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As a public school kindergarten teacher, I understand where the post is coming from. God forbid if anything were to happen to a child on our watch it is our butts on the line. We live in a country where lawsuits are common so extreme measures sometimes must be taken. I don't always agree with it but I understand it.
@miss.skinner: Excellent point about lawsuits. I guess the question is more.... what is reasonable for these parents of children with severe allergies to expect?
I think it can get a little excessive to say the least. FI's mom is a principal of an elementary school and has a student with a MILK allergy. This child eats in a separate area from all the other kids and desks/hands are sanitized before the child returns. Even still this student's parents are pushing to have ALL milk products banned from the school. This means breads, cupcakes to celebrate birthdays.. basically ANYTHING made with milk.
In a case where proper precautions are being taken and the allergy is that extreme it's my opinion that the child needs a different educational situation.
Edit to add.. it's not lactose intolerance, I mean a legit allergy with epipen and everything.
I teach in an elementary school, and we have to deal with this, too, albeit thankfully not to this extreme!
My question is, what about when this child is shopping at the mall, or at an amusement park? Or, what if this child wants to accompany a parent to the grocery store? I understand that the school should take some precautions, but you also have to think about other aspects of life, too. Having every aspect of life live up to those standards would be impossible.
I can see designating certain tables in the cafeteria as peanut-free tables. I can certainly understand wiping them down with a special solvent, to make sure that everything is okay.
One possible way would be when class lists are constructed, the other parents are notified that their child is being placed in a classroom that is designated as a "peanut free zone". If a parent has a problem with that, they could request that their child be moved. This could happen before the school year starts. It doesn't blatantly identify the child with the allergy (and also, protecting HIPPA rights), and yet, it gives parents an option.
To me if a child has such a severe allergy to something then the child needs to be in a different environment until they are older and understand their allergy better and can protect themselves. To make a school get rid of all MILK or PEANUT products is absolutely CRAZY!
@MissSawyer: Thats ridiculous!! My child had an allergy to eggs.. as along as he didnt eat them he was fine..He has since grown out of the allergy and was tested and he is no longer allergic.. wierd I know! But anywho, Milk isnt like peanuts! A peanut allergy is way worse.. Kids shouldnt even be near a peanut ! I agree with not having peanut products in the same class room or around a child .. But if it were my child and I was that worried I would have him home schooled!!
Till this day My 5 year old wont eat mayo cuz he says it has eggs in it.. lol!
wow. I have a special child and I would hate to hear that he should seek education in a different place because of his deadly allergy. Peanut allergies can be SEVERE. They can kill. A simple whiff of something containing peanuts can be deadly. I will accommodate any way necessary if I heard a child at our school had an allergy.
I think it can be a little excessive. I think it just makes sense that the child who has the allergy to not sit next to the child who brought peanuts or milk or whatever. If the allergy is so severe then I don't know. You can't isolate the child but I think schools need to take precautionary measures but nothing too extreme where they can't let a child bring in certain food. That's too extreme.
People should make REASONABLE accomodations for students with allergies, but at a certain point it crosses the line into infringing on other students. Also as a parent, I would not trust my child's life to other children- children can't grasp the concept of how serious it is. What are these children going to do when they grow up? Not go out of the house? Not use public transportation? Insist that every dorm, store, workplace, etc they ever go to be peanut free? You can't go around banning every thing that someone might have an allergic reaction to. I have a relative that has an anaphalactic reaction to mangos- should we outlaw those too?
My daughter's gym is peanut free and they are very strict about it. We even have to clean our hands before we enter.
A child has a right to a free, appropriate education. To deny a child that because of a severe allergy is unfair and illegal.
I have to agree with some others, at some point your child is going to be in a public place with peanuts. Peanut free tables make sense, but not allowing a child to have a pb&j cause one child in their school has an allergy? Removing all traces of peanut? It isn't reasonable. Guess what parents? Just cause your kid has an allergy doesn't mean Walmart will stop selling peanut butter or the major leagues won't have cracker jacks anymore. If your child is THAT allergic, keep them at home till they are old enough to take care of themselves, give an Epipen if they need it but don't exspect everyone else's 7 year olds to be responsible for it too.
The percentage of children who have a peanut allergy so severe that simply being around another person who has ingested peanuts (not licked them or anything) is so low. The peanut sniffing dog, what if another student has a severe pet dander allergy? If my child was in a school that had such outrageous and silly peanut policies, I'd switch schools. The school mandates that the children rinse their mouths out with WATER. Like that really rinses away all traces of the allergen? Or they actually do a good job? This is ridiculous.
My mother is an elementary school teacher and has a child in her class with a severe peanut allergy. Her class is deemed a "peanut-free environment" so none of the other children in the class are allowed to bring in peanut products. Other children in the school are allowed to have peanuts/peanut butter/etc. but not in the classroom.
I'm not sure if it's true or not. But I believe that kids need to be exposed to a lot of potential harmful foods when they are in their younger years. If they are isolated, it just makes them that much more sensitive. I always had a allergy to cats but the more I was around them, the better my symptoms became until my body learned how to deal with it. If we isolate our kids from all these potentially hazardous foods, then the possibility is there that more kids will develop allergies. Like I said, that is just my theory!
No no... with SOME allergies that aren't life threatening, maybe, but when a child is diagnosed with severe peanut allergy, you don't expose them to that to "get them over it." They will go anaphylactic and die within minutes if their allergies are severe enough. Having an allergy to cat dander that makes your eyes itchy is totally different. Some kids do outgrow peanut allergy, but until they do, you can't be too safe.
I understand the parents are inconvenienced because they can't pack their kid a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch or whatever, but honestly, it's not that big a hassle to have your child have to wash their hands a few extra times a day. Frankly, most kids probably need it! Their children are not truly suffering or earning a lesser education because maybe 5 total minutes of their day is spent doing this for the benefit of the allergic child. Certainly not enough to warrant the allergic child being forced to stay home her whole life for something she can't help.
I saw this earlier in the week and the one thing that one of the reporters said was that this child has a disability techniquely. So if you replaced the word peanut allergy with autism or down syndrome or HIV or AIDS, would people be picketing?
If I was a parent and I had the ability to home school my child. I probably would because I would feel safer that the child is safe in my home instead of unsafe out in the unknown world. Yes, it may make my child very shelter and making my child live in a bubble which can be wrong too.
If I couldn't afford to stay home with my child, what choices do I have? I think my child has a right to be protected at school. Yes, some of the precautions are extreme but maybe with more and more children having potentially lethal allergies, I hope that some day public or private schools will be made to accomodate them. Like a seperate school. But until then I think schools should accomodate them. Also, the reporter said there are way to make this "hassle" a positive one. Have lessons about why this child can't have peanut. If you make the children more knowlegdable and more considerate of this child's problem, then it won't be too bad.
I think it's sad that grown adults are picketing. There's a 6 year old right now in the middle of this thing and they think picketing and protesting this. These parents say they are not aiming this towards the kid. Yeah, don't think so. I'm sure the 6 year old feels awful.
ETA: Oh, right now in Seattle I know some coworkers who put their kids in daycare. There are already rules in place, like if they bring in anything to share with the class, they can't have eggs in it.
I bet you there schools all over the country that are accomodating for kids with these types of lethal allergies. Why aren't they picketing? I thinks it's how the school or school district plays this off. Do they make it seem like a huge hassle or are they doing it to create a safe environment for a kid who unfortunately has this problem?
@ohheavenlyday: Yeah I know, but we can't keep all kids away from every potentially harmful foods. I understand that those WITH the peanut allergy should be removed from the harm cause of the severity of the allergy.
I saw this news story a few weeks ago and thought it was crazy. A reasonable accomodation is one thing, but banning peanuts and peanut products for all other kids (or any other type of food) is way out of line. I have a shellfish allergy, but it's my allergy and I am responsible for keeping myself safe, no one else, and it's been like that since I've been a kid. I agree with PPs who have pointed out that not only can this kid's parents control every environment that their child is in, and have asked how the kid is going to handle it when they get older. If I had kids, I'd be pulling them out of that school and sending them somewhere else.
That's such a tough situation. I literally ate peanut butter sandwiches every day for lunch from first grade until I graduated. As much as I love them, though, I would have given up my preferred sandwich if it meant another kid could safely attend school.
The milk allergy is so much trickier, though, since milk is really vital to development. That one actually infringes on the other students' development since many kids only get healthy foods at school.
I think its more the question of where to draw the line. If you end up with a school that has 100 kids, and 1 is allergic to milk, 1 allergic to peanuts, and 1 allergic to eggs then what are the other 97 kids supposed to eat every day?
My little brother is severly allergic to all tree nuts. I remember when he first started going to school my mom was so worried she had him isolated at lunch time and everything. As he got older, he learned to scope out the other kid's lunches and move away from anyone who had pb&j, reeses, etc. Now the nurse just has a epi pen just in case but he's never had to use it. He's only in 6th grade at the moment.
I don't think the kids at school should have to suffer and I don't think it's fair to the person who has the allergy to be pointed out like that. "You have to wash your hands 6 times a day because SOMEONE has a peanut allergy." Oh come on now, that doesn't help the kid at all. Don't treat them any different. It's up to the child's parents to teach the child with allergies what to look for and how to react to different circumstances.
There's a camp that I'll likely be working this summer and they are a peanut free camp so they request that parents not pack any snacks that contain nuts (peanut butter, trail mix, etc). I think that because of the rise in this particular allergy, that taking special precautions to ensure that students are safe is the right thing to do. Peanut allergies seem to be worse than other allergies (I'm not sure why), but a lot of people who suffer from it can't even be within a certain distance of it because even inhaling the dust can cause a fatal reaction. I think that the person requesting that milk be taken out of the school is a little extreme. If it's something you need to actually ingest in order for it to give you a reaction then I think educating your child about what they can and can't eat is the better route as opposed to depriving all the other children.
Loving all of the diverse responses here! I think a lot of people make good points. I'm inclined to agree with those of you who advocate some measures but not the "by any means necessary" mentality. A peanut free table/classroom, making kids in that child's class wash their hands after lunch... seems reasonable to me. But at some point I feel like parents' should do as firsttimemom's parents did and teach their child to manage their own allergy.
I also see someone hasn't mentioned that washing your hands too much CAN damage the top layer of skin (hilariously named the "horny layer"). Without this protective layer this opens the skin (which is an organ) to disease.
So, yeah, excessive hand washing can be detremental to other children's health.
If a child has that severe of an allergy, I tend to believe it's the parents responsibility. The school can't watch everything- what if another student throws a nut product and accidentally (or not) hits the kid with the peanut allergy? There are so many "what if's." If I were the parent of a child with severe allergies I'd home school them until they were old enough to understand their allergy, protect themselves, and know what to do in case they had a reaction.
I think that schools should take some precautions, but having the other children wash out thier mouths? Thats not ok. And using disinfectant wipes? WAY not ok. I know that the whiping has not been confirmed, but if my kid came home and told me that their teacher had used a clorox wipe on their mouth, I would not be ok with that. I am all for protecting kids with allergies, but at what point does the parent and the school have to sit down and decide that the school environment is just too dangerous for the child. I know that if my child had an allergy that was so bad that these measures had to be taken, I would be looking into alternatives to public school.
I read this story too and I have to agree with Corgi. It's fine to accommodate one child's needs to a degree, but when it becomes a burden, it's time to reconsider. I mean, what's next a decontamination shower at the classroom door? Lol
I wasn't going to jump in as I have strong opinions about the subject and I have been following this story with interest. But I figured, what the hell.
FI has anaphylaxis to all Dairy, Egg, and Tree nuts/Peanuts. He has had these allergies since he was very little. FI went to public school most of his life. When he was three his mom sat him down and said, "If you eat these things, you will die." A lot of parents with allergies don't want to scare their kids, trust me, I am on an allergy support forum. BUT with ANAPHYLAXIS you need too. I am sorry but it is the only way that accidents don't happen.
Peanut allergies are very dangrous because peanut products are so oily and oil is hard to clean. Also a lot of people with peanut allergies are triggered by smell of them. I think in those cases then yes, they should be banned from schools. You wouldn't tell a quadriplegic that he had to be homeschooled because he couldn't go up the steps or do gym classes. If you cannot do something or partake in something that the general population can it is a disablity. period. Anaphylaxis is so misunderstood because people use the term allergy to describe things that are in fact not allergies.
Do I think the measures that this school put in place are extreme? Yes, yes I do. I think both parties have to work together and meet in the middle. As FI says, there are ALWAYS risks. When we eat out (which is rare) we take huge risks, it is playing Russian Roulette but with anything in life it does come with risks.
I find that often times parents of children with allergies are way to up on their high horse and expect too much. FMIL raised her son with the right attitude that people don't understand anaphylaxis and that it is HIS job to make sure he is safe with what he is eating. Not hers, and now not mine but his. And every child with these types of allergies need to be raised that way. I am glad that here in Canada Anaphylaxis is starting to be recognized as a disablity. Because it is.
There needs to be more education all around. People need to understand that it is a disablity, however, these parents need to realize that this is their child's life not theirs and these children have to step up and take responsiblity for their own health and safety. Like with any child you cannot protect them forever. It may sound harsh but when there is a life on the line, you have to be.
My mother works in a school with a kid with a severe peanut allergy. Though it is quite frustrating to make accomodations it's totally necessary for the safety of this child. You can't exclude the child simply because of an allergy if something can be done to protect it. There are signs all over the school noting that it is a "peanut free" school. Also, any birthday's or celebrations cannot bring in store bought products that may have been made around peanuts. The children in his class are also not allowed to eat peanut butter cereal for breakfast (as one did one morning, and the boy had a severe reaction, and was immediately rushed to the hospital).
The parent's are very accomodating, which I believe is hugely important if you are sending your child to public school and expect all others to make severe accomodations for your child. They bring in cakes and cookies, etc for all celebrations, and help provide any education necessary to help others understand their childs needs.
Personally - I think the measures are ridiculous. If you or your child has a severe allergy - it is the responsibility of you and your child to take precautions. It is not the responsibilty of the thousands of other children and parents at the school.
Other children should not be banned from eating PB&J sandwiches for lunch or PB cereal for breakfast just because one kid in the school has a severe allergy. They also shouldn't be forced into frequent hand-washing as it can irritate the skin and can lead to a lack of developed resistance to pathogens/bacteria. And being forced to wash their mouths out is just insane.
Parents can't control every person and environment that their child come in contact with if they want to send their child out into the public arena. What about when they go to the park and one of the kids there ate PB crackers? Or when they go clothes shopping at the mall and another shopper had PB for lunch? Maybe we should just ban all peanut products from everywhere so that the child can safe no matter where they go or what they do!
I voted for making some accomodations, but nothing too extreme. However, I wanted to bring up a point that I don't think anyone else has made. If I were a parent of a child that attended the same school as this kid with allergies, I would feel uncomfortable with having my child take on this type of liability. It is one thing to make accomodations for a child in a wheelchair, but it is another thing to expect a bunch of 6-year-olds to have to tiptoe around an extremely fragile human being (and yes, I think being deathly allergic to a very common ingredient does make you extremely fragile) when they are not old enough to fully understand the ramifications of this allergy or their own actions in relation to it. What if my child were to sneak a piece of Halloween candy to school, which happened to contain traces of peanuts, inadvertently sending this allergic child into a deadly reaction? This is NOT out of the question! Obviously I worry about the safety of the allergic child, but I also don't want my 6-year-old to have to deal with this possibility! I realize legal liability is probably not at stake here, but to expose young children to that kind of moral liability is IMO unreasonable. This makes a deathly allergy different from other disabilities.
Honestly, if my kid had allergies that were THAT severe, I would probably homeschool him/her. I don't like the idea of depending on other children to follow the rules so that my child can be safe--kind of like not vaccinating your child because you assume all other kids will be vaccinated. How can you be SURE that children will not bring peanut products to school? And if the allergy is so severe that the smell can trigger a reaction, then what if a child has peanut butter on toast for breakfast and comes to school? You can't control what other children are doing at home. It would be too much of a risk for me, and at the same time, I don't think it's fair/reasonable to put so many restrictions on the other children.
I'll bet you the parents are more up in arms about this than the children are. You have a classroom full of 6year olds, explain to them that so and so is allergic to peanuts and would they consider not bringing peanut butter sandwiches to school for the rest of the year. If these 6 year olds knew that a sandwich could be deadly, I'll bet you they wouldn't want to bring any peanutbutter sandwiches to schools. But for some reason all these parents are upset that they can't pack peanut butter sandwiches anymore. Give me a break! I mean, I understand the handwashing and mouth washing is a bit over the top, but I don't think it's a big deal to ban peanut products. But all these parents are saying, it's my right to pack whatever I want in my kids lunch this isn't fair etc and so forth. It's just as easy to make a jam sandwich. And so many snack products all have those peanut free labels on them nowadays.
@Bostonsmom: I don't think many people would object to simply not bringing peanut butter sandwiches to school- but the problem is that there are traces of peanuts in literally thousands of products in which you would never expect there to be nuts! Although there are many peanut-free options, basically these parents are faced with the large and possibly expensive task of making sure their child never brings ANYTHING to school that even has TRACES of peanuts in it. See my halloween candy example above. Even with the most stringent policing of your child's diet, things will slip by! For an allergy this sensitive, I do believe the accomodations are unreasonable.
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Beekeeper
I was just surfing through some news sites and found an interesting article about parents picketing at a school where somewhat extreme measures are being taken to protect a student with peanut allergy. In addition to forbidding any peanut products in the school, kids also have to wash their hands and rinse out their mouths several times per day. There have been allegations that kids' mouths have been disinfected but those are refuted. The school is also bringing in a peanut sniffing dog to make sure no one has peanut products.
Obviously I've heard of this kind of thing before, and it seems to be getting increasingly common. I really don't have a strong opinion on it... or maybe more accurately I'm torn.
On one hand, it isn't the child's fault that they have a severe allergy and if I was their parent I'd want everything possible done to keep them safe.
On the other hand... if the allergy is SO severe that merely sitting at a table with someone who had a pbj for lunch could kill you... why wouldn't you keep that child at home? The steps required to completely eliminate risk in a school setting seem so cumbersome and It does seem a bit unreasonable to expect hundreds of other families to change their lives to accommodate your child.
So I really don't know. I was wondering where others fell on this issue?
ETA: this is the article I was reading: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/22/peanut-allergy-edgewater-elementary-school_n_839091.html