I'm so upset!! ::vent::

So my little ds who's in K was telling me this am that he hasn't been finishing his sandwiches bc he doesn't like sandwiches anymore. I told him, 'aren't your other friends at school eating theirs?' and he answers that he doesn't eat with his friends. I asked who he eats with and he says he eats alone. I thought he was making it up and he continued to tell me that he eats at the peanut table alone, sometimes with a little girl. I was shocked bc

1) he was never peanut allergic- just had an elevated level so was watched in pre-k but was cleared of it over the summer and new paper work submitted by Dr and all clearing him- guess no one updated his file.
2) I never realized kids with peanut allergy are segregated like this! I can understand if they have a severe reaction and can't be in the same room so they eat in a diff area but to be in the same cafeteria and be separated to eat alone at 5 years old?
I went to the school nurse and immediately had her change his records and take him off of this restriction. She apologized profusely but I'm still so upset! As a Mom of a child with food allergies, I know the fear and I have benedryl and epi pen for his shellfish allergy, as does the school for an emergency. But to totally separate them from even talking to anyone, this is crazy!! My baby has been all by himself, away from his class for a month and I never knew ab this. At least inform the parent or have the parent decide if the allergy is that severe to isolate the child!! Ugh sorry to vent, I just can't imagine him alone watching his friends at another table everyday.

Re: I'm so upset!! ::vent::

Where I work, we have a table on the side for kids with peanut allergies, but they choose a friend to sit with them. They'd never sit and eat alone!

Re: I'm so upset!! ::vent::

Awwwww poor kid! It's a good thing he told you otherwise who knows how long he would gave been sitting there!!

Re: I'm so upset!! ::vent::

He came home today and said he was sitting with all of his friends for lunch and had so much fun.

Re: I'm so upset!! ::vent::

Our school has a table for the kids that bring peanut butter. They make them go to a separate table so a child who has an allergy can remain with the class.

Re: I'm so upset!! ::vent::

Re: I'm so upset!! ::vent::

My kids school is completely peanut free. It's a small private school, so I guess they can do and it and works and no one complains!

Re: I'm so upset!! ::vent::

Our school has a separate table for the FA kids too. You can let the school know you don't want your kid sitting there, but I think you have to sign a waiver that it's your responsibility if they have a reaction. For example, I know one boy who is peanut allergic and sits at the regular table with his friends, he just knows to keep someone between him and anyone eating peanut butter so he doesn't react to it.

Re: I'm so upset!! ::vent::

Re: I'm so upset!! ::vent::

Re: I'm so upset!! ::vent::

Our school has the same policy and Emily has a very slight peanut allergy but can be around it, just gets a little rash if she ingests it.

They put her at the allergy table and even when I called and spoke to the nurse and said that she could sit with her friends, the school aides who work in the lunch room still always ended up putting her at the allergy table.

We are getting her retested probably in a month or so and maybe that will be enough reason for them to let us move her back, hopefully she will test low.

It really bothers me and does feel like segregation to me. I've discussed it with friends and they've said "yea but don't yuo want her to be protected from peanuts?" and my thinking is that they should just make it a peanut free school so that noone is left out!

Re: I'm so upset!! ::vent::

At my school there is a nut free table for the children with allergies. YET we unfortunately have more than 1 child in every grade with a nut allergy.

The idea on sending children with peanut butter to a separate table is fine except if the allergy is airborn & someone is eating something containing nuts, not necessarily pb.

We had a child have a reaction a couple of years ago after he high-fived a child that had eaten peanut butter for breakfast & I guess didn't wash his hands.

YET they should have updated his file. Every year our nurse contacts all parents of our allergy children and ask if there are any updates & asks for a new epi pen, etc.

Re: I'm so upset!! ::vent::

My DD's school has a peanut free table, it's the only way to keep those kids safe.
Plenty of kids sit there who aren't allergic, they just know they can't have any nuts or seeds in their lunch if they sit there.

Re: I'm so upset!! ::vent::

Re: I'm so upset!! ::vent::

reading your original post broke me heart! your poor son. but i'm glad you brought it to the schools attention and now he can eat with his friends again

Re: I'm so upset!! ::vent::

Thank you everyone. Slowly getting over it :( I think I'm switching to Catholic school next year! Too many problems in just 2 months of school in this district!

Re: I'm so upset!! ::vent::

Re: I'm so upset!! ::vent::

Re: I'm so upset!! ::vent::

I just wanted to add that DD's classroom is the only one out of 6 K classes that is peanut free because she has a little boy in her class with an allergy. I can't even pack certain granola bars because they were made in a factory with nuts etc. it has really limited our choice of snacks. Like I said I feel for the kids with allergies but we are already limited in class and have made adjustments because of it. If she had to sit at a seperate table for lunch I'd be really bothered.

Re: I'm so upset!! ::vent::

Another addition(because my stupid iPad won't let me edit). What was done to your son is not ok. No child should be eating alone. The school should have stepped in and resolved it.

Re: I'm so upset!! ::vent::

I feel awful for your son. However, it's not just PB there are so many things that can have cross contamination that as a teacher in the lunch room I would be so nervous. God forbid something happened on my watch I would feel awful. My daughter was in a peanut free class last year. When I saw the limited list of snacks that we could send in because of free of cross contamination it made me afraid.

A few years ago I had a child with a severe dairy allergy. So severe that I had to watch what I had done even prior to touching his papers, because at the time my daughter was an infant and on formula. If I had that on my clothes he could have a reaction let alone if I was grading and some dust had blown on it.

I would never ever want to be responsible for an innocent mistake or a careless moment to be the cause of another child having a reaction.

I don't think your son should be segregated, that is wrong. He should be able to choose a couple of friends whose parents have agreed to adbide by the guidelines.

Re: I'm so upset!! ::vent::

Re: I'm so upset!! ::vent::

Re: I'm so upset!! ::vent::

You are right, the world isn't peanut free, but school should be a "safe place" for these kids. A parent shouldn't have to worry if little Johnny didn't wash his hands after eating a PB sandwich for lunch and touched the same book in the library that an allergic child grabs next and goes into anaphylactic shock. There are alternatives to peanut butter, sun butter, etc.

My child is not allergic, and I used to think much like you....how dare they tell my child what to pack....but when it comes down to the health and safety of another human being in a place they HAVE to be......

Re: I'm so upset!! ::vent::

There are some children who have such severe peanut allergies. Peanut allergies can be so serious. We are not talking about the kids getting an upset stomach from it. We are talking about their airways closing up within minutes of them ingesting or even being in close proximity to any peanut products. It can be LIFE THREATENING.

I am fortunate that my DD's allergy isn't as severe, so I am in a situation where I am OK with her having to sit at a seperate table. Luckily the kids who buy lunch eat there too, since they are peanut free school lunches, so she does have several friends to sit with. Last year in K was a different story, when she hadn't made many school friends yet.

However there are kids whose allergies are much more severe. If I knew that my child's airways could close up and she could struggle to breath wtihin minutes...and that the lunch aides have DOZENS of kids that they are responsible for and might not catch it quick enough to get him/her to the nurse to use their epi pen, then I would be absolutely making a big deal about the school moving towards peanut free.

I can see both sides of the story. I have a VERY picky eater for a daughter. I also have a child with a mild peanut allergy. I don't think it is fair to say that no matter how severe your child's classmates allergy might be, they should still be allowed to bring peanut butter to school bc it is the only thing they will eat. In that case I will say that you need to come up with some creative alternatives and really focus on getting your child to try some new foods. I have a picky eater, I know there are other alternatives. Last year Emily took a thermos with buttered pasta, EVERY day...but it is what we needed to do. You find another alternative that works.

But I think that we all need to be more sensitive to these life-threatening allergies. Wouldn't you hate to hear that a child's airways closed up because they were in proximity to your child who was the one who brought in a peanut product? It is a very real risk.