No PB&J at school anymore?

Question

The little girl I nanny for told me when she's in 1st grade next year she can't have PB&J at school for lunch. Nobody is allowed to bring it apparently.

Has the world gone insane? Isn't it unfair to punish the kids without allergies just to "protect" the kids with allergies?

When I was in school there were kids with allergies, but they have their epi-pens and so did the nurses, so why is there this sudden thing in schools where it has to be peanut free??

As parents what would you suggest as solutions to this issue? I won't have a child in school for years yet...but this still bothers me a lot.

Answer 1

you know what baby jacob, i do admire you and you'd been my constant chatmate here, but im a little bit surprise at this particular question ur asking, I am a mother of a 10 month old child, and he is diagnosed and confirmed that he has a G6PD Deficiency, it is a kind of enzyme that protects our red blood cells, and my baby doesnt have the required nmber of this enzyme in his body, so for life he wont be able to eat certain food like fave beans and peanuts, and I am kinda hurt of this question of yours because it sounds so insentive to others who are victimns of this "peanut allergy" i totally support the regulations of that school, try to widen your perspective

Answer 2

well at my shool we have two peanut free tables were peunut products at not allowed you should suggest that to the school board because it has worked very at my school

Answer 3

Your little girl doesn't get tired of those? I know I do. How about Ham & Cheese, Bolange & Cheese, Turkey & Cheese. But about banning Peanut Butter & Jelly is very stupid. It's not like the kid is going to eat after her or something. Or if your so scared her allergies will act up either make her eat at home, or with the teacher. Just because that kid has allergies dosen't mean the other kids have to suffer.

Answer 4

I don't understand how people can argue with a rule that saves children's lives! Kids that are allergic to peanuts don't just get a rash... they DIE. How selfish can you be? You are willing to let someone elses child die because you want your kid to have PB&J sandwich?

Answer 5

It's not meant to be a punishment to the other children, but it's necessary to protect the allergic children.

I'm a college student with a scent allergy to seafood, and even though I don't go anywhere near a cafeteria or anywhere where people eat, I've still encountered people eating tuna in the hallways or in classes.  As soon as I smell it, I go into anaphylactic shock.  My throat swells shut, I can't breathe at all, and it feels like someone is choking me to death.  Even though I carry an epi-pen, there's no guarantee it will bring me out of the anaphylaxis, and it's like this for everyone who has this type of allergy.

God forbid, but if this happened to your child when he or she smelled peanuts or any other food, wouldn't you want to do everything possible to ensure his or her safety?  All these parents want is for their kids to go to school and be safe, which is just what every other parent wants.  My mother worries every day when it's time for lunch that I'll be safe.  If it was your child, would you rather the schools not have peanut butter around, or would you rather that they did and every day your child went there he or she would run the risk of a fatal reaction?

The world has not gone insane.  Making an accommodation like this is no different than making accommodations for those in wheelchairs.  How is this accommodation unfair when without it these children could die?

Food allergies and scent allergies are on the rise.  Even though someone carries an epi-pen and uses it, one or two shots of it doesn't guarantee that the person will come out of the reaction at all, or in time to survive.  It's a scary thing to live with because you live minute-to-minute.

What do I suggest as a solution?  I suggest that the peanuts and peanuts products be banned from schools.  Why?  Because it won't kill the non-allergic child if they can't have a peanut butter sandwich until they get home, but it will kill the allergic child if they smell it.  Surely, the non-allergic children can last the 6 hour school day without peanut butter, and I'm also sure they can find something else to eat.

This is about what is ethical here, not about unfair punishment.  Do you think these parents want their children to have food allergies?  Do you think they want to think every day when they send their child to school that they could die from a reaction?  Would you want your child to have this condition?  Of course not!  So why can't you accept the fact that this needs to be done to PROTECT lives?  Would it be ethical to not allow an accommodation for someone with a physical disability?  No!  So how is it ethical to allow peanut butter when it could kill a child?

Bottom line: these children are innocent victims of a horrible condition, and people should understand that this is not their fault or something exaggerated.  Everything should be done to protect the lives of others.

Answer 6

then when are they going to ban  EVERYTHING a student has an allergy to?  come on, alot of kids have alot of allergies, what if the next kid has an allergy to lunch meat, or dye, or whatever else happens to be in your lunch, teach your kids not to eat food from other kids lunches and it wont be a problem, alot of teachers dont want to have to actually watch the children so they make up stupid rules that inconvenience everyone instead....once a child is old enough to go to school they usually know what they cant eat due to allergies,i know my daughter was mature enough to understand not to eat or do certain things when she started.

EDIT:  ok let me back up here, i went and done some research after reading here. i didnt realize an allergy to peanuts hit some kids that hard,thats pretty scary, maybe it wont hurt to pack bologna...or whatever the case may be,...i know i can be extremely opinionated, but im not afraid to say it when im wrong either.

i found a news article about a girl who actually died  because her bf had eaten a pb sandwich and then kissed her,  talk about the  kiss of death....dang.

Answer 7

Well since some peanut allergies are LIFE THREATENING it is necessary to "protect"  them.

Would you want to be responsible for the death of a child at school because she had PB&J.

I know a lot of schools have "no peanut" tables and maybe thats what the school should do.

However, there might be a lot of kids with deathly allergies and it just is not worth risking it.

So, yes it is worth it to protect the children with allergies.

Answer 8

Its Health and Safety gone mad, but some people are so allergic they can have a deadly reaction with even an invisible trace of peanut butter.

The girl eats her sandwich, gets peanut traces on her hand. She holds had with the child with the allergy, and transfers the peanut traces. The child then puts his/her fingers in his mouth - and has a fatal reaction.

Answer 9

It's not about punishing or protecting.

A child with a peanut allergy who comes into contact with peanuts doesn't just get a little rash.  

Her throat starts to constrict, she is unable to breathe, and she can die from anaphylactic shock.  It happens.  See three recent cases (2 in Australia; 1 in Canada) in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th news articles below.

We don't know why peanut allergies seem to be increasing over time.  We just know that they are.

How would you feel if your client's daughter took a PB&J to school and a classmate died?

I know.  It's a pain for all of us peanut-loving, non-allergic people.  But think of this:

We are now aware of the dangers of secondhand smoke to kids and try to avoid it where possible.  But the risk of death from peanut allergies is worse and far more immediate than secondhand smoke.  Is a child's right to eat a PB&J at school more important than another child's right to avoid dying from preventable anaphylactic shock?

Let your client's daughter eat peanuts at home.

EDIT:

You are a nanny to one child.  

How would you cope with one hundred at a time?  That is my responsibility when I am on lunchroom duty in primary school.

It's easy to control one child.  I control 100 at a time, mostly well, but sometimes not.

Peanut-free tables?  Mandatory hand washing?  

You think I can personally supervise 50 girls washing their hands adequately in the girls' bathroom after lunch?  When all they care about is hurrying to recess?  And supervise 50 boys in the boys' bathroom at the same time?  When I'm not allowed in there unless they're screaming for help?  

Some bullies deliberately rub peanutty hands on allergic nerds.  No joke.

Despite my best intentions, I will get sued if one of my students dies of anaphylactic shock due to peanut allergies.  So why shouldn't I ban peanuts from school?

I love teaching your client's daughter, and I do it well.  I also welcome her parent's regular input so that I can become a better teacher to her and her classmates.  

But I challenge you, the nanny, to manage 25 with the same care and attention that you devote to one.  I try hard, but I can't possibly succeed in this.

Teachers should do this.  Teachers should do that.  Sheesh.

Everybody's been to school, therefore everybody knows exactly how teachers should do their jobs.

Everybody's been to a bank, therefore everybody knows exactly how bank tellers should do their jobs, including all the security considerations for which they receive ongoing special training.  

What?  Silly statement you say?

Answer 10

well i think its the right decsion wat if she dosen't know for example your daughters friend casey is allergic to peunts and your daughter gives her half the sandwich  or piece what would happen then?huh?what if that little girl dies it will be your fault for it and that will suck just give her pb and j at home to keep others safe

Answer 11

So ummm would it bother you if YOUR child had a peanut allergy and decided to trade lunches with a child who had yet another PBandJ sandwich and you were called to the hospital because your child was lying in a bed dying?  As a parent the solution to the issue has been made.  I have three kids in school and have no problems with the fact that nothing peanut is a part of the lunches.  But then I'm not so lazy that I can't think of anything else to fix my kids for lunch besides slapping together a PB and J sandwich

Answer 12

We do a lot of almond or cashew butter sandwiches at my school.  My son loves hummus so he gets a lot of hummus sandwiches as well.  The no peanut thing is just the reality now.

Answer 13

Just had to say after reading all those responses ... I'm profoundly grateful to all of you who are so understanding and accommodating.  (And I do understand it's a big pain!)

--Mom of a third grader with a life-threatening peanut allergy.

Answer 14

My first reaction was that the schools have gone overboard but when I put myself in he shoes of a parent of a child with a deadly allergy I think I would be relieved. They have almond butter that could be used.

Answer 15

I have dealt with this issue for years. my kids are not allergic, but if they were I would want the school to make reasonable accomadations to assure my child's safety. With peanut allergies, it can be such a bad allergy that just breathing the smell can make it hard for them to breathe. And small children are not always responsible enough to make sure they have washed thier hands well, and all trace is gone. all it takes is a speck of PB on a doorknob to put a child  in critical condition. I know somewher there is some brilliant child who will get the idea to chase his allergic classmate with the PBJ his mom packed in his lunch. Just to see what happens...will he just sneeze?...break out in a rash?...or REALLY stop breathing?

Put yourself in the shoes of the allergic parent. Wondering every single day if you are sending your child to his/her death by sending them to school. If the epi-pen can be given quick enough upon exposure to PB. what if it is in a locked cabinet in the office, and the person with the key is out to lunch?

Answer 16

I completely agree with you! Did you actually see anything from the school on that? Did they send something out to the parents about it? That just seems so rediculous.

Answer 17

That is a better idea than what my child school does

They have Peanut free classrooms

If you are in a peanut free classroom, no peanuts, and at lunch you are not allow to bring in PP&J

At this point you may think that is better than your child school, but here the odd part

If you are a peanut free class room, you can not bring in PP&J, but instead of hot lunch, you can by PP&J

That makes no sense

At least your school, have one rule that make sense

The problem is some kids are so allgrec to peanut, the smell can make them get an alleriec reaction

Answer 18

I don't think you understand what these allergies really mean. "They have their epi-pens" thats for EMERGENCIES. I am allergic to nuts, and I hope i will NEVER have to use my epi-pen. It's not like if I come in contact with nuts I can use my epi pen and I can go to recess. It involves calling 911, rushing an ambulance to the scene, hospitalization, worsening of the allergies (to the point where I can't even SMELL nuts) and especially fear. i can't believe all these consequences are okay if some other child can enjoy their PB and J lunch. It may be inconvienient, but saving lives is more important than feeding picky children.

Answer 19

because people die from that