Saw this on the news today, all over peanuts....unbelievable

[Mama Who]

I can't argue this anymore.

I can't believe anyone feels a child's right to have a peanut butter sandwich trumps another child's right to attend school


With that I am out of here

What a disrespectful way to hide from perfectly legitimate opposing views and questions. I can't believe anyone feels one kid's allergy trumps every single other child and their potential needs without any room to accept that there are valid conflicting needs to address.

 

[Leajess99]

Actually I do know first hand what's involved unfortunately. Those are all on at least one of my kids' lists of allergies. That being said, my kids' allergies are not life threatening so in no way would I ever ask for a ban at the school. All I've ever asked is that the teachers send a note to parents at the beginning of the year asking for 2 days NOTICE if they're going to send snacks to the classroom so that I could provide my kids with a safe alternative. You'd think I was asking for the world. I didn't even ONCE get this kind of notice. Heck, even the class parents wouldn't let me know before class parties. Usually teachers would let me know if parties would be happening but even then not always. I always made sure that the teachers had a box of their favourite snacks in their classrooms just in case which was a good thing because it was very rare that I'd get notified of snacks being brought in by anybody (and yes I paid for the snacks and sent them in). Wow, that vent was longer than I intended. LOL I guess my point is that the parents who are protesting mostly would likely complain about any inconvenience. I try to not inconvenience anybody but how about just a smidge of courtesy? Sending in a note the one time in the year you want to send in cupcakes is not asking much.

DD13 was put into a classroom that was listed as peanut free for 4th grade. She has a long list of allergies of her own plus she's autistic so we were very limitted in what she could eat. At the time all she would eat for lunch was peanutbutter sandwiches. When I saw the classroom assignment I immediately called the school about getting her switched to another classroom. Luckily they had forgotten to take away the warning for this class as it had been peanut free the previous year but not that year so it wasn't an issue. Since that time she's learned to eat other lunch foods (thank goodness since she's now developed a mild peanut allergy), but I'm not sure what I would have done if she attended a school like the one in the article back then. I would have had to insist that either the other child or my child (up to the school which) get bussed to another school so that both kids' disabilities could be met. The school would have had to absorb the cost of bussing one of the kids since they're both covered under ADA law. I'm very much opposed to parents who do ask for more than is needed for their kids and I try very hard to only ask for what is really needed and hopefully with the least impact to those around us.

!!!

Actually, no the district does not have to provide the transportation. They could have told you to take your child to a school out of district but not pay the cost of transportation.

My daughter has to attend a school out of district as her home school made her very sick. The school is not responsible for transportation costs and in the case of your child and peanut butter I highly doubt any school would have paid for that either.

ETA: My daughter was moved to the new school under the American's With Disabilities Act. The new school is 6 miles from our house where as her home school would be 2.4 miles from our house. Another school 2 miles away refused to accept her and in the end I am thankful they did as I would not trust that school with my child especially when they do not check IDs for someone new picking up children there. I was picking up my friends' kids for the first time ever and not one person verified that I was allowed to get these children. Very scary.

 

[disneyandme]

The classroom in question did not cancel all parties- they just didn't have food at their parties. Is it really educationally necessary to have cupcakes to celebrate Thanksgiving or can the kids do a project or activity instead?
My DD class washes hands several times a day (after eating) and use their paper towles to wipe off their months. It's not a big deal and it keeps the children with allergies in ther class safe. It also cuts down on the spread of illnesses.
I do have a problem with the mouthwash thing. I don't know how that helps with kids so young. Also, with my child's extensive list of allergies, she can't use mouthwash-- she's allergic.

 

[princessmom29]

I have a DD with a peanut allergy. I do believe the school in the article is a little over board on mouth washing. To those without a child with a food allergy. Try watching a child gasp for air in an ER. Not fun at all. This has occurred twice to us. And a residue can cause a severe reaction. Once the residue goes from hand to nose or mouth it will react with IGE in some form in some less reaction in others shock.
The stats of only 12 people die per year is grossly incorrect. More than 200 according to“Anaphylaxis in the United States,” Archives of Internal Medicine, 2001. Kids in school should learn about expose of allergies in our society. Some here have decided to go off on this one incident which is not the norm. Food borne allergies have increased greatly since the 1990's.

Some of those 200 who die for anaphalyxis are not dying form food alelrgies. That is why the stats are so different. Most of the 200 deaths are drug reactions, and reactions to bites form venomous animals or other types of anaphalyxis. They are all catagorized ans anaphalaxis. My Granddad had B cell lymphoma for 7 years before he died. His cause of death is listed as anaphalatic response to a blood tansfusion, so he would be counted amoung that 200. He had been transfused so many times at the end that his body started having allergic reactions to new blood.

 

[livvylivvie]

What a disrespectful way to hide from perfectly legitimate opposing views and questions. I can't believe anyone feels one kid's allergy trumps every single other child and their potential needs without any room to accept that there are valid conflicting needs to address.

I don't thinkk Sugar jones was being Disrespectful at all... She was just posting her view, like everyone else.....

 

[clanmcculloch]

Actually, no the district does not have to provide the transportation. They could have told you to take your child to a school out of district but not pay the cost of transportation.

My daughter has to attend a school out of district as her home school made her very sick. The school is not responsible for transportation costs and in the case of your child and peanut butter I highly doubt any school would have paid for that either.

ETA: My daughter was moved to the new school under the American's With Disabilities Act. The new school is 6 miles from our house where as her home school would be 2.4 miles from our house. Another school 2 miles away refused to accept her and in the end I am thankful they did as I would not trust that school with my child especially when they do not check IDs for someone new picking up children there. I was picking up my friends' kids for the first time ever and not one person verified that I was allowed to get these children. Very scary.

I guess my district is doing something that's not required by law. There are a variety of disabilities that the district is not equipped to handle so the disctrict pays tuition to send these kids to other districts and pays for their bussing. They're working on it because the current solution does cost a lot of money but they're making sure they do it right for the benefit of the kids in question as well as everybody else around them.

I can't see how transportation isn't the responsibility of the district. Equivalent would dictate that if transportation is required for any child over a specified distance than kids who have to be sent to another district would require the same thing.

In the situation I was describing before where two kids both have disabilities but one has to be sent elsewhere as an accomodation because it's not safe for both to be together, it seems like a case of discrimination against the child who's being sent elsewhere for the school to not provide an equal environment for the child being sent elsewhere. Why is the one child's family required to provide transportation while the other doesn't? That's saying one disability is more worthy than another which is a very dangerous and slippery slope.

I've never actually been in a situation where I've had to deal with this so I'm speaking hypothetically. IMO it does have to be an extreme situation in order to start going down this kind of road and I'm very blessed that we've never had to deal with anything this extreme.

 

[princessmom29]

I don't thinkk Sugar jones was being Disrespectful at all... She was just posting her view, like everyone else.....

I personally thought it was abit of an unecessary jab. I would hope ti was obvious that it is about much more than the right to a PBJ.

 

[livndisney]

I guess my district is doing something that's not required by law. There are a variety of disabilities that the district is not equipped to handle so the disctrict pays tuition to send these kids to other districts and pays for their bussing. They're working on it because the current solution does cost a lot of money but they're making sure they do it right for the benefit of the kids in question as well as everybody else around them.

I can't see how transportation isn't the responsibility of the district. Equivalent would dictate that if transportation is required for any child over a specified distance than kids who have to be sent to another district would require the same thing.

In the situation I was describing before where two kids both have disabilities but one has to be sent elsewhere as an accomodation because it's not safe for both to be together, it seems like a case of discrimination against the child who's being sent elsewhere for the school to not provide an equal environment for the child being sent elsewhere. Why is the one child's family required to provide transportation while the other doesn't? That's saying one disability is more worthy than another which is a very dangerous and slippery slope.

I've never actually been in a situation where I've had to deal with this so I'm speaking hypothetically. IMO it does have to be an extreme situation in order to start going down this kind of road and I'm very blessed that we've never had to deal with anything this extreme.

I think you are correct. My district is the same way, they have to provide transportation to the other school. I think it is that way in lots of districts.

 

[seashoreCM]

I wanted to add that if I was a parent of a child with such a severe allergy I would NEVER except the school to accomodate my child in such a way. But if my school implemented this for another child I would have no problem going along with the hand washing and mouth rinsing.

But the town has to provide a hazard free school environment.
Perhaps the school day should be lengthened slightly to provide time for the washing and cleaning activities.

With everybody's help this school can be made safe. Thus we avoid taking money out of the school budget to send this kid to a different school.

I found out recently about a little boy at the school that cried and created a fuss every time they tried to put antibacterial wash on him when they came in from the playground and before lunch. - apparently it takes too long to get them to all wash their hands so they all get a squirt of this gel. Guess who the little boy is? I didn't even know they did that his hands are so cracked and scratched he has open wounds everywhere. You can imagine how much that antibacterial gel hurts him, poor love.

OT: That kid together with his parents needed to be taken aside and corrective action, health related and beyond the scope of this thread topic, taken.

 

[princessmom29]

But the town has to provide a hazard free school environment.
Perhaps the school day should be lengthened slightly to provide time for the washing and cleaning activities.

With everybody's help this school can be made safe. Thus we avoid taking money out of the school budget to send this kid to a different school.

lengthening the school day for every child in the school would cost more money in added utilities, added staff pay, ect than bussing one child to a different school or providing an in-home tutor would. Plus, I know I have said this several times but no one seems to be getting it: What they are doing will NOT insure a safe environmnet for the child if her allergy is that severe. There is NO way to do that in a classroom full of 1st graders who are allowed to eat peanut products outside of school. Based on aht I am seeing about the child in questiong going to Chuck E Cheese aect, I seriously doubt her allergy is actually so severe that a bit of peanut butter on Johnny's shirt can kill her. That kind of allergy is exceedingly rare and those children are not safe in ANY public place.

 

[Hannathy]

But the town has to provide a hazard free school environment.
Perhaps the school day should be lengthened slightly to provide time for the washing and cleaning activities.

With everybody's help this school can be made safe. Thus we avoid taking money out of the school budget to send this kid to a different school.

Do you have any idea how much it would cost to have the school day lengthened? How many staff members are in the building? Plus the general inconvenience to possibly 600 children and parents! Plus messing up bus schedules, crossing guard schedules, parents work schedules, etc. Much cheaper to deal with 1 child.

And If I'm reading things correctly does go out in public to public places so should have been told forget it by the school for these crazy requests.

 

[Hoodie]

But the town has to provide a hazard free school environment.Perhaps the school day should be lengthened slightly to provide time for the washing and cleaning activities.

With everybody's help this school can be made safe. Thus we avoid taking money out of the school budget to send this kid to a different school.

That's not exactly true. They are required to make "Reasonable Accomodations" not ensure a hazard-free environment. The debate is are these requirements reasonable? I don't think any place anywhere would ever consent to declaring themselves "hazard-free" Handwashing, peanutfree tables, and requests to not send peanut products to the classroom would be reasonable. Asking students to wipe with Clorox wipes (I have read that it was a suggestion and that it wasn't a suggestion) or that that other students refrain from peanut products before school probably crosses the line of "reasonable".

Honestly, I wouldn't want to put the life of my child in the hands of 20 other parents who frankly would have their children's best interest at heart and not my child's.

 

[miprender]

I can't help what your feelings would be on this issue if your child was one of those 12. And if you knew that there was something that could have been done to prevent that from happening. You seem to be suggesting, from your previous posts, that the parents of this child should homeschool to eliminate the risk. That doesn't seem too fair either. Why should an allergy keep a child from experiencing school when it's possible to keep the school safe enough to make that happen? The allergy isn't contagious, it's asking the staff and student body to make some changes while in the school itself, and it's totally do-able. Why is this such a big deal???

What is not fair is having a whole school bend to the needs of one child. As sad as the situation is for the little girl why does everyone else have to be responsible for her. That is what the big deal is.

At DD's school they have to eat at a peanut table if they bring in PBJ and honestly it is just too confusing that I never do pack anything with peanuts and I would be fine if it was a peanut free school but I would not be happy with the mouth wash or them saying any snacks processed at a facility made with peanuts because lately it seems almost all the packaging says that.

 

[Mama Who]

I personally thought it was abit of an unecessary jab. I would hope ti was obvious that it is about much more than the right to a PBJ.

This is what I meant. Disagreeing and stating your viewpoint is healthy debate. When you get dismissive of opposing view points through comments like that it's an attempt to demonize anyone who disagrees with you and it stifles the exchange of opposing ideas. It's a distant relation of name-calling.

 

[Mama Who]

But the town has to provide a hazard free school environment.
Perhaps the school day should be lengthened slightly to provide time for the washing and cleaning activities.
.

Do you have any idea what that would cost? You couldn't just do it in one class, every class would have to have the longer day. Now the teachers all need new contracts and higher salaries- what does 30 minutes a day times 180 days times whatever a teacher makes pro/rated by hour come to? At $30 (a rough estimate) per hour that's $2700 per teacher per year. Figure 4 classes each of 5 grades in an elementary school... We're at $54,000 JUST in increased teacher salaries.

The town has to make "reasonable accommodations." This is not the same as having to provide for every extremity. It is heartbreaking that this little girl is so fragile, but the cold reality is that the school may not be able to reasonably accommodate her in the classroom if her needs are truly this severe. (Personally I think the point at which they put chemicals into the mouths of other children for the benefit of this one is where they stepped clearly and definitively over the line.) ADA doesn't mean everyone gets what they need, it means everyone gets as much of what they need as we can reasonably manage while remembering that the afflicted party is not our only constituent. Some children are simply too sick for a classroom. It's sad, but the answer is sometimes going to be a new environment rather than an adaptation of the old.

Nothing about this little girl's situation is fair. Unfortunately, not even Walt had enough magic to fix everything.

 

[marmalade]

I wonder how the kids feel about this? Well before their parents influenced them with their own opinions.

My DD sits at a peanut free table at lunch (she is not allergic), after halloween she was going to take a reese's PB cup but then said no because she would have to sit at a different table and would rather sit with her friends.

Our kids play with the kids down the street who are vegetarian, and their mother does not allow them certain things like HFCS, hydrogenated oils, food dyes. When my kids are planning their snack to take outside I let them know that certain foods their friends can't have. They always without hesitation take something they can share with their friends. And I also make sure when I shop I buy things everyone can share.

My MIL has celiacs and we just had my DD's bday party. My DD had no problem having my homemade icecream cake instead of a actual cake. She know her grandma can't have flour so it's no big deal.

I have never told my kids they HAD to do any of these things, they do them because it's really no big deal.

I would have no problem if this policy was implemented at my kids school, and neither would my kids.

 

[Mkrop]

Is this school ever used for any other outside activities? Is the entire place washed down before she enters back into the building?

Around here the public schools rent out their gyms and other areas on week nights and weekends for basketball, scouts etc.

Whose to say that Johnny comes in to play basketball after eating PB, then opens the door, runs his hand on the wall, gets a drink for the water fountain, then opens the gym door etc etc.

There is no way this school is safe.

 

[DisneyCG]

_

 

[Hannathy]

I think that it is absolutely unbelievable that parents think that they should be able to feed their child peanut butter when they know other children have allergies.

if it were your child with the allergy, I'm sure you would change your opinions.

It's called being considerate!! Everyone should feel safe sending their child to school and not worry about their child going into anaphlactic shock!

There are many other options for children to eat other than peanut butter...

Peanut butter is not even that good for you...

4 points on the weight watchers scale for one tablespoon....

I don't mean to be disrespectful I just know a lot of people who have allergies, and it is outrageous that people are upset because they cant feed their children peanut butter....

Sorry no one has the right to tell me what legal substance I can feed my child in my own home, and I never want to live in any place that can.

I also don't agree with a school being able to tell me what I can feed my child there either but that is a bit more of a grey area.

As for your allergy argument, what makes peanuts so special? why just peanuts and not the other allergens? We can't do it for all and we shouldn't do it for any.

 

[princessmom29]

I think that it is absolutely unbelievable that parents think that they should be able to feed their child peanut butter when they know other children have allergies.

if it were your child with the allergy, I'm sure you would change your opinions.

It's called being considerate!! Everyone should feel safe sending their child to school and not worry about their child going into anaphlactic shock!

There are many other options for children to eat other than peanut butter...

Peanut butter is not even that good for you...

4 points on the weight watchers scale for one tablespoon....

I don't mean to be disrespectful I just know a lot of people who have allergies, and it is outrageous that people are upset because they cant feed their children peanut butter....

WEll, it is my child with the allergy, and i ghold the same opinion. I am the parent of a child with a LTA and I would never consider asking parents not to feed thier child shellfish. Children eat them all the time at DD's school and I am fine with that. Mucho f the local economy depends on the seafood industry and it is in almost every restaurant here. Iti served in school lunches weekly at DD's school. I cannot spend her entire life ensuring that no one ever eats shellfish around her. Tere is no reason any child in her school should not be able to eat shellfish at school. There is no need for a "shellfish free school". I feel iti s up to the parent to educate the child about thier allergy, and teach them how to manage it.

It is not about "not being able to feed a child PB", but about the unecessary counterporductive lengths they are gonig to that interfere with class time. As the parent of an allergy child I DON'T want her school shellfish free. I prefer that she learn how to safely deal with people around her eating things she is allergic to. The eniter world will never be shellfish free, and she needs to learn to live in it.