Want to start a fight among parents? Mention a peanut ban. Boy, do some people get animated about this discussion!
We are only navigating the scary waters of a nut-free preschool this year but I know many of you are dealing with older children. The subject of the peanut ban has been all over the Internet in the last few weeks. More schools are passing them and more and more people are angry.
Why all the upset? The reason is rather obvious: a lack of education and understanding. I admit (in a little embarrassed way) that I had no idea how life-threatening food allergies could be a few years ago. I remember about ten years ago when I heard that some airlines were discontinuing peanuts due to allergies. I couldn't understand why these people couldn't just eat something else. I mean, really, how picky can you be?
When I hear of parents in an uproar over a peanut ban, I remind myself they were like me not too many years ago. I would never be as hateful as some of these people can be. But, I was certainly uneducated in the food allergy arena.
When I hear of someone that is upset over these things, I try to remind myself how lucky they are. Yep, it's hard when they are saying things that scare me to my core for my PA kid. Yet, they have never had to live with EpiPens, ER visits, countless allergy tests, and a fear that never, ever goes away.
I'm not sure how I feel about peanut bans. Well, if I had my way, I would ban peanuts from the planet. But, do I want Tyler singled out for a policy that angers so many parents? And ultimately the kids he goes to school with everyday?
Really, those minor issues don't matter. His safety does. But so does his emotional well-being.
You might be surprised to know that The Food Allergy & Anaphylactic Network doesn't support bans. They advocate teaching children to protect themselves, just like they will in the "real world." I get that logic.
But, if pressed, I'm gonna have to say I'm for these bans. Children being unable to eat PB&J is OK with me. Sure, I ate them. But I'm pretty sure my mom did a good enough job raising me that, if I had not been allowed to eat an occasional PB&J, I'd still be the same emotionally adjusted (with a few neurotic moments thrown in for good measure) that I am now.
I'm curious what those of you out there think. I'm sure most of you support the bans. But, will you let your child attend a school without one? Will you push for one? Will it greatly increase your anxiety?
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5 comments:
You know - I was definitely one of those parents who would have been highly annoyed by a peanut ban a few years ago. Funny how a little perspective and personal experience can change an opinion.
Martha is only 1, and we have already decided she will be home-schooled the first few years. The elementary school where my oldest goes (where she would go) has peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on the menu EVERY day of the week in their cafeteria. EVERY DAY! You can bet I'm not sending her off to school under those kinds of circumstances. We had actually already decided on home-schooling before we found out about the PBJ's on the menu, mostly because I don't have enough faith in other people to care for my daughter like I would, and until she can speak well enough for herself, I prefer to keep her with me. My hope is that in the next few years I can find a really good homeschooling group in the area that has other families dealing with PA too.
The whole peanut ban is a hot issue in our community right now because a local school voluntarily went peanut free so a child could attend. There are a lot of angry people, which concerns me because we'll be facing the same issue in 3 years when it's time for my son to go to school. I'm all for the ban because otherwise I'll be worried about my son all day long. I've also considered home-schooling, but my older son already attends public school and would be disappointed if I made him start staying home. I do plan to meet with the principal before my PA son goes to school to discuss what can be done to protect him while he is there.
Angie
My take is this: We need to teach our children about their allergy and how to keep them as safe as possible. Teach when and where they can make adjustments to help themselves. If you ban peanuts from your child's classroom you might have a few outraged parents but not an entire district.
As children leave elementary school they are probably going to be mature enought to know what they can and can't do in regards to their allergy.
Banning peanuts isn't the answer. Taking precautions and education is the key.
Amy
Well, instead of all you guys talking about your children, let me give you an inside perspective. I have a very serious alergy to peanuts. In elementry school there was no ban, but honestly it may have helped a bit.
Think of kids in kindergaten playing with eachother and touching eachother, how dangerous is that for someone who is a lergic and doesn't know about it. So something should be implemented for the younger students. Since I fully became truely aware of my alergy, after having a very severe reaction to peanut butter cookies at camp when I was 7 , just the smell of peanuts makes me sick and that is really an uncomfortable feeling. I know that in the 'real' world, that cannot be changed and that every morning in the metro I will always get sick because of so and so's peanut-breath, but it kind of is a bad start to the day.
So to sum up, I know that it is complicated not to pack something with peanuts, but it may be better. Not necessarily banning them, but just out of choice not putting it in a child's lunch. I turned out fine because I never really realized that I was allergic until that horrible day, and I wish that no child will ever have to go through what I did.
KB
My daughter has peanut/tree nut allergies and is now is 2nd grade. The charter school she attends does not have a cafeteria so the children eat lunch/snack in the classroom that they learn in. She has attended this school since kindergarten and is now in 2nd grade. I have worked with the school each year to develop an allergy plan to keep my daughter safe which they have used and did implement this school year which included providing a peanut free classroom. However, on the first day of school, a parent threatened legal action if her child was NOT allowed to bring in peanut butter or nut items based discrimination. This prompted the school to contact their lawyer and they have now stated that they are no longer legally obligated to provide a peanut free classroom unless we can prove she is "airborne" allergic. They will provide a peanut free table within the classroom and wipe down tables after meals or my child can be sent to the office to eat lunch if I don't like the first option.
I beleive in educatin my child in self monitering her allergies, but at 7, I expect the school to provide a free, safe, public education for her. I do not beleive that PB lovers have more rights than my disabled (as defined by law) child. If her child has to wait for a PB sandwich until after school, he will survive, my child may not.
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