The idea of banning peanuts from schools is not a new concept. Given that peanut allergy is common and possibly severe, and that accidental exposures to peanuts are common at school, parents of peanut-allergic children would be right to want to ban peanuts from schools. However, there are problems with such an idea.
How do we deal with children who are allergic to eggs and milk? What about other common foods, such as wheat and soy? Do we ban these foods, too? How about those children with severe asthma and dog or cat allergy - do we ban children whose families own cats and dogs at home? Do we make these children change into "clean" clothes so that the pet dander on their clothes doesn't trigger another child's asthma?
As you can (or should) see, the argument for banning peanuts doesn't hold water - and is a "slippery slope" once you consider the repercussions. A better policy is education of school staff and the other children of a particular child's food allergy, and preparation to deal with anaphylaxis before it happens.
Agree with me? Disagree with me? This topic creates a ton of controversy. Share your thoughts.
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I agree, and I have a child with a severe peanut allergy. I also have a child with egg allergies and I am severely allergic to dogs. So, I feel that schools need to take reasonable precautions, but should not have to become as sterile as a hospital.
I agree and, for the most part, don’t agree with peanut bans in schools even though my own son is allergic to peanuts. I certainly appreciate when people refrain from sending peanutty foods out of courtesy. Banning seems to create resentment all around. However, we really need to then, more than ever, make sure that the staff know what to look for and what to do should a reaction occur. Staff and teachers need to respect that the allergic child will not be able to partake in all foods that are brought in and not try to assure them that it’s safe to eat. Our policy was that my son not eat anything that I hadn’t sent from our home. There were times, though, that adults at school would try to talk him into eating something that they deemed safe for him. It may or may not have been, but the agreed upon plan was that he only eat snacks from home or snacks that I had specifically allowed. Having peanut butter and peanuts around an allergic child means even more diligence from the adults that work at the school. And they have to know what they’re doing or it could have some serious medical repercussions.
From a family with moderate peanut allergies, I think all products containing peanuts should be clearly marked. Foods likely to cause allergies should not be included in classes for children who may not be discerning enough. Once they get around fourth grade, then they should be able to have peanuts and other allergy-prone foods available there.
I wish it could be done, but then you bring up such a good point about all the other allergens. It’s so hard. My little boy has severe food allergies and once had such terrible intolerances too that gave him awful eczema. The one and only thing that has helped his skin and intolerances has been his Belly Boost children’s probiotic which I am so thankful for! It has gotten easier in some ways for us but we will always live with the fear of his allergies. We try to always stay in constant communication with the school.
My child can die in TWO MINUTES!!!! Do I think they should ban peanuts/tree nuts? You bet I do! If a child can DIE because of an allergy, it should not be allowed in any school!
My daughter no longer takes her favorite, PB&J sandwiches, to school because the lunch room police move her away from her friends to the “peanut table” so the peanut allergy children aren’t segregated from the others. However…the dairy allergy children have their own table segregated from the others. Why do the peanut allergy kids get handled with kid gloves while the dairy allergy kids are the social pariahs? Missy, if your child’s allergy is THAT severe, I’m sorry but he/she should be sent aware from the other kids for his/her safety in case a peanut product slipped in another kids lunch!
Selfish… EXTREMELY. Parents should consider others when they make such a decision. My daughter has extreme reactions, possibly life threatening reactions, to certain perfumes & fragrances. I would never ask a community of parents, teachers, or children to bend to her odd needs. We home school & always have. We would never think to play the victim hood card against the community! She is now 17 & intends on earning her degree online.
I am at a loss. To suggest that because a child has a life threatening allergy to peanuts, not excema, or a mild reaction, but a true severe allergy that child doesn’t deserve an education because other children NEED peanuts to learn in school. I don’t think so. A child should not be kept home because of others selfish and intolerant ways. A child with an allergy is far less disturbing than one with ADD or other behavioral problems that take away from class time, but let’s not focus on learning let’s focus on the fact that there are endless options to peanuts and peanut butter for lunch and snack options. Most other allergies are not the type that cause the anaphylactic type reaction.
If your child is THAT allergic to something, you as a parent need to take the initiative to educate and protect them and quit expecting everybody else to alter their own lifestyles to cater to the needs of your children. To me, THAT is selfish. Home and private schooling are viable options. I have a severe allergy to wheat but I’m not going to demand that everyone refrain from enjoying sandwiches because of it.
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