Children are banned from eating Peanut Butter & Jelly sandwiches at school

I posted way back in the beginning of this thread and was sarcastic the whole way, sorry for that, I don't usually do that, but this issue is just down right stupid in my opinion. I have been following this thread and all its back and forths along with "Hey, thanks for joining my side" BS. I have actually become angry with this situation. Don't get me wrong allergies are a serious issue especially when it comes to children, but it seems to me that everyone in this thread would make the pharmaceutical companies proud with the treat the symptom and not the disease attitude.

This should not be a debate on how to segregate children from the peanuts, nor is it about banning peanuts from our school systems. If you do this it will continue and continue until every child is given a specialized meal suited to their needs and set alone in order to eat. Today its nuts, tomorrow its fish, then pork, etc. There will be no end to it. It is the exact trend that has caused us to loose our freedoms and the downfall of the Constitution. Its the same separation and agitation associated with Religions, Race, Sexual preference, etc. Just follow the same patterns, the same way of thinking and all you get is the same thing. Pay someone to do nothing but make laws and soon your freedoms are gone. BREAK THE TREND.

The issue should not be how to separate children and nuts, but why the allergies are happening more now than in the past and what can be done about that. An article from ABCs Good Morning America on March 16, 2009 by CATHY BECKER and IMAEYEN IBANGA States that a cure was in human testing and explained the process as a way to cure the allergies altogether. A similar process was announced by Peanutallergy.com by By Mark Berman on February 10, 2011, and on October 12, 2011 a new way was found in rat testing involving shots was reported by CBS News

Again the question should not be how to separate the children or the nuts but what is the hold up on implementing the cure. As a parent I live in fear for my children due to the world we live in, as are most parents, and we do not need the added stress of a food allergy that a cure was found and human tested, with complete success, 3 years ago, not to mention further breakthroughs in the study. [/rant]

reply to post by Agarta


I am not sure who exactly you are addressing here, but one quote you made mention to, may have been from myself.

I did not intend to offend or create anger as a result of my comments. I treated the topic at hand as a debate and took to one side of the argument.

The page prior to this one, you can see how we all reconcile all our opinions and attitudes on the subject.

My purpose in this thread was to further stimulate critical thinking, even though i did not believe 100% in my position i followed through.

If you found my jest at finding other people to join my side of the argument offensive, i do apologize.

I have a firm belief that allergies, in particular severe ones, are no laughing matter, but i also believe in the freedoms inherent to everyone. My own opinion supports a balance of policy and freedom. Allow certain things under certain controls and guidelines.

I hope you able to take something positive away from this thread as I have and as others i am hoping have.

regards MDDoxs

reply to post by Hefficide


Meh...I outgrew the taste of peanut butter and jelly. I never really enjoyed it to begin with, but after I got used to eating other foods, I just got over it. No more PB&J for me.

More than once, that's gotten me some strange looks and a few comments, but I stand by it. I don't like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Peanut butter and banana, on the other hand... And then there's peanut butter and bologna. Boy, was my mother upset when I got innovative that day.

reply to post by MDDoxs


Honestly I did not associate what was written with the avatars or moniker that typed them and I see that yes it was you I exampled. This was not an attack on you personally only an example of the statements, probably because it was repeated a few times. I apologize if you took it as a personal attack it was not intended at all. I should have thought of my wording a little more prior to posting. I did indeed see the reconcile page and your reasoning for doing so and I understand your reasoning. I just don't see this issue was looked at in its proper perspective, at least in my opinion, from anyone including the parents that deal with this situation on a daily basis.

To all: I apologize for my stated frustration in that the topic of fixing the situation by way of eradicating the need for schools involvement altogether was not even mentioned. I could have done it differently.

Originally posted by AfterInfinity
reply to post by Hefficide

 

Meh...I outgrew the taste of peanut butter and jelly. I never really enjoyed it to begin with, but after I got used to eating other foods, I just got over it. No more PB&J for me.

I love peanut butter - - skip the bread and jelly.

What the heck, guys? People need to leave the poor PB&J alone. I put this in social issues because I feel it is one. It's another perfect example of the extremely poor condition our schools are in right now. The administration spends time on so many things they don't have time to do what we hired them for, to EDUCATE our children!

Did you really just try to blame Obama for this?

Sorry, but schools also have the important duty of protecting our children.....
and peanut allergies are extremely severe. If peanuts get on anything, and the allergic kid touches it, they can breakout and possibly die.

Peanut allergies are sometimes so bad, that the person doesn't actually have to eat the peanut to have a reaction.

This has been going on for years in my state, nothing new here.

My son attends a charter school wherein he goes twice a week in class and three at home.
Last year, halfway during the year, a new student came in to the class with a peanut allergy. Suddenly, everyone was tapdancing around this kid to make sure they didn't breathe peanut dust on him. It was ridiculous.

I can commiserate, I was allergic to tomatoes, strawberries and oranges as a child. Granted, my throat did not close up when I ate them, but it was pretty tough having to avoid those foods as I would break out in nasty hives and itch for days and my eczema would flare up.

But never in my life would my mother have come into my class and requested that the children not bring anything with my allergens in it. I think it needs to be the other way around, sorry. If one child out of a class of 20 (as is the kid in my son's school's situation) is allergic to peanuts, and the allergy is life-threatening, then his mother needs to school him at home rather than make everyone have to change for her child.

The ironic thing is, my son almost exclusively eats peanut butter (or almond butter) sandwiches for lunch. He has Sensory Processing Disorder and it is hard enough to find healthy food for him that he will actually eat. He has a very limited menu. On the days he is at school, I make him a PB&J sandwich. He won't eat tuna or turkey or egg, etc. and personally I would rather him not starve. So asking him not to bring in a PB&J was pretty disturbing.

So this kid in his class got to telling my son that his food was "disgusting" and "bad" and my son comes home to me. I sent a few emails off to the mom that she really needs to do something else. She just upped her ante, and soon the kids in the class were all obsessed with this kid's peanut allergy. The boy started telling my son that he could not play near him since he had a PB&J at lunch and the mother was asking the teacher to sit her child near kids that did not have peanut butter sandwiches or snacks.

Finally, the principal got involved and said "ENOUGH" and told the mom in nice terms that there would be no rule-changing over her child, that the children were allowed to bring whatever foods their parents decided would be good for them, and if the concern was that great, maybe she should stay on campus while he is in class to make sure he is okay. She finally backed off. I have a feeling she would have kept pushing it til the school was a no-peanut zone.
Interestingly, there is a child with a severe wheat allergy in the same class, and you would never have known about it, except that at birthday parties, she would bring her own snack. Her mom never tried to make the class a "wheat-free" zone or change anyone's lunches!

reply to post by bastet11


Peanut and other nut allergies are pretty much the only food allergies where you don't have to eat the food to have a reaction. If someone drops a peanut on the table, and an allergic person touches it, they can break out. Comparing peanut allergies to other types of food allergies is like comparing apples and oranges.

reply to post by Ghost375


I understand that. My point is, this is a charter school. There is a program where the kids can be taught all at home, or two at school, three at home. This mother was trying to change the entire class around for one child. She has the option of completely homeschooling him but instead is putting him in a situation where he could be endangered and expecting everyone in the class to look out for him.

I can state with utmost certainty that if my son was that deathly allergic to something, I would not let him in school where he could be exposed.
I have nothing against the child. It is not his fault and I truly feel for him. If I eat kiwi, my throat feels like it will close up, and I have been warned not to continue to eat it or risk a full fledged reaction. That is scary enough..I can't imagine how scared he must feel about it. And actually, for the most part other than insulting my son who did not know any better, he has been pretty suave about his allergy and knows to avoid everything and read labels. But the mom was out of control..sending out messages to us and telling us we can not send our kids in with peanut butter and scaring the crap out of the kids with death stories. This was kindergarten at the time and the kids were terrified they would die of peanut butter. That was not the way to handle it.

Originally posted by bastet11
I can commiserate, I was allergic to tomatoes, strawberries and oranges as a child. Granted, my throat did not close up when I ate them, but it was pretty tough having to avoid those foods as I would break out in nasty hives and itch for days and my eczema would flare up.

Just like my other kid... So I know all these kinds of allergies. But look, frankly, there is a universe of difference between scaly itchy skin (as nasty as it is, and it can be nasty) and your life slipping away. Now I can commiserate with you, in that it's hard to find suitable food for you kid, outside of peanut products. But it's doable and less risky than accidentally smearing one's hand in PB.

Originally posted by Ghost375

What the heck, guys? People need to leave the poor PB&J alone. I put this in social issues because I feel it is one. It's another perfect example of the extremely poor condition our schools are in right now. The administration spends time on so many things they don't have time to do what we hired them for, to EDUCATE our children!

Did you really just try to blame Obama for this?

Ironically, I was about to congratulate everyone on an Obama-free thread, and now I see this...

Sheesh.

My toilet paper is bad, Obama is at fault.

Wait, why does Obama want to regulate my toilet paper?

reply to post by James1982


Some kids are extremely allergic these days - just touching or breathing can cause a reaction and the schools are legally liable for that child's safety while at school. Normally schools send out an allergy list to the teachers. If a child has a nut allergy, nobody in the class can bring such products to school in lunches or for birthday treats. Some schools have gone as far as banning nut products altogether. Our county hasn't done that, but they have initiated a new policy where everyone who goes into the lunchroom must first wash their hands and then must wash them again after they leave (antibacterial gel isn't good enough). Do you know how long it takes 1st graders to wash their hands? OMG!!! School employees are forced to do so much of this kind of thing that by the time you take out all the extras there isn't much time left over for teaching. I mean, fund raisers, assemblies, music programs, class holiday parties, Fun Friday (every Friday), fire drills, library programs such as the Book Fair, social skills, counseling classes, 4H (every week for 5th graders), drug awareness (every week for 5th graders), field trips, Birthday celebrations, sex awareness, etc.

stupid ban, if a kid is that allergic to peanuts then he doesn`t need an education because he will never be able to leave his house anyway, unless we are going to ban peanuts from all public places in the country/world.
if we don`t stop with all these politically correct rules and laws we will all someday be wearing white jumpsuits and eating dirt waffers, so as not to offend anyone`s feelings or cause anyone any inconveinence.

political correctness has run amok, it`s out of control.

reply to post by James1982


O.o peanut butter is actually HEALTHY as hell. Contains alot of good stuff!.
Next lettuce, then carrots then POTATOES! (exept "french fries").
In the end all were allowed to drink is GATORADE.

There is a peanut and egg ban at my sons school. My son it not allergic to either one but I support the school and the decision to ban those items. If other children can become gravely ill from peanuts or eggs my son can just have them when he gets home from school. It really is no big deal.

reply to post by James1982


It is clearly wrong to take the freedom from the majority. The persons with children who are allergic should teach the child to be aware of their illness and how to deal with it. if it is bad enough they need to be home schooled not change the whole of the school system for them.

Peanut butter is one of the things many kids love and is still good for them.

Originally posted by James1982
How hilarious....

After this thread HERE about the evil, evil PB&J sandwich, another story comes along equally as ridiculous:

In Viola, Arkansas, a debate is heating up, after a student had his peanut butter and jelly sandwich confiscated at lunchtime. The school has a no-peanut-products policy due to a few students with allergies, so the teacher helped the little boy get a new lunch and sent home a note explaining the situation to his mom. That note didn't go over well, apparently. Soon after the incident, a 'School Nut Ban Discussion' group was launched on Facebook by parents conflicted over the policy.

Full story HERE

What the heck, guys? People need to leave the poor PB&J alone. I put this in social issues because I feel it is one. It's another perfect example of the extremely poor condition our schools are in right now. The administration spends time on so many things they don't have time to do what we hired them for, to EDUCATE our children!

Evidently because a few kids at that school have peanut allergies, NOBODY in the entire school can eat peanut products for lunch? What is the purpose behind this silly rule? I remember way back in school a few children had food allergies. Guess what? The kids would simply not eat the food they were allergic to. The responsibility is on the parents to make sure the child knows they cannot eat certain foods. If a child is too stupid to get the hint, then maybe it's just survival of the fittest at work.

They aren't serving the peanut products for lunch, the kid brought it from home for christ sake. Why cannot he eat the lunch he/his parents want him to eat just because there are a few children that can't eat such food?

This is beyond ridiculous, and sadly it seems stupid crap like this is becoming more and more common.

Wait...if they're banning nuts from schools...then wouldn't the person who came up with this idea also have to be banned?

Originally posted by Tardacus
stupid ban, if a kid is that allergic to peanuts then he doesn`t need an education because he will never be able to leave his house anyway, unless we are going to ban peanuts from all public places in the country/world.

The school is not just "yet another public place". Kids may or may not be responsible at all times, and are densely packed in class rooms.

if we don`t stop with all these politically correct rules and laws

Yeah well the day you see a kid suffocating give me a call, maybe we can talk. Politically correct? Sheesh. Some heartless ****ks here.

I can see if it's a daycare or maybe elementary school but this rule would be ridiculous for a middle or high school.