Do you agree that a grade school with "hundreds" of kids should be declared "peanut" free?

Question

There are only 6 kids in the whole school with allergies and NO ONE can take nuts "of any kind"!!!!!!!! Personally, I think it is obsurd.

Answer 1

At my children's schools -

If there is a kid with nut allergies in the classroom, no snacks in that classroom that have nuts. (Party favors, etc.)

There is usually a "nut free" table in the caffeteria for the kids with allergies to sit at.

Answer 2

If your child has a deadly allergy you had best make sure the first word they can spell is anaphylaxis, and that they carry and can (and will) use an Epi-pen if there is no choice.

It is a fact that MANY children have life threatening allergies. Should a school be petitioned to rip up their flowerbeds because of potential lethal asthma attacks and bee stings?

I believe banning nuts is good at primary school level (K-6) because the kid with the allergy is still young and will still be learning to ‘deal’ with and understand their personal medical problem. Taking nuts off the school menu and out of school will, lets face it, not really impact children who do not have the allergy, and it will help educate them about others in their school who have a medical problem, helping build their social awareness and responsibility.

However in High School (7-12) it becomes increasingly absurd because the allergic child will, soon enough, enter the ‘real’ world, a world that increasingly has ‘may contain traces of nuts’ labelled on the oddest of goods specifically so that companies can protect themselves from litigation in the event death. A world where the parents of the allergic child will, increasingly, not be the protectors or arbiters of the child’s fate.

Answer 3

I have a child with a nut allergy and a peanut allergy i believe he deserves the same education as a child that is allergic to dogs. The difference is my son's allergy is air borne, meaning if you eat a nutella sandwich and the smell is on your breathe you can kill him. Nut free schools are a great idea because it is saving the school from a law suit if a child with a nut allergy dies from an attack while in school. Even though my son's school is NUT FREE I had to take him home 3 times in one week. I know it doesn't sound fair to the other kids but think of all the other snacks you can bring that are not nut free. It costs me over $700.00 a year for epi pens and benadryl that we never use and I would much rather pay that money that worry about my child dying while getting an education. Knowing a child has an allergy to certain foods and not being willing to keep it away is basically attempted murder. Because you are willing bringing something to the surroundings of a person who you know will die if they come in contact with it.
DON'T get you started? It's people like you that get me started. IF it was YOUR child you would understand. My son who we adopted, Can't go to birthday parties , the mall, the corner store or ever a restaraunt, my family and friends are very careful when they come over to make sure they haven't eaten anything with nuts in it because they saw the result of his throat closing over and him almost dying in a mater of seconds. EDUCATION on NUT allergies is needed by ALL!!!

Answer 4

I think that if there are hundreds of kids there, the best rule of thumb would be to eliminate peanut and peanut based products from the area. Peanut allergies are deadly, and it only takes a peanut free item to come into contact with a peanut product for contamination. For example, if a baker used the same spatula to remove cookies from two sheets of cookies, one with peanuts and one without, the w/o cookies could have some peanut product transferred.
Since the school is responsible for the safety of the students while they are in their care, and cannot be certain that products brought into the school don't meet the stringent guidelines needed to insure the safety of those with the allergies, I think that banning all peanut products from the school a prudent course of action.
I'm sure that if you were the parent of a child with a peanut allergy, you'd feel differently.

Answer 5

Peanut allergies can be life threatening. I think anything that prevents a kid from dying is a good thing. The other children can have all the nuts they wish outside of school. There is a student at my school who is so allergic that even sitting next to a child eating nuts can provoke a serious reaction.

Answer 6

It's a good thing that school are nut free. This is not only to prevent the children who are allergic to nuts from dying - but also to help aid in the ones who are allergic and don't know it.

I have 5 children, and my oldest is now in the 8th grade. Out of all the students in all the grades, we only know of one child who actually is allergic. And if it means that there will be no accidents, and that sweet little boy doesn't have to go to school in fear of eating something and dying...then I'm glad. And if there are any more children who develop this allergy, then they are just as safe at school, as they are at home.

I'm also glad that schools continue to hold a non-smoking policy on school grounds. My children are asthmatic, and could have a life-threatening attack from some selfish person smoking. So, knowing that there are no teachers blowing smoke outside the playground doors - I happily send my children out to school.

Not to mention the one child every 5 years or so that goes to a public school in a wheelchair. Yet, for that one child every so often - public schools have spent thousands for contructing wheelchair ramps, special parking spots for the handicapped, and handicapped entrances with those easy-open doors. I'm sure those parents & children are thankful - that even though they're the minority in a big school - those children can also go to school and be happy and safe.

You see, it's not about what one person wants. It's creating a safe environment to everyone.

Answer 7

Having a son that went through a "peanut butter sandwich " only phase, I can tell you that my son would have starved at school everyday! Thank God he has grown out of it. Having said that and totally understanding your feelings(it is hard enough to come up with school lunches as it), the growing number of peanut allergies makes it a hard choice for the school. As children get older, they understand their allergy and the potential for it to be deadly- remember, these kids don't just get a rash, they have life threatening reactions. But in this day of so many people eager to sue someone, schools are put in a position of liable and feel it is not worth the risk-which of course when you are talking about kids-it is not worth the risk! Please know that I do sympathize with your feelings. I work in a level II Trauma Emergency Center and I have taken care of a child (around 14 years old) that was accidentally exposed to peanut butter at school and it was almost a tragedy.

Answer 8

You would not think it is so obsurd if your child(ren) was allergic to peanuts or nuts. Some kids are so highly allergic to peanuts that if you were to eat any kind of peanuts & they smelled it on your breath, or in the air they will die if they do not take their epipen & be rushed to the hospital. You need to be more sensitive and educated yourself about peanut allergy. I have two children & one is allergic to peanuts & nuts. All family members are not allowed to eat any peanuts in the house & we make it a practice not to eat anything that contains peanuts outside the house also. I as a parent would hate to get that call from school saying my child is DEAD because a parent sent their child to school with peanuts or something that contained peanuts or nuts. I'ts hard on the parents, but it's even harder on the child(ren) who is/are allergic to peanuts. They have to watch everything they eat every minute of the day, so maybe you should try and help by not sending things to school with peanuts & nuts (if you do). Lots of people need to be educated about this topic including you. Hands up to your school & every school that is peanut free.

Answer 9

If a child brings nuts to school, they should be allowed to have them. However, I can understand that no nuts or nut products are served by the school. Nut allergies can be deadly. You need to think how you'd feel if your child had one of these allergies. There's no way to make separate food for these children, so the safest thing to do is to eliminate the nut products period. It makes total sense. If they served any nut product and one of these kids got the wrong thing, imagine what would happen to your taxes and so on to pay for the court case that would bring. It doesn't hurt anyone to go without these product and it's safest for everyone.

Answer 10

No I don't. It alienates children without the allergy. There are methods to take to assist children with allergies. My Daughter has a severe dairy allergy, both my kids do. She brings bagged lunch to school with her, and also see's the nurse for her meds. When they have parties the teacher is very good to call me and inform me of when the party is and what they will be having and whether or not if may or may not have something dairy related in it. I think it's a case by case basis and should be treated as such.

Answer 11

I think the reason is financial. The schools are required to provide an equal education to the students that have peanut allergies. If they were to be taught separately, that would probably cost the school district hundreds of thousands of extra dollars per year. So which would you prefer, doing without nuts while at school or paying higher taxes? The alternative is to change the law to get rid of the requirement that the government provide equal education to people with special problems.