Peanut free classroom this year...

[Eeyore's Wife]

Should all colleges be peanut free, too?

Should all restaurants be forced to be peanut free?

Should grocery stores be nut free so that those with nut allergies can shop in peace?

Should we ban all nut products in the United States?

What if someone ate a peanut butter sandwich and then went to vote, touching the voting booth, and then a peanut allergy sufferer walked in, why voting could kill them!

I believe that a peanut free table is sufficient for most kids with peanut allergies, given the track record of such steps in our local schools. If a child needs a peanut free room, then they should be allowed to have a designated space to eat, and allowed to have friends, who are peanut free, join them.

I think reasonable precautions include banning peanut/nut products from an allergic child's classroom, but forcing all the children in a class to avoid the cafeteria seems unnecessary.

--Eeyore's Wife

 

[crisi]

Kids need to be taught how to deal? 'The kids' with life threatening medical conditions, but not your kid? Hmmm...

I have a friend whose daughter has severe CP. Her and her family dealing with it takes a great deal of effort, but we can't expect the whole world to change around her - he doesn't expect your children to know sign language because she is deaf.

A child who is immuno-compromised can't expect the world to stay home when they have a cold so they can go out in the world.

There are realistic expectations to put on others - politeness demands we don't sneeze in anyone's face - immuno-compromised or not.

The world is not nut free, nor is it egg free, dairy free or wheat free. Bees exist. Children who have life threatening allergies CANNOT depend on strangers for vigilance. They HAVE to learn to deal.

We've had people in this thread insist you can't die from dairy allergies - which is untrue - educated people who have high levels of exposure to allergy information.

I can teach my kids to respect the needs of others, but they don't know what those needs are. And I cannot force society - or even my own kids - to follow rules 100% (if your kids always follow your rules, your kids are way better than mine - we were having the "don't drag your feet" discussion in the store today for the zillionth time).

 

[imthatgirl]

Should all colleges be peanut free, too?

Should all restaurants be forced to be peanut free?

Should grocery stores be nut free so that those with nut allergies can shop in peace?

Should we ban all nut products in the United States?

What if someone ate a peanut butter sandwich and then went to vote, touching the voting booth, and then a peanut allergy sufferer walked in, why voting could kill them!

I believe that a peanut free table is sufficient for most kids with peanut allergies, given the track record of such steps in our local schools. If a child needs a peanut free room, then they should be allowed to have a designated space to eat, and allowed to have friends, who are peanut free, join them.

I think reasonable precautions include banning peanut/nut products from an allergic child's classroom, but forcing all the children in a class to avoid the cafeteria seems unnecessary.

--Eeyore's Wife

i know its hard to use logic and really see the big big picture, but lets try.
1. i try not to compare my 5yo to an 18yo collage kid. by the time my children reach college i hope to have taught them to take care of themselves. unfortunately in grade school they arent allowed to have to proper precautions on them(an epi pen) so the school needs to help try to make it a safe environment for the child.
2. many restaurants dont have nuts on their menu and are safe for young children with allergies to enter. some arent. parents use precaution in the restaurants they choose. and many parents choose not to bring their young children with severe allergies to restaurants. its not necessary to enter a restaurant, but kids must go to school by law.
3. there are many kids that cant go to grocery stores at a young age. its something that their parents deal with. again children must attend school, by law.
4. banning peanuts from the country...can one say over reaction. lets focus.
5. now this is becoming obnoxious. why are we comparing 5yos to adults?
6. so you think the child who has the allergy should be left out. that would be fine with you/ i would prefer the entire school be equal.

 

[crisi]

Did you know that the deaths associated with peanut allergies skew highly towards kids out of elementary school? Younger children SELDOM die because adults around them are watchful. Teenagers "know best" and push - often stupidly around friends who don't react the way an adult would. Does that change your answer to #1. I would hope by the time kids reach college they would know better as well - but data doesn't back that up.

 

[perkinsrose]

I can't really believe you don't worry about other peoples kids. I have to believe you were in the heat of the moment and aren't really that self absorbed, and also teaching your children through your actions to have no compassion for others.

You may not think that an entire class or school should be forced to change, but the law sees differently. Schools are required, through the Americans with Disabilities Act to amend the school day as they see fit to make it a safe environment for every child with a disability, which includes Food Allergies, sometimes other types of allergies, asthma, diabetes, etc.

Unlike gifted classes and special needs classes, where children are grouped together that are on a similar intellectual level, food allergy students probably run the gamut on that.
I think a good solution would be tolerance, awareness, education, and compassion.

Have you asked your DS how he feels about it? Does he know what peanuts could do to another child who has a food allergy? I think if a child understood, even on a basic level...that you wouldn't have to force them to eat something else.

I've said before, I have found classmates to be far more accomodating and understanding toward me DD's allergy than adults.

Typical classrooms DO run the gamut on ability levels.

Truthfully, I have enough to worry about with my own children that I dont worry about other peoples kids. I dont think an entire school/classroom should be forced to change their entire year over a kid or two? I have sent other things with him for lunch in the past, and all have come home untouched (or picked at). I'm NOT going to force him to eat something he doesn't want to eat. I think the only true solution would be to have a special class (like they have gifted and special needs classes) just for kids with allergies..

Not trying to steer off topic--BUT to clear a few things up---at least from my experience and in my part of the country...

Many states (mine included) do NOT have mandates for gifted education. Unless I paid for private school, there were NO GIFTED CLASSROOMS to be found in my area. (I currently drive DKids a considerable commute for a better public educational situation but NOT gifted classrooms). The ideal classroom environment/community is not available for my children.

In terms of special ed, when I was teaching a few years ago while special education needs are more readily met than giftedness and self-contained special ed classrooms were available, the trend was to mainstream (make regular ed classrooms work as the "least restrictive environment"). Perhaps mainstreaming is less common now??

 

[Fingerpaints]

Should all colleges be peanut free, too?

Should all restaurants be forced to be peanut free?

Should grocery stores be nut free so that those with nut allergies can shop in peace?

Should we ban all nut products in the United States?

What if someone ate a peanut butter sandwich and then went to vote, touching the voting booth, and then a peanut allergy sufferer walked in, why voting could kill them!

I believe that a peanut free table is sufficient for most kids with peanut allergies, given the track record of such steps in our local schools. If a child needs a peanut free room, then they should be allowed to have a designated space to eat, and allowed to have friends, who are peanut free, join them.

I think reasonable precautions include banning peanut/nut products from an allergic child's classroom, but forcing all the children in a class to avoid the cafeteria seems unnecessary.

--Eeyore's Wife

Just let's not be silly.

When *I* (posing as an parent with a child with a peanut allergy, but in real life I do not have a child with a peanut allergy thank goodness.) have my child in my direct care is it *MY* responsibility to make sure that their allergen risk is as low as possible. It will never be non existent. When I send my child off into the care of others, ie school, it is *their* responsibility to keep my child safe. It is my responsibility to make sure they know how to keep my child safe, it is their responsibility to make sure they follow those procedures in a way that they are comfortable with. If the school chooses to be peanut free that is up to the school. Public school is just that public school, set up to offer *everyone* an equal chance for an education despite their disabilities. They will have to do that in most effective ways they can. And if it something other parents cannot handle they need to look into more private options.

 

[imthatgirl]

Did you know that the deaths associated with peanut allergies skew highly towards kids out of elementary school? Younger children SELDOM die because adults around them are watchful. Teenagers "know best" and push - often stupidly around friends who don't react the way an adult would. Does that change your answer to #1. I would hope by the time kids reach college they would know better as well - but data doesn't back that up.

ding ding ding, we have a winner...thats because we are protecting our elementary school kids by keeping peanuts out of their schools.
why would everyone prefer we stop protecting them and start just leaving them to "learn to deal with it"?

 

[Eeyore's Wife]

It has been stated here several times that nut allergies are different and that airborn contact can be a killer. I do not know that to be true, but I believe people when they tell me that level of allergy can happen. From my own experience there are many peanut affected kids in our local school and they have all lived quite nicely using a peanut free table. I assume this is due to a varience in the level of allergy experienced in the population.

If the exceedlingly peanut affected cannot be in the same breathing space, such as a large cafeteria, with the presence of peanuts, then I think that in such an extreme case, it would NOT be unreasonable for that child to eat in a special area, not to punish the child but to address the seemingly real concern that has been hypothetically set forth.

If someone is indeed so very allergic, then I would assume that in college they could not just " avoid breathing" in the presence of peanuts, such as the dining hall and dorms. So, yes, I am comparing elementary students with college students. If breathing is the problem, and both of them breathe, then it would be an issue at both ages.

If your children are not allowed to have an epi pen, then I think the issue is about the epi pen and not the presence of peanuts. If my child needed an epi pen, then I would fight for it, and I might consider civil disobedience.

Just as kids with egg allergy are given special exemption for having all of their immunizations, a child with a special allergy should be given an exemption for a necessary medication.

Lastly, children must be educated "by law" but there is no restriction on where that education takes place. As a parent you may choose public, private, homeschool, virtual school, unschool, or cooperative education environments.

Is banning peanuts from our country an overreaction, YES, that was the point. In much the same way banning an entire classroom from normal childhood experiences, such as a cafeteria, is an overreaction.

A child with severe allergies has special needs, and should be allowed special exemptions and treatment, but that should NOT be imposed on all other kids.

--Eeyore's Wife

 

[Eeyore's Wife]

It has been suggested that because I think a child might need to eat by themselves that I am singling them out unnecessarily, and that I should try to keep all kids "the same."

We had a foster daughter who suffered from seizures which were not kept fully under control by medication. She had to wear a helmet, much like a bike helmet, all the time. Do you think this made her feel weird, different, and left out? Yes, of course it did. Yet, I didn't ever think of asking all the kids in her class to wear a bike helmet at all times so she didn't feel left out.

I think there are two issues here, one is child safety, and in that effort I support a nut free class, special lunch table, or separate eating area.

The other issue raised is making a child feel different or left out, and frankly, you cannot make all kids feel the same. Some things will be uncomfortable, frustrating, or isolating, but my job as a parent is to help my child find ways to deal in this real world. I am all for REASONABLE restrictions, but this thread was started by a woman whose perfectly healthy child was "kept in" for lunch every single day by the presence of one child's allergy.

I know there are those of us who will disagree, but I think that is unreasonable. There must be balance between needs and wants. The needs must be addressed, but the wants should be balanced with the wants of the group.

I don't think kids "need" a cafeteria to eat, but it is the norm at their school, and I would bet most of the kids want to eat in the cafeteria.

--Eeyore's Wife

 

[imthatgirl]

for *most* people a severe allergy to lets say peanuts will become less severe as they get older. of course thats not everyone, but for the people that it doesnt become less severe they learn to care for the problem. and of course they would be the people who carry the epi pen everywhere they went.

schools do not allow children to administer their own medication. its like that across the country. they dont want to be held liable. and i for one, dont want my child administering teir own meds. if they were to lift the rule for epi pens it would force them to lift the rule for other meds.

a 5yo would seeit as nothing more than a punishment if they were not allowed to be with the other kids. and lets remember, they arent keeping water from your children. its peanuts, just peants. ive yet to meet a child that will die from not having a peanut.

and yes of course a parent could educate their children in other ways. but not every parent is qualified to home school, nor should most parents be homeschooling(but thats another topic). public schools have to make provisions for kids with disabilities. what ever the disability might be.

and againg, we're talking about peanuts here. is it really an imposition to another child that they cant bring peanuts to school? if it really is such a problem maybe that child that has to have his peanuts should be the one to eat alone.

 

[imthatgirl]

It has been suggested that because I think a child might need to eat by themselves that I am singling them out unnecessarily, and that I should try to keep all kids "the same."

We had a foster daughter who suffered from seizures which were not kept fully under control by medication. She had to wear a helmet, much like a bike helmet, all the time. Do you think this made her feel weird, different, and left out? Yes, of course it did. Yet, I didn't ever think of asking all the kids in her class to wear a bike helmet at all times so she didn't feel left out.

I think there are two issues here, one is child safety, and in that effort I support a nut free class, special lunch table, or separate eating area.

The other issue raised is making a child feel different or left out, and frankly, you cannot make all kids feel the same. Some things will be uncomfortable, frustrating, or isolating, but my job as a parent is to help my child find ways to deal in this real world. I am all for REASONABLE restrictions, but this thread was started by a woman whose perfectly healthy child was "kept in" for lunch every single day by the presence of one child's allergy.

I know there are those of us who will disagree, but I think that is unreasonable. There must be balance between needs and wants. The needs must be addressed, but the wants should be balanced with the wants of the group.

I don't think kids "need" a cafeteria to eat, but it is the norm at their school, and I would bet most of the kids want to eat in the cafeteria.

--Eeyore's Wife

did they make that child eat lunch alone, my guess is no. sorry, apples and oranges.
i agree the wants should be balanced. one kid needs to kept away from peanuts or he could die. the other kid has a mom who wants to give her child peanuts because she cant think or doesnt want to think of another lunch option.
i would think the need out weighs the want here

 

[perkinsrose]

for *most* people a severe allergy to lets say peanuts will become less severe as they get older. of course thats not everyone, but for the people that it doesnt become less severe they learn to care for the problem. and of course they would be the people who carry the epi pen everywhere they went.

schools do not allow children to administer their own medication. its like that across the country. they dont want to be held liable. and i for one, dont want my child administering teir own meds. if they were to lift the rule for epi pens it would force them to lift the rule for other meds.
a 5yo would seeit as nothing more than a punishment if they were not allowed to be with the other kids. and lets remember, they arent keeping water from your children. its peanuts, just peants. ive yet to meet a child that will die from not having a peanut.

and yes of course a parent could educate their children in other ways. but not every parent is qualified to home school, nor should most parents be homeschooling(but thats another topic). public schools have to make provisions for kids with disabilities. what ever the disability might be.

and againg, we're talking about peanuts here. is it really an imposition to another child that they cant bring peanuts to school? if it really is such a problem maybe that child that has to have his peanuts should be the one to eat alone.

I think most schools say that epipens need to be kept in the office. The problem with that may be accessiblity. While I don't want my 8 yr old administering his own inhaler without adult observation/knowledge, it would make me more comfortable if he were allowed to keep one in his backpack vs a long walk down a few hallways in the office.

For those with severe anaphylactic reactions, it would make sense for them to carry a epipen on-person all the time. I understand school rules not wanting to risk other kids getting their hands on such medications. Perhaps schools with at-risk kids could have epi-pen boxes (like automatic defibrilators) in gym, hall, cafeteria, etc. Those with epipens in the school office at our school have already signed releases/instructions giving permission for staff to use when necessary.

 

[imthatgirl]

I think most schools say that epipens need to be kept in the office. The problem with that may be accessiblity. While I don't want my 8 yr old administering his own inhaler with adult observation, it would make me more comfortable if he were allowed to keep one in his backpack vs a long walk down a few hallways in the office.

For those with severe anaphylactic reactions, it would make sense for them to carry a epipen on-person all the time. I understand school rules not wanting to risk other kids getting their hands on such medications. Perhaps schools with at-risk kids could have epi-pen boxes (like automatic defibrilators) in gym, hall, cafeteria, etc. Those with epipens in the school office at our school have already signed releases/instructions giving permission for staff to use when necessary.

regardless of what makes sense to to you or me, the fact is they arent allowed to carry them at that age. i know here starting in 7th grade they may carry them.
of course they the staff can administer them, but it could be much too late. so thats why they keep the environment peanut free.

 

[cosmicdaisy]

Typical classrooms DO run the gamut on ability levels.

You are right, I wasn't even thinking (apparently, I was caught up in the moment ). I recall hearing last year how much the principal and faculty had to consider with classroom placement. At least in our school, gender is balanced within the classroom, race is the same ratio within the classroom as it is in the grade, and ability is diverse. I completely forgot that for a moment...had my brain more wrapped around the gifted classroom than a typical one.

 

[imthatgirl]

You are right, I wasn't even thinking (apparently, I was caught up in the moment ). I recall hearing last year how much the principal and faculty had to consider with classroom placement. At least in our school, gender is balanced within the classroom, race is the same ratio within the classroom as it is in the grade, and ability is diverse. I completely forgot that for a moment...had my brain more wrapped around the gifted classroom than a typical one.

wow, thst completely different than the way it is at my childs school. well, it was like that until this year, she now in 3rd grade. they did split the kids by ability. there are 4 3rd grade class rooms and 3 levels. the advanced class, 2 average classes and a "needs help" class. infact my daughter is in class with mostly other girls. she came home the first day so ahppy that there were only 4 boys in her class of 16 kids. funny what will make a kid happy.

 

[camouseketeer]

Lastly, children must be educated "by law" but there is no restriction on where that education takes place.

That is not true.

By LAW, students must be placed in "the least restrictive environment." That means that they must be placed in a setting that is the closest to a mainstreamed classroom and meets their education and physical needs. This is why wheelchair bound children with typical cognitive ability are in regular classrooms. You can't just put them into a special ed room just because of the wheelchair.

The same thing goes for a food allergy child. You can't just throw them into "some other room" if you can make accommodations for them in a regular classroom. Some schools have chosen peanut free areas for those accommodations. Others have chosen peanut free schools. But the school must do something by LAW.

Also, what about the parents allergy kids who both work full time and cannot afford anything else than the public school? They do not have the ability to homeschool.

A child with severe allergies has special needs, and should be allowed special exemptions and treatment, but that should NOT be imposed on all other kids.

So along that argument, there should be no wheelchair ramps in school (makes a longer walk for the typical walking kids), no special seating for kids with eye or hearing issues (makes my child sit farther back in the class), no challenging class assignments (because my kid isn't smart enough to do it), etc.

 

[cosmicdaisy]

I think most schools say that epipens need to be kept in the office. The problem with that may be accessiblity. While I don't want my 8 yr old administering his own inhaler with adult observation, it would make me more comfortable if he were allowed to keep one in his backpack vs a long walk down a few hallways in the office.

For those with severe anaphylactic reactions, it would make sense for them to carry a epipen on-person all the time. I understand school rules not wanting to risk other kids getting their hands on such medications. Perhaps schools with at-risk kids could have epi-pen boxes (like automatic defibrilators) in gym, hall, cafeteria, etc. Those with epipens in the school office at our school have already signed releases/instructions giving permission for staff to use when necessary.

That is such a fantastic idea!!!! I can't believe I hadn't thought of it. Right now, I'm trying to get a *phone* in the cafeteria. I am definitely going to see if that is possible...the epipens...especially in a cafeteria.

I would like to say though, that at my DD's school, I have two sets of meds. I have one set in the office and another set in her classroom that goes with her where ever she goes. I had serious issues with her medicine being locked in a nurse's office when the nurse is not even there everyday. With a little investigation I found a school district form allowing my DD to keep medicine on her person, but for elementary school, it states, it is kept in the classroom. IMO, one set of epipens in the office is not enough.

 

[kadesha]

There are 2 children in my class this year with peanut allergies. For that reason, I have banned peanuts from my class. There was no policy in place because the preschool that I work at is only a few years old and we've never had any kids with a peanut allergy. I know that even slight traces of peanut dust can trigger severe reactions in some kids, so there nothing with peanuts is allowed in my classroom. The school took the policy, and now it applies to the entire school. I have an epi-pen in my classroom, just in case, but there will still be no peanuts intentionally brought in there. The risk is just not worth it.

 

[BostonRob]

I think most schools say that epipens need to be kept in the office. The problem with that may be accessiblity. While I don't want my 8 yr old administering his own inhaler with adult observation, it would make me more comfortable if he were allowed to keep one in his backpack vs a long walk down a few hallways in the office.

For those with severe anaphylactic reactions, it would make sense for them to carry a epipen on-person all the time. I understand school rules not wanting to risk other kids getting their hands on such medications. Perhaps schools with at-risk kids could have epi-pen boxes (like automatic defibrilators) in gym, hall, cafeteria, etc. Those with epipens in the school office at our school have already signed releases/instructions giving permission for staff to use when necessary.

I'm sorry, but this is stupid. If my kid had a peanut allergy, she'd either carry an epipen with her at all times or I'd probably have to keep her at home.

 

[cosmicdaisy]

I'm sorry, but this is stupid. If my kid had a peanut allergy, she'd either carry an epipen with her at all times or I'd probably have to keep her at home.

You know, I would love it if my DD could just carry a fanny pack around all day long with her epipens in case of emergency. But, she can't. It isn't allowed at her school. Furthermore, she doesn't know how to use it. Well, she knows the procedure but she is not yet mature enough, imo, to administer a shot to herself. FWIW, she's never known a life without epipens so she is very accustomed to them and to the fact that they are there to save her life. But seeing as how she can't remember to pack pj's for an overnight stay at Nana's...I'm not quite ready for her to be completely responsible for her meds.