Birthdays at School - Ug!

[Guest guest]

Chrisine,

For preschool... I was able to get a list of the kids birthdays..

and like you... anticipated that a parent would send it some

glutenoids that day.... Therefore, advance notice or not..... our

daughter always had a treat.....

Melonie

> > > > > > > > >

> > > > > > > > > As a parent of a child with airborne peanut

reactions

> > and

> > > > > > > > anaphylactic

> > > > > > > > > reactions with any contact to peanuts.... no I

don't

> > > > expect

> > > > > > the

> > > > > > > > entire

> > > > > > > > > classroom or the school to be " responsible " for my

> > > > daughters

> > > > > > > > allergy but I

> > > > > > > > > do expect them to take reasonable steps to protect

my

> > > > child

> > > > > > from

> > > > > > > > dying,

> > > > > > > > > which is what the reaction could easily be with

her

> > level

> > > > of

> > > > > > > > allergy. This

> > > > > > > > > was especially true when she was in elementary

> > school.

> > > As

> > > > a

> > > > > > > young

> > > > > > > > child she

> > > > > > > > > didn't have the skills enough to recognize

situations

> > > > where

> > > > > > she

> > > > > > > was

> > > > > > > > at risk

> > > > > > > > > so at that age, yes I expected the school to take

> > steps

> > > to

> > > > > > keep

> > > > > > > her

> > > > > > > > safe.

> > > > > > > > >

> > > > > > > > > I'm very happy to report back then the principal

of

> > her

> > > > > school

> > > > > > > > agreed with

> > > > > > > > > me and asked the parents in her classroom to

> > voluntarily

> > > > > not

> > > > > > > send

> > > > > > > > their

> > > > > > > > > kids with peanut products. Every single parent

> > complied

> > > > > with

> > > > > > > this

> > > > > > > > request,

> > > > > > > > > every single year. The parents had my phone

number

> > and

> > > > > would

> > > > > > > call

> > > > > > > > me about

> > > > > > > > > products they had at home. It worked out

wonderfully

> > for

> > > > > us.

> > > > > > > Were

> > > > > > > > mistakes

> > > > > > > > > made (like with power/snack bars)? Maybe so but

I'm

> > not

> > > > > aware

> > > > > > > of

> > > > > > > > any, every

> > > > > > > > > single parent was so nice about it, my daughter

> became

> > > > > > > everyone's

> > > > > > > > child and

> > > > > > > > > on field trips and such..... all the parents were

> > > > constantly

> > > > > > > > monitoring food

> > > > > > > > > and snacks around her (I did go on every field

trip).

> > > > > > > > >

> > > > > > > > > They decided not to ban peanuts in the entire

school

> > but

> > > > > gave

> > > > > > my

> > > > > > > > daughter a

> > > > > > > > > separate lounge to eat her lunch in (she could

pick 5

> > > > > friends

> > > > > > a

> > > > > > > day

> > > > > > > > to eat

> > > > > > > > > there with her). Again the precautions that

everyone

> > > took

> > > > > for

> > > > > > > us

> > > > > > > > really

> > > > > > > > > worked... she was in that school for 5 years (to

4th

> > > > grade)

> > > > > > and

> > > > > > > > only had 2

> > > > > > > > > reactions. Then she went to another school where

> they

> > > > > didn't

> > > > > > > take

> > > > > > > > the issue

> > > > > > > > > as seriously and she would have to come home or go

to

> > the

> > > > > > > hospital

> > > > > > > > 3 times a

> > > > > > > > > week, her grades suffered, her confidence suffered

> and

> > > she

> > > > > got

> > > > > > > > behind.

> > > > > > > > >

> > > > > > > > > Now she is in 8th grade and she has only had a few

> > > > reactions

> > > > > > > this

> > > > > > > > year, the

> > > > > > > > > only precaution she has is a peanut free lunch

table

> > but,

> > > > > the

> > > > > > > > difference is

> > > > > > > > > that she can now read labels, she is old enough

and

> > > mature

> > > > > > > enough

> > > > > > > > to take

> > > > > > > > > care of her allergy. The other saving grace is

that

> > in

> > > > > Middle

> > > > > > > > school very

> > > > > > > > > few kids eat PB & J its just not " cool " .

> > > > > > > > >

> > > > > > > > > So you know what... it really does take a village

to

> > keep

> > > > > our

> > > > > > > kids

> > > > > > > > happy and

> > > > > > > > > healthy and I guess I've convinced myself that I

do

> > > expect

> > > > > > help

> > > > > > > and

> > > > > > > > > understanding from others... I'd certainly do it

for

> > > their

> > > > > > kids

> > > > > > > (in

> > > > > > > > my

> > > > > > > > > daughters school there is a child with latex

allergy

> > so

> > > > > severe

> > > > > > > that

> > > > > > > > the

> > > > > > > > > entire school does not have ANY latex in it and

I'm

> > happy

> > > > to

> > > > > > > abide

> > > > > > > > by that

> > > > > > > > > rule).

> > > > > > > > >

> > > > > > > > > You mentioned that your child has asthma and

celiac,

> > > those

> > > > > are

> > > > > > > very

> > > > > > > > > different then an anaphylactic airborne peanut

> > allergy, I

> > > > > know

> > > > > > > > about them

> > > > > > > > > first hand too, my peanut girl has both!

> > > > > > > > >

> > > > > > > > >

> > > > > > > > >

> > > > > > > > > > Are 50 parents (one classroom) responsible for

the

> > > > safety

> > > > > of

> > > > > > > > someone

> > > > > > > > > > else's child?

> > > > > > > > > >

> > > > > > > > > > Are 500 parents (entire school) responsible for

the

> > > > safety

> > > > > > of

> > > > > > > > someone

> > > > > > > > > > else's child?

> > > > > > > > >

> > > > > > > > > > As the parent of a child with not only celiac

but

> > also

> > > a

> > > > > > > > complicated

> > > > > > > > > > list of allergies and intolerances, I do not

expect

> > > > other

> > > > > > > parents

> > > > > > > > to

> > > > > > > > > > be responsible for my child's safety. To date,

he

> > has

> > > > not

> > > > > > had

> > > > > > > any

> > > > > > > > > > analphylactic reactions, but I have already been

> > warned

> > > > by

> > > > > > the

> > > > > > > > > > allergist he is at risk for them, and he does

have

> > > major

> > > > > > asthma

> > > > > > > > > > attacks from certain allergens. Dogs are a major

> > > trigger

> > > > > for

> > > > > > > his

> > > > > > > > > > asthma *and people can die from asthma in a very

> few

> > > > > > minutes*

> > > > > > > *,

> > > > > > > > can I

> > > > > > > > > > ban dogs in all public places because of one

> > person's

> > > > > needs?

> > > > > > > He

> > > > > > > > also

> > > > > > > > > > reacts to " secondhand dog " on other people's

> > clothes,

> > > > can

> > > > > I

> > > > > > > insist

> > > > > > > > > > every child in class live in a dog-free home?

No,

> > > > neither

> > > > > of

> > > > > > > > those is

> > > > > > > > > > reasonable.

> > > > > > > > >

> > > > > > > >

> > > > > > >

> > > > > >

> > > > >

> > > >

> > >

> >

>