Off the subject...Would you be supportive of a peanut free school?

Question

Why or why not?

Answer 1

I would be supportive of peanut free tables or maybe some other system in place.  Peanut free would also be very close to impossible.  Most parents are not going to read every label and many labels have a warning about the product being manufactured on machinery that manufactured peanuts.

Answer 2

No, I would not.  I understand that kids have allergies, believe me, I have plenty of my own...but other people are allowed to eat peanuts.  I am allergic to cherries, but I can't demand a cherry free environment.  

It just so happens that I have a 6 year old that will only eat a sandwich if it is peanut butter and bannanas.  He doesn't like cheese, or sandwich meats.  Why should he be denied his favorite lunch.

My childs school offers a "peanut free" table at lunch.  Children with peanut allergies sit at it, and anyone with a peanut free lunch may join them.  I know you will probably think that "then they have to sit alone" but my older daughter asks me every day if she has a peanut free lunch or not, so that she knows if she can join her friends at that table.

Answer 3

Of course I would. Anyone who wouldn't be is selfish. As if your child having peanut butter is more important than another child's life? How absurd. What people don't realize is some children are so alergic that they can't even be near it. When it comes to a child's life, you just don't take unecessesary risks and having peanut butter at school is not a necessity. Lucky for us we don't have any childrne with this alergy but there was a boy in my son's class with it and so my son couldn't take any peanut butter snacks to school...big deal, he can have peanut butter crackers at home if he wants. It's not going to kill him to go without peanut butter...but it could kill someone else if he brought it.

Answer 4

While I understand the peanut allergy.. my son's school I think handled the situation very well.. the allergy kids have a designated table in the cafeteria that only they are allowed to sit at and all the tables are cleaned with a special cleaner..  My son will only eat PBJ  I have tried sending him with other lunches and he is so picky I am not going let my child go hungry most of the time he only eats PBJ at home for dinners a lot too.  I don't think the district has the right to tell parents what the can't give their kids for lunch. I have also discussed this issue with our peditrician and was told that kids with the peanut allergy can sit at the table with the other kids just keep their hands to them selves and on their own plates.  

Answer 5

I would have  to say yes because my kids school is peanut free and I love their school LOL

Why would someone oppose this. It seems extreme but we do have a child in our school who cannot even eat at the same table as peanut butter. It is very scary when allergies are that severe.

Edit:  The child at our school does not trade lunches if he is even at the table and can smell it he has problems. I work there and have witnessed this first hand, that is why we are now peanut free. If my child could possible die from it I would hope other parents would be concerned enough to not send peanut butter there are a LOT of other choices out there for lunch. Some people only have minutes to be treated with severe allergies.

Answer 6

Yes. My 10 y/o twins are both highly allergic to peanuts. They have to get a shot every week just to bring down the level. My children's school have a peanut free table. So they both sit there during lunch, talk to other friends, and just hang out. I would be supportive because i want my child to be safe at school.

Answer 7

Yes.

Although my child loves peanuts and peanut butter, we know that peanut allergies can be deadly. I don't think some people understand that severe peanut allergies involve more than just a problem eating peanuts.  Some kids can go into shock of a friend eats peanut butter and then comes into contact with them.  

Protecting kids should be a top priority of schools.

Answer 8

I would support. Reason is close to the heart. My little sister was in grade prep, and ate peanuts. She was rushed to hospital, barely able to breath. She was allergic to them, which mum never knew as she never had had them.

There is a good population of children aged under 8 that haven't tried peanuts, and if they are offered one from their mates, they may try them

Answer 9

My daughter's preschool was entirely peanut free and we were supportive of that.  A child can't help if he or she has allergies to peanuts.  One of the kindergarten classrooms this past year was also peanut free, but it wasn't my daughter's room.  It can be tough to find alternatives to peanut butter sandwiches in school, but it can be done!

Answer 10

Well, I really can't comment on "regular schools" as I was homeschooled but frankly I don't support the ban for high schools. When someone hits 14 they should know what they can eat and what they can't eat. My husband is deathly allergic to penicillin and several other antibiotics and was well aware of the fact by age 8. In fact he was in the hospital for a minor injury at age 9 and when the ER nurse tried to unknowingly give him penicillin he started screaming like a banshee and actually started throwing things at her!

I've had chronic hypoglycemia since I was a kid and for some reason I always responded the best to honey roasted peanuts when my blood sugar got low. My parents actually kept jumbo size cans in their cars and when I was old enough to carry a purse, stocked me up with little snack size bags to pull out if I started feeling sick while we were out. To this day I keep a supply in my glove box.

PS I have several food allergies that aren't deadly but can cause major bowel problems so its not like I don't understand the allergy thing.

Answer 11

I would mind really because my daughter doesn't eat alot of peanut products anyways, but for those kids who do, now you're taking away what they like because someone else is allergic.  I think our school's cafeteria lunches are peanut free, which is fine by me, but as far as the kid's bringing their own lunch, they should be able to bring what they want and for those who are allergic and bring their own lunch, should know not to trade lunches or share food.

Answer 12

My son's school is peanut free,and I support it.  It was a pain at first,because he loves peanut butter.  Now we buy soybutter.  He likes it just as well, and its not harmful to other children.

Answer 13

Absolutely.  I can't imagine anything scarier than knowing your child could die by touching somone else's candy bar or peanut butter sandwich.  Even though my own child is not allergic, I would be happy to help a parent whose child does have an allergy worry a little less.

Answer 14

Yes.  I have kids with life-threatening allergies and I understand the stakes.

If there are no kids with airborne allergies, though, I'd also be okay with a peanut-free table and either food-free celebrations or a policy that any foods coming in for celebrations need to be peanut-free.  

edit -- Alyssa's mommy -- the problem is not trading lunches but touching the residue from someone else's lunch when you hold hands with them or touch the desk that they touched or the toy that they picked up after eating pb&j without thoroughly washing their hands.  It takes only a tiny (not even visible) trace of peanut to trigger a life-threatening reaction in some kids.

Answer 15

I personally feel if your child has an allergy you need to explain to them what foods to say "No thanks" to. My daughter is lactose intolerant and by her first day of school she will understand she can't "trade" lunches at school with people who have pudding cups or cheese sandwiches. She will know she can't buy milk in the lunch line.

If she had a severe allergy to peanuts I would put 100x more effort into making sure she knew she can never trade lunches. I think it is great schools are going peanut free, but the parents also really need to teach their kids not to trade lunches just in case.

Answer 16

Personally I think I would be against a peanut free school. Mainly because I don't like being told what my child can or cannot bring to lunch. Specially considering he loves his peanut butter sandwiches. However I understand that as a parent and if my child had a life threatening allergy I would want him protected. But I can't say that I would expect everyone else to conform just to suit one person. I would have to find another alternative.