is an injustice to have an allergy? Just whom do you presume committed said injustice against the allergy sufferer? Did I, or anyone else who disagrees with you cause you or your child to develop an allergy??
Your own words point to the victimization you obviously feel. The word "injustice" is a noun which means "unfair or unjust treatment of somebody". See? In a nutshell (pun intended) you have just told us all that you are a victim. You have received unfair treatment, and now it is up to the rest of us to fix it.
I have read every post here and have yet to read a rational argument in favor of banning peanut products from school. Every post that asks for the ban is based on feelings. "Poor me"; "What if it were your child"; "It's horrible", etc. Well, yes, it's horrible for you. But you cannot govern others based simply on your emotions. Perhaps if you actually had a cogent argument you might sway more people.
Incidentally, how is banning something considered constructive advice?
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Date: 2/25/2006 10:27:00 AM
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Author:
Cathy
(dave_alvarez@yahoo.com)
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Subject:Injustice
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Renee, you must be confusing me with another poster! My advice was that teachers should use the system to obtain health aides for field trips. I did not advocate banning nuts from schools.
By injustice, I mean the injustice experienced by disabled children at the hands of those who would exclude them from public schools. I did not say that it is an injustice to have an allergy.
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Date: 2/25/2006 12:25:00 PM
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Author:
williamsmummy
(gagadacare@aol.com)
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Subject:perfectly put!! Thanks !...
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perfectly put!!
Thanks !
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Date: 2/25/2006 1:30:00 PM
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Author:
Mom of a great kid who has life threatening food allergies
(Ilovemykid@yahoo.com)
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Subject:Something to remember...
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These are our children that we are talking about. I find it hard to understand why some posters are so negative about trying to safely educate all children. Why spend so much time fighting about food? Why not spend more positive time with your children rather than fighting about peanuts/nuts/you name it. Hug your child. This is a great opportunity to show them an example of how to love your neighbor and have compassion for those that are different than you. We are all happy that your life is perfect and you have lots of answers for the rest of us. But please show some love! It seems like the media is always questioning why the youth of today are so negative. If the angry posters here are a representation of the "average" parents of today...I now understand.
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Date: 2/25/2006 3:48:00 PM
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Author:
Observer
(esunshine1225@hotmail.com)
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Subject:what i figured out.
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"Earlychildhood.com - The Professional Resource For Teachers And Parents."
I take it there are a lot of "educators" on this board?
wow. some real winners. one of my children was in "early childhood" for several years. I met *one* very special teacher who treated my child's health and safety needs with as much compassion and consideration as any-other-need he had.
Listening to messages like this makes me wonder how resentful many "educators" are of having any other "special needs" children in their class, even if they call themselves "special education" teachers. Sheesh. It's sickening to think of who I might be unwittingly sending my child into the care of each day, even if it's not for a "health and safety" need.
Are the summer's off THAT enticing? Maybe some people should rethink their "professional" calling. And yes, I've homeschooled my child previously. The school district couldn't believe the progress WE made with him. I did what they couldn't. Academically, he's beyond his "regular education" peers now. But I'm not surprised. Considering what I'm reading.
(we're still "homeschooling" even though he's attends school-----won't depend on the "educators" to do their job---- so I find amusingly ironic some of you are recommending homeschooling. :p :p :p ) One of the few intelligent things I've read, but probably not for the reasons somebody might think it is. :p :p :p
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Date: 2/25/2006 9:21:00 PM
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Author:
bobbiann
(bigddog803@go.com)
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Subject:educators
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read my title. educator. in the last 15 yrs teaching pre-K, I have expanded my job description. In earlier posts. you will see that I do have a child w/ a life-threatening allergy (strawberries). been to ER on a hope and prayer. and I do understand the special needs kids have. In public school, teachers are not expected to test for diabetes or administer daily shots. It is a liablity issue, and an issue of time taken away from the class. Kids must test themselves, a nurse may be available, but shots must be done by the child or parent. Yet in the day care/preschools we are expected to do such tasks. This is a new thing, and I am sorry. Getting an extra educational aide to assist on field trips or to supervise the class when I attend to a child's medical need is a fantasy. Day care/preschools don't have the funds to pay for these extra services, or they just don't have the extra staff person. I am not comfortable with doing these procedures. I went into my job to teach, not to do invasive medical procedures. would you expect a hospital nurse to tutor the sick kids in her ward? why not? they need to learn. can't she go over math as she does a treatment? don't get me wrong. I will administer epi-pens, and aresol breathing treatments. along with medicine. Just in the last few years I have had more special needs cases, some parents are more demanding than others. I have an entire class to worry about. and my job is to teach, to nurture, to grow children into healthy adults.
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Date: 2/25/2006 10:06:00 PM
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Author:
Swazi
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Subject:I hear you, but...
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Bobbiann, I truly understand where you are coming from. I don't expect teachers to provide nursing care other than in emergencies. But this thread isn't about forcing teachers to provide nursing care. It's simply about how to provide all kids with a safe educational environment. How did a discussion on whether or not school-wide peanut/nut bans are effective turn into an angry debate over how teachers shouldn't be expected to be nurses? Even the most severely allergy child doesn't need special medical treatment AS LONG as their environment is managed appropriately - in which case they require no more and no less care than anyone else.
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Date: 2/25/2006 10:07:00 PM
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Author:
TJuliebeth
(TJuliebeth@yahoo.com)
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Subject:Peanut Free...Is it really so much to ask?
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I grew up on PB&J; and Reeses Peanut butter cups. I understand...PB tastes good, its convenient, and for most of us its healthy. But for others (like my daughter, its a killer.)
I have read the posts that say "just homeschool." Well, I DO homeschool, and I am grateful to be in a position to do so. Many are not in that position. For many, the ONLY available option is public schooling. It seems to me the school where children are REQUIRED BY LAW to go be likewise REQUIRED as far as possible to keep them ALIVE while they are there.
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Date: 2/26/2006 5:26:00 AM
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Author:
bobbiann
(bigddog803@go.com)
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Subject:nut free school
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OK, I know many vegan kids. Where are they expected to get their proteins? Tofu, soy, an cheese only go so far with variety. Many vegan kids rely on nuts and seeds. To ban an entire school diet to me is reaching.
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Date: 2/26/2006 5:45:00 AM
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Author:
williamsmummy
(gagadacare@aol.com)
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Subject:whats vegan got to do with a life threat...
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whats vegan got to do with a life threatening food allergy?
not a good arguement , vegan is a life choice, not a health one.
try harder!
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Date: 2/26/2006 9:50:00 AM
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Author:
Cathy
(dave_alvarez@yahoo.com)
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Subject:Creative protein options
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I'm sure the parents of those vegan kids have many creative protein options besides peanut butter. What about hummus, soynut butter, peabutter, sunflower seed butter, tahini, quinoa, bean dip, three bean salad, baked beans, refried beans, split pea soup, black bean soup, lentil soup, bean burritos, vegan hot dogs, vegan burgers, soy milk, soy yogurt and vegan cheese? Breads, tortillas and pizza crust made with high protein flours like soy flour, garbanzo flour and fava bean flour are also a good protein source. I don't think those vegan kids will be malnourished if they don't eat peanut butter for 5 meals a week.
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Date: 2/26/2006 6:52:00 AM
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Author:
debi
(djdennison@ameritech.net)
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Subject:To the childcare teacher who isnt in the...
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To the childcare teacher who isn't in the field to treat children medically, I must ask if your state requires CPR and First Aid as well as Child Abuse Recognition and Communicable Disease Diagnosis Training for Child Care Teachers. Mine does. If you are required to train in these areas, is it such a reach that at some point in your career you won't be required to use them? Also, I understand that there are numerous child care centers who refuse to accept children with special needs. We have a child with Downs Syndrome, a Diabetic Child, two chidren with hearing aids, numerous children with food allergies, as well as children who are bi-polar and ADHD. We are private and faith based and accept any child we can take care of, especially those who are rejected by other child care centers. It saddens me when a parent calls to ask if we will accept her child with Downs Syndrome or with a food allergy because no one else will accept him/her. What is the signal we are sending to children? We can argue on this site as much as we want, but what we must remember is that every child is special and important and must be treated as such. I am thankful for the teachers we have at our center. They are willing to go the extra mile for their students (they have even volunteered to remove the nits from a child's head whose mother was blind in one eye.)
My son is allergic to nuts and eggs. I take it upon myself to make sure that what he is being served is safe for him. When it is his birthday, he can't bring cookies to class, so they get ice cream cones. These children are not missing out because of my son. And the other parents in our center understand. His teachers make sure he doesn't get into someone else's macaroni and cheese and only eats his. It may be wrong, but my goal is to raise my child along side other children. I want him to take responsibility for his allergy, but right now he's only two and that's my job. I'm not asking for nuts to be banned, only that the people who would call children and family services if my child were being abused would take the same responsibility and watch out for him at school too.
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Date: 2/26/2006 11:40:00 AM
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Author:
Swazi
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Subject:Bobbianne, can I ask a question regarding your original post?
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This thread has been going on for an extended period of time, and unfortunately I think it got waaay off topic. I think you originally asked a very valid question. In essence, the question boils down to classroom safety for the food allergic child vs. penalizing the other children. In order to answer this question, you have to know (1) what is truly required to keep the child safe, and where to draw the line (ie, what is TOO much) and (2) are the other children truly being penalized?
As far as the media causing a "frenzy" - I don't think the media is intentionally spreading fear or misinformation. Parents who have been dealing with life-threatening allergies have known from the get-go that their children could die, but the rest of the world was blissfully ignorant regarding it. I think that it was a good thing to publicize the recent deaths - suddenly more people are now aware of the fact that FOOD ALLERGIES CAN CAUSE DEATH. And I would imagine that many school districts are looking long and hard at their policies, because none of them want to find themselves in the position of the Spokane school district when young Nathan Walters died on a school field trip.
I think that the issue should be addressed by having a district wide food allergy policy which can be modified by the individual schools, based upon the allergic child's unique needs. Massachusetts has drafted an excellent policy, which, FYI, does not endorse the use of bans.
I am not a doctor, and do not claim to be. That said, I have never personally heard of a child experiencing anaphylaxis from contact with a "may-contain" item. I also personally can't imagine asking other parents to read labels and try to decide which items are safe and which are not - it's taken me years to learn how to do so for my own son. Maybe the new labeling laws will help, but regardless I would never want that.
All that needs to be done is to identify what factors would actually put the child in risk of having anaphylaxis. For my son, he could definitely react to residue from peanut butter or peanut products. For that reason, his classroom is peanut free. However, children in his classroom are free to bring whatever they wish to school to eat (the children eat lunch in the classroom at our school). There are tables in the hallway for them to eat at if they bring peanut butter or peanut products, and they know to wash their hands well before going back into the classroom. It's worked well for us for two years now.
If a child is allergic to milk, then those items which post an actual risk to them should be banned from the classroom. Same for any other food allergy. The classroom is about learning. And as far as parties, it's really not that difficult to do celebrations without food. The kids don't mind - if they get stickers or toys or some small little doo-dad they are just as happy as if they got cupcakes or cookies - and probably healthier in the long run to boot!
It's also a wonderful opportunity to teach other children about tolerance and sympathy, and how easy it can be to help others. After all, they truly are not being asked to make a major accomodation or to give up something that's very important and meaningful to them. They are just being asked to change what foods they bring to school. It's really not that big a deal to the children - it's only the adults that get upset.
I don't say that to blast you or disagree with you, by the way, because I agree with you that it does seem like too much to ask other parents to avoid may-contains and to read labels for may-contains and cross-contamination. If certain foods need to be banned then it needs to be a clear list, and not left up to the other parents to try to figure out. That's too much and it's unfair.
Anyway, just wanted to get back to the original topic and was curious, after all this time and all that's been said, if you were interested in getting back into a discussion about the "basics". :)
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Date: 8/10/2006 8:24:00 AM
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Author:
Joy
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Subject:too many issues
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The point is not about an individuals allegies. Public education is not about arranging the lives and preferences and health care of each and every child on an individual basis. if you think it is, you are sadly mistaken. if you want it to be then... be prepared to increase your property taxes for additional staff, volunteer at the school, and get parents together to employ several full time health professionals at school.
Otherwsie, recognize that though patients in hospitals have many needs, not all of them are met by the nurse or doctor. Families fulfill many of those needs, as well as having the responsibility of hiring other experts too. if a child requires specialists, then the family should arrange that. If they require special diets then the family should arrange that too. Teachers are rreacting to the growing imbalance in duties that exists. parents are doing less and expecting more. Teachers are now in public schools expected to be a parent as well as an educator.
Not going to happen.
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Date: 8/5/2007 10:05:00 PM
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Author:
Ziva Mann
(ziva.mann@gmail.com)
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Subject:too many issues? read the fine print
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Unfortunately, school *is* about offering a safe, healthy environment for each kid. Check out the IDEA - it's built in. Teachers should feel quite comfortable kicking this one back to administrators, insisting on the staffing needed to take care of these kids properly.
Having said that, got a kid who needs an asthma treatment in the middle of a class trip? Arrange for an aide, or don't go. The reality of a classroom is that it includes every kid in it, which means making choices that includes those kids, not excludes them. Choosing to go on a trip for which you cannot manage the asthmatic child's treatment means choosing an experience that can't include that child. To argue otherwise (he's not had an attack in X years) is to play doctor, and that's definitely a role worth avoiding.
The unfortunate truth is that kids are getting more medically complicated, and that complicates the classroom. The way I see it, we can adapt and teach the lesson that every child has value, regardless of their limitations - or we can refuse to adapt, and teach the children that principle is worth more than the individual. But in order for the first scenario to work, teachers must have the support they need, whether from the administration or from parents.
Which is where this gets ugly: parents have jobs, whether in or outside of the home. Administrators have budgets. The only thing in the child's defense is the law, which insists on a reasonable accomodation. Children's needs are demanding more from parents, who now advocate for their allergic/diabetic/asthmatic/fill-in-the-blank child. Those parents, in turn, must demand more from their teachers.
Who is supporting the parents? Do you get brownie points for handling a medically complex child, or more days at the doctors' offices, bigger medical bills and insurance headaches? Who is supporting the teachers? The system has to change, clearly, but at least we can avoid penalizing the parents for the child's needs, and the child him/herself.
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Date: 8/26/2007 9:41:00 PM
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Author:
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Subject:change for ONE child?
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so the school goes on a field trip. So are you saying that my class must stay behind because we do not have an aide to administer his meds in the middle of the trip, on the other side of the zoo? (actually, the preschooler would need two adults with him for the asthma treatment, no child is to be with one teacher alone.) All staff go on the trip, and state field trip ratios are covered. There are NO extra staff. So, do we hire extra help for one day? what is the solution ???? And you can forget about the suggestion of skipping trips because of one kid. The parent board set up the trip. Parents (many working) of other asthmatics came on the trip. They felt it would be a great experience for their child, but could be risky due to allergies and did not want to place the burden of care on the teachers. So, do we tell them we cannot go because we have a parent we cannot accomandate ????? the uproar from the other parents! This boy needed that areosol machine, the big heavy thing. Takes a few minutes. And the way the zoo was set-up, you had to take it with you. No way mom would agree to early treatment, or later treatment. Had to be at the exact time. So, the trip itself even if we could care for him would be a disappointment to him. Imagine, eat lunch, look at an exhibit, leave to go half way across the zoo, get your treatment, back to see another exhibit. go home. wow. fun day for him. and lots of walking for a preschooler.
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Date: 8/11/2006 11:54:00 AM
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Author:
Darla
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Subject:Nut Allergies
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After reading every post about this subject, I have some comments on the issue of nut allergies. Many years ago I had my first experience with nut allergies. I was one of three teachers in a preschool classroom with a child who was allergic to nuts. Our classrooms were in a church setting, and were used by the school, community groups, Sunday school, and for church committee meetings. Therefore, even if we were to keep the rooms nut-free duirng school hours, we could not prevent the many people who had access to these rooms from bringing nut items into the space. After talking to mom, we came up with several procedures that would protect the health of the child, and the rights of all the people who would use the rooms. First and foremost, the CHILD knew of the severity of his allergy, and was told by his parents to NEVER eat anything given to him by another child, just in case any nut residue was on anything that may have touched the food. We had a peanut-free table for lunch, and any child could sit there after we checked the contents of their lunch box. All tables before class and before and after eating were washed with a bleach solution, a procedure that we would have followed anyhow. Class snacks were nut free, (cheese, grapes, apple slices) but the child brought his own snacks to eat througout the day just for protection. We did not ban birthday treats, nor did the child's parents ask us to. Instead, a box of nut-free treats, provided by the parents, were kept in the room for those birthday occasions. For three years, everyone felt comfortable with the procedures, and happily, the child's health was protected. Nobody was asked to abandon any of their eating habits, parties were not banned, and the children in the classroom understood that they could not give food to this student because it could make him sick. Most importantly, the parents of the child were willing to take responsibility for their child's health issue, and did not ask us as a school to revise our celebrations or popular lunches.
I understand the resentment that many parents feel when they receive a letter that is banning birthday celebrations, peanut butter sandwiches and nuts of any kind because of the nut allergies of even one child. However, many of these policies stem from fear of litigation, and/or from teachers and staff who are reluctant to make adaptations and accomodations for the health needs of a student, and not because of the demands of the family.
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Date: 10/26/2006 6:32:00 AM
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Author:
Barb
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Subject:pb&j; at schools
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How can a PUBLIC school DISCRIMINATE against children of poor families or any other income class for that matter from sending pb&j; sandwiches in their kids lunch. If another child has an allergy, fine, THAT KID DOES NOT NEED TO BE EATING OTHER KIDS LUNCHES THEN!!! I send food for my kids to eat not others my kids know that. I have 3 kids in the SAME school district the elementary school has NO PROBLEM with them bringing pb&j; sandwiches for lunch, did i mention they have kids with nut allergies. The one in middle school after 2 months was told he can not bring them anymore. Aparently this was a "rule" from the begining of the school year, uh, when was the school going to tell the parents? Is the school going to provide a free sandwich to the kids that families can't afford to by lunch meat every day? (NO) Why should some kids go hungry because 1 or 2 kids have an allergy? I do feel sorry for the kids with allergies I know a child that has a sever allergy to nuts, he goes to the elementary school my kids go to...his family has never complained about not having a peanut free school! Instead of just saying the people that don't have a child with an allergy need to be educated MAYBE YOU SHOULD ALSO EDUCATE THE CHILD WITH THE ALLERGY!! The schools are now offering a class for children to learn about nutrition, why can't the also teach everyone about life threatning allergies? Why not come up with a solution that fits everyone not just the allergic? THINK ABOUT IT!!!!
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Date: 9/14/2007 1:38:00 PM
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Author:
kelly
(kalevt@metrocast.net)
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Subject:thinking about all!
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I am a teacher and work daily in an environment with many young children, and some who are serverely allergic to peanut, nuts etc.
I know from experience that it is a subject that can weigh on a teachers mind, and I am sure parents even more.
The main concern is keeping each child safe, whether it be from falling, bee stings, allergic reactions etc. It is difficult to say that a school is peanut/ nut free. It really portrays a false security. There can not be a totally nut free environment. Each lunch would have to be fully examined (and who has the time for that).
Instead, the teachers in the individual classrooms may have to think of a plan during their snack/lunch time routine. Sit the children with allergies at a seperate table. Educate the friends around the child about this allergy.
It is the parents job to educate their allergic child. And in most cases that I've come accross, the parents do a great job of this.
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Date: 10/7/2007 9:35:00 AM
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