One Mom's Method for Managing her Child's Peanut Allergy at School

I feel bad for the kids with allergies but banning peanuts or any other food your child is allergic to?That sounds SO overprotective or self centered.I know you really want to protect your child because you love them alot,but you cant protect them from every single thing.You can't just take something away from everybody just because of your child.Just watch what they eat,and make sure the food that your child is allergic to isnt in the food they eat.I agree 100% with Kathie.But you still cant protect your child 100%.Im sorry to say this but,sooner or later they might accidently consume the food they are allergic to.

Is there such a thing as a "safe" chocolate bar? Every one I've eaten says "Processed in a plant that also processes peanuts and may contain allergens".
Undoubtedly, this is due to everyone being "entitled" to do whatever they want, eat anything and everything, and not think about potential consequences themselves.

"Why should schools cater to one kid?" someone posted.

Well we already "cater" to autistic kids, fetal alchohol syndrome kids, kids with severe physical limitations, underprivilaged kids, kids with other medical health issues. My "normal" child is in a class with kids so disabled they require their own personal aides and need someone to hold their finger on a word, and they still can't stay focused. Not their fault they are disabled, so we "cater" to them, because we are humane and have a conscience where children are concerned. But we shouldn't "cater to" someone who could die from exposure to an allergen?

Effed up attitudes.

My kids love trail mix, and often carried little bags of it in their pockets or would stuff a handful in their pockets. That means that their coats had peanut particles. Their mittens. What then? It isn't just 'peanut butter sandwiches'. It's trail mix. It's cookies. Candies. Anything cooked in peanut oils....

I'm truly sorry that your child has any kind of allergy to food and I have no problem what so ever with "peanut free" tables or areas in a school cafeteria. I also have no problem being educated and educating my children how to help this child avoid those things, but I do have a problem with you demanding that EVERY child in school conform to something to accommodate your child. My children live on PB&J during the school year. It is one thing I know for sure they will eat and that is healthy for them. And I have looked for alternatives to PB such as sun butter, but there are no grocery stores in my area that sell those kinds of things and I am allergic to almonds so that is not an alternative either. Compassion and empathy are completely different from forcing EVERYONE to conform for one person. I will teach my children not to share their lunches and snacks and to feel compassion for a child who cannot enjoy one of their favorite foods, but I will not force them to give it up. Sorry.

My grandson is allergic to peanuts and all tree nuts. His school serves peanut butter sandwiches the first day of school every year. Even though the school knows about his allergies they have refused to allow any accomidations for him. We have taught him to be safe by being proactive. My grandson is almost 7 and will ask anyone and everyone if there are nuts and peanuts in food he is offered. He will ask in a resturant and he knows not to accept food from anyone but his family. It's a tough life for a little kid. It's often made tougher by adults who aren't very kind about it. His classmates are great, they will tell him if they have peanut butter in their lunches. They all know that peanuts can hurt him. My sister works in an elementary school and has experienced the same thing, the students are generally very kind and supportive, it's the parents and other adults who are mean and angry about having to make accomidations. My grandson and others who are allergic aren't asking for special treatment and they didn't do anything to cause their allery. They are asking to not die because someone has peanuts or nuts in their lunch. Parents need to teach kindness and compassion to their kids these days. It might not be your child who needs kindness and compassion, but it might be you nephew, niece, Godchild or grandchild..then what will you say?

As a parent you can ask for a 504 Plan from their school district. It's part of the federal American's With Disabilities act. Especially helpful for elementary age kids who can't read and have limited choices in a school cafeteria.

This article reads like a rough draft. To the author: If you're going to submit a headline about how to manage your child's peanut allergy, then focus on this...and stick to the subject and keep each paragraph about a separate subtopic. Also, the article overlooks how to actually address the situation with teachers and friends. Remind your child not to accept shared food from friends unless they know it's nut-free. Remind your child to ask his/her friends to wash their hands after handling nuts if your school isn't nut-free so that they don't cause an allergic reaction. Inform your child's teacher and any para-professionals he/she interacts with about the allergy. Ensure your school nurse and possibly your child's teacher have access to an epi-pen and known how to use it.

having a nut-free school...they do this with latex at the college I go to. Any time there's latex (balloons) used in common areas it's posted at the entrances. The nursing college uses latex-free gloves. If an allergy is so severe that incidental contact with nuts could cause sudden death - the HUMANE thing to do would be to go nut-free...or at least limit nut-containing foods to one table with a sign reminding students to wash hands afterwards. Yes, this should be enforced with punishment if necessary....it's part of creating respectful, caring young adults. As for those naysayers - if the child used a wheelchair, would you deny him/her access to the library/gym/art room because the school shouldn't have to spend money or time on changes for just one child. Depending on the severity of the allergy - and peanut allergies can be Extremely severe - you're saying that child with an allergy doesn't deserve a 'normal' school life either. Do you really want to stoop that low?

I sympathize with you Carmen; I can't imagine how difficult it must for your child to have such a lethal allergy, and I applaud you for for teaching your child to manage it.

That said, I strongly disagree with "no peanut" policies in schools. It's cheap, easy to prepare, and good for the kids nutrition wise. That and I've met too many parents that have used it to teach their child. "You don't need to avoid your allergies, because they will avoid you." I'm fatally allergic to fire ants, and I'm from part of the country where they are everywhere, so my parents made sure I knew what to look for and how best to avoid them first and foremost.

If you saw your fellow human drowing, would you just sit back and watch? Where is the compassion and cooperation? If I happen to be there when you are severely injured in a car accident, should I refuse to help because there are other things I'd rather do than see blood? And hey, you should be a better driver! Or should I put all my reservations aside and save your life? I know what I would do.I am a father of a 4 yr old girl with a peanut allergy.

Thank you for the article! My children also have severe allergies to eggs, milk, nuts, seafood, dogs, and cats. It seems as though the general population doesn't understand the severity of food allergies. Throughout the day care years, I have had an extremely difficult time educating others about food allergies. Even after being educated, in my experience, people still do not "get it". It is very frustrating as a parent! I am doing my very best to educate my children and they are great at reading food labels. Even my son, who is only 5, can read food labels. It is a matter of life and death and many people just don't understand that they could die. I am extremely fortunate to have a great school system that is "peanut free", but that only protects my children from one of their allergens. Therefore, it is extremely important that parents educate their children, school staff, and ALWAYS be prepared for an accident by carrying an Epipen and benadryll. I am very optomistic that one day they will grow out of some of their allergies, but until then, it is my job as a parent to educate others about this life threatening issue.

You might as well ban all foods from school. You say it is worth banning all peanut products from school to protect one child? Well, many kids are allergic to the wheat , soy, milk, and other nut products you advocate for your son in your article. What if he brings a soy based meal and some parent gripes at you for allowing your son to bring food that could possibly trigger an airborn reaction in another child? I bet you wouldn't like that. So it's only fair when it benefits your own son but no one else's kids?

What has happened to being empathetic to our fellow human beings? I or my children fortunately haven't had a peanut allergy but if there was another child that was I would most certainly accommodate whatever the school requested and not be annoyed about it. I have had a very long time friend that still has this life threatening reaction to nuts and I know if I am going to be in her company or if she is coming to a function of mine I don't have anything homemade or store made in my home and I request if of my other guests as well. It doesn't take alot to be kind and concerned about others in life, does it really? Also, the younger children realize the meaning of empathy maybe the world would be a little bitter place when we think of others and not just of ourselves!

The best thing you can do to protect your child is to educate them on their allergies. I was in kindergarten and knew what not to eat because of being allergic and that I'd get sick from it. I knew what I could and couldn't trade my friends for at luch time. They didn't need to implement free zones or ban anything. My parents taught me to be responsible for myself.

People are beginning to treat schools like hospitals, teachers like nurses and children without allergies like second class citizens. I fully understand the horrors of anaphylactic shock. I have had my airway close on me. It's not a fun experience.I also understand that parents are responsible for their children's health and safety. If your child's allergy is so severe that he/she can die or go into shock upon smelling or ingesting a peanut, then you need to find a safe educational space for your child and not subject people without such problems to your child's problem. That is exactly what I would do in such a situation. I would not consider it "reasonable" to prevent everyone else from ingesting peanuts and other foods that are potentially dangerous to peanut allergy sufferers from enjoying them at lunch time. I would not believe that my child's problem is that of everyone else's. I would consider it MY problem and that of MY child. It's such a burden to place on others that it's beyond unfair. Such children need to be home schooled or placed in special schools where there are others like them. Political correctness and the sense of entitlement held by parents who demand peanut free schools has gone too far.

My 4 year old son has tree nut allergies and is about to start school. Though he is great about asking if something has been around tree nuts, others do not know about cross contamination and the serious consequences it can have for some children. I always have safe alternates for him at parties, but it helps to educate those around him of how to read labels as well. Thank you for bringing appropriate attention to what can be done, and that is education.

This article has brought light on how self indulgent people are today. How the majority of you think it is all about YOU!!!!
You are a pathetic bunch, indeed!!!!!!! You sicken me....

My child is allergic to peanuts, so I understand what you have to go though. However, the allergist has always told me that because she is allergic to peanuts she should avoid all nuts because of cross-contamination. I'm not one of the parents that believes in taking it out of my child's school. She is 7 and we have known about her allergy since she was 18 months, therefore she knows her allergy, she knows there are several things that she cannot eat because of it. Peanut allergy, or any food allergy is a pain but if you teach your child what they need to know they can be happy without them.

My 13-yr-old son has a peanut allergy, and for the most part it hasn't been difficult to manage. The staff at all of the schools he's attended always took the matter very seriously and did everything they could to put my mind at ease. Sometimes there was a designated "allergy table" for him to sit at for lunch, and other times it was a diligent teacher keeping an eye out for him. Very often, the teachers in his classrooms had already been trained in the use of an Epi-pen. There has never been an incident. Honestly, I don't understand the peanut-free policy in some schools. I actually know children who eat very little besides peanut butter, and so long as there is an awareness and protocols are followed, I don't see a need to ban peanut products from an entire school. That's just my opinion.

Unfortunately, as has been demonstrated here, there are those who simply can't understand unless it happens to them. Such is life. Two years ago I made a treat for my daughter's birthday and I made sure to let her teacher know that it contained almond butter, just in case someone in her class was allergic. (Brownies aren't typically made with almond butter and I wanted everyone to be safe.) One of the other teachers found out about this and told me she thought it was so 'cute' that I'd listed some of the ingredients for the brownies. Cute? Nothing cute about anaphylaxis, lady!

I was terrified about sending my child to school. She has severe tree nut and peanut allergies, which require benedryl and a double Epipen. Her school is NOT Peanut/Nut free. She doesn't have a choice of being allergic. IT is LIFE THREATENING, and by law - a disability.

She carries lunch to school daily and CANNOT share food. She sits at a table far away from the others. There is an adult or teacher on duty who is trained to administer an epipen for her and any of the other allergic kids at the table. She is not allowed to use a water fountain, clear a table, or throw out her garbage. She has an assigned seat in class. My daughter knows all about her allergies. She has been reading labels for some time now in hopes of avoiding a reaction.

Her teacher oversees the class washing hands both before and after lunch. She has read a book on allergies to her students, and has suggested to parents that no peanuts or nuts of any kind be sent to school. The teacher has FOUR severely allergic children in her class out of Twenty-One, but cannot mandate this. If one child opens a package of peanuts in the room, she has FOUR children who could potentially DIE in minutes.

Some of my daughters non-allergic classmates have elected to forgo peanut/treenuts. The children understand and are happy to comply with the rule just have lunch at the table with her! My daughter and her classmates are FIVE YEARS OLD. It is amazing to me, that these children have more empathy and common sense than some of the posters on this thread.