School Parents Want 1st Grader W/ Peanut Allergy Sent Home/Home-Schooled

[Nova]

It would be the responsibility of the parents to keep the child out of school, not the school deciding not to educate the child. You can't segregate kids from school because they have an allergy.

The kid with the allergy to peanuts on some kid's coat could have an accidental death anywhere, anytime, even in middle age. He or she should be allowed to carry an epi-pen and allowed to live his or her life....and if the school is smart, they will make the school peanut free.

The 13-year old girl likely would not have died if there was an epi-pen in the classroom. Why aren't they suing the doctor for medical malpractice?

When you have a child with a peanut allergy, you are sent home with an epi-pen and told that your child could have a life threatening respiratory event from an accidental exposure. You don't have to have a history of full-blown anaphylaxis to have it occur. You live with the risk as a way of life, and you maintain close contact with the school and room parents.

I asked to have my son placed with other peanut allergic students, and my school declined to group them. We actually would have had two or three peanut-free classrooms for each grade. The school must have seen a benefit to educating the other students about this allergy that they kept the allergic kids in separate sections. I received a phone call whenever outside food was brought into the classroom. The teacher received a list from me of foods we had eaten at home with no problems and had clean labels. The list always included the stipulation to check the current food label. I always said no to food like Dunkin Donuts where peanuts were on the premises. I personally called the manager of Krispy Kremes to make sure they didn't have peanuts or peanut oil. My kid's teacher always had a bag of safe food from me to substitute when a parent brought in Dunkin Donuts. These are not a lot of steps to keep a kid safe and to provide them with a normal life. Again, I did most of the leg work..the teacher made a minute phone call and 30 seconds to read a food label.

There are kids in the school dealing with lifethreatening illnesses such as epilepsy and diabetes that have to leave class to be medicated by the school nurse, and sometimes EMS has to visit the school. Their classmates might get scared by the ambulance. Are you suggesting to homeschool these kids as well?

Thank you, twinkiesmom, for the informative post. I don't know what I wrote that gave you the impression I am generally opposed to having kids with peanut allergies in public classrooms. I am not. As I said, my own grandchildren have to follow the peanut allergy rules; their mother (my daughter) not only complies, but enthusiastically supports those rules. (She's a teacher herself, her major in college was special-needs children.)

Nor do I feel Title XII is a burden. I didn't think it was a burden even when I was teaching and it meant I had to work extra hours and schedule special testing and tutoring sessions. I figured that was part of the job.

So I wish you would let go of me as the villain here. I think your kid should be allowed in the classroom; I don't think it's a hardship if the other students have to limit their party snacks. I think your idea of grouping peanut allergy kids together sounds like a good one, but maybe, as you suggest, the school decided everyone benefits from learning to accommodate different needs.

All I'm allowing for is the hypothetical possibility that there may be allergies or conditions so severe that a public school classroom simply cannot insure a child's safety. In which case, I have no problem with the school district hiring a full-time tutor or attendant for that child.

 

[JBean]

Did they literally "picket" the school? If so, I am scanning too quickly, but also !

http://www.katu.com/home/video/118581569.html

 

[jjenny]

If a child with a peanut allergies is going to have a dog with him/her, then what are children going to do who are allergic to dogs?

 

[BuzzieCat]

Actually, it does sound like this girl has a particularly severe form of peanut allergy.

"[The girl's mother], who declined to confirm her daughter's first name for publication, said touching nuts or nut products irritates the girl's skin. Smelling them can trigger an asthma attack. Eating them carries the danger of causing hives and breathing problems that could be deadly if not treated quickly..."

I can't imagine why they haven't banned peanuts from the school. It sounds like they are banned from the classrooms she will be in but not from the cafeteria.

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/29895153/ns/today-today_pets_and_animals/

This girl has a peanut-sniffing dog but either goes to school in an isolation room or studies online from home.

 

[Nova]

http://www.katu.com/home/video/118581569.html

Okay, I watched it. Now I need a shower.



Seriously, thanks. I changed my post above after reading your list of what the picket signs said. I trust you know I didn't do that to "trick" you or make it look like you were misquoting me.

 

[twinkiesmom]

Okay, I watched it. Now I need a shower.



Seriously, thanks. I changed my post above after reading your list of what the picket signs said. I trust you know I didn't do that to "trick" you or make it look like you were misquoting me.

This is much worse than it appears. The little girl's life has been threatened, and the family has been reported to child services (per the Facebook support group). She is not back at school for her own safety from the protesters. Paging Gloria Allred!

 

[Nova]

This is much worse than it appears. The little girl's life has been threatened, and the family has been reported to child services (per the Facebook support group).

So this case isn't even about accommodating a child's allergy.

The protesters are no different than any other lynch mob that attacks someone because he or she is different.

 

[JBean]

So this case isn't even about accommodating a child's allergy.

The protesters are no different than any other lynch mob that attacks someone because he or she is different.

Bingo Nova. This is not about protecting the girl.

 

[JBean]

If a child with a peanut allergies is going to have a dog with him/her, then what are children going to do who are allergic to dogs?

The article said that they wiped everything down after the dogs left for that reason.
If I could have afforded a seizure dog for my son when he was in school, I would have fought tooth and nail for it, if it were not allowed.

 

[twinkiesmom]

Against popular opinion, I have to agree with you. A child with a DEADLY peanut allergy has no place in a public shool. An allergy is one thing (ie, swollen face), but once it hampers the breathing, there's no way no how.

JMHO.

Mel

Again, any peanut allergy is potentially life threatening...you can not use past experience to predict future reaction. The first reaction could be a rash, the next could be breathing difficulties.

What happens to this homeschooled, protected child once he/she enters college or the workforce? The risk doesn't get any smaller....and the child in the school learns powerful self advocacy strategies. My child learned to question adults and have them read food labels for him at the age of 5. If I had just kept him at home, he never would have learned to be concerned for his own safety.

We had a middle-aged woman at work react to coffee because someone had made hazelnut...now everyone has learned to leave the empty bag alongside the pot. All it takes is a little common sense and courtesy to help these folks stay safe.

 

[jjenny]

...
If I could have afforded a seizure dog for my son when he was in school, I would have fought tooth and nail for it, if it were not allowed.

Again, what about children with dog allergies?

 

[JBean]

Again, what about children with dog allergies?

The article said that they wiped everything down after the dogs left for that reason.
If I could have afforded a seizure dog for my son when he was in school, I would have fought tooth and nail for it, if it were not allowed.

LOL, you snipped the part of my post that addressed it in this situation.

If a seizure dog for my son, caused a GREATER issue for another child, then I would, without hesitation,remove my sons dog from the classroom, no questions asked. One has to weigh out the whole situation and not ina vacuum.

 

[Steely Dan]

This is much worse than it appears. The little girl's life has been threatened, and the family has been reported to child services (per the Facebook support group). She is not back at school for her own safety from the protesters. Paging Gloria Allred!

So this case isn't even about accommodating a child's allergy.

The protesters are no different than any other lynch mob that attacks someone because he or she is different.

Bingo Nova. This is not about protecting the girl.

I said before that this is about people getting huffy because they think the parents believe they have rights. They could give a crap about this kid. They're trying to make a stand and using this little girl and the tiny amount of inconvenience to somehow make a point. IMO, the point being we don't have to care about others and you can't legally compel us to.

IMO, the person who called CPS should be locked away for a couple of years. They are taking legitimate time away from real cases.

 

[JBean]

IN some of the videos, they show the picketing parents handing out a piece of paper to other parents and talking to them about this situation.


There are several bullet points on the paper and these are the ones I could read,(there are others):

• Do you know 1st grade has not had any kind of birthday celebration because of one child's allergy?

• Do you know how much time is coming out of our children's academic schedule because of said issues?

• Do you know your child will not be a priority if they have an illness or injury in the clinic if a certain child is there or comes in behind them no matter how serious or minor an injury may be?

• Do you know the 1st-5th Grade snacks were stopped asked to be stopped because of one child?

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/bestoftv/2011/03/24/exp.am.intv.peanut.doc.cnn?iref=allsearch

This is a good interview. Touches on other topics too.

 

[Nova]

Again, any peanut allergy is potentially life threatening...you can not use past experience to predict future reaction. The first reaction could be a rash, the next could be breathing difficulties.

What happens to this homeschooled, protected child once he/she enters college or the workforce? The risk doesn't get any smaller....and the child in the school learns powerful self advocacy strategies. My child learned to question adults and have them read food labels for him at the age of 5. If I had just kept him at home, he never would have learned to be concerned for his own safety.

We had a middle-aged woman at work react to coffee because someone had made hazelnut...now everyone has learned to leave the empty bag alongside the pot. All it takes is a little common sense and courtesy to help these folks stay safe.

I don't think anyone here has argued that peanut-allergy children (I'm sorry I don't know the correct term) should be kept out of public school forever.

The issue that was being discussed earlier in the thread is whether 5 and 6-year-olds are old enough to take on life-and-death responsibility for themselves and others.

Obviously, you did a great job and it worked out beautifully in the case of your child. I hope it's clear how much I admire your parenting!

I am far less concerned about older children remembering to stay away from dangerous allergens. But 5? 6? That does worry me. I'm so glad it worked out for you.

 

[WhyaDuck?]

Is celebrating everyone's birthday a new thing? I certainly don't remember my birthday being a big deal in my first grade classroom. I think we sang "happy birthday" to anyone celebrating during morning announcements, and that was it. My teacher might have given me some stickers or a pencil, IIRC.

FWIW, my son's daycare does celebrate every kid's birthday at lunch, and for my son's birthday, I was asked to contribute a couple packages of clearly labelled peanut free store-bought cookies. It really wasn't all that much of a hassle, as far as I could see - the store had a wide selection, and they were the same price as non-labelled cookies.

I don't see the big deal of not celebrating or in having accommodating birthdays; I've seen both work fine.

 

[Nova]

Again, what about children with dog allergies?

Are dog allergies like cat allergies, where the allergen is the dander that rests on the hair? If so, I don't see how you could ever mandate that no child arrive at school with pet hair on his or her clothes. (I have a cat. I know how hard it is to get the hair off.)

Personally, I haven't known anyone whose pet allergy was life-threatening. But if such people exist, I'm not sure a public school can ensure their safety.

 

[Nova]

IN some of the videos, they show the picketing parents handing out a piece of paper to other parents and talking to them about this situation.


There are several bullet points on the paper and these are the ones I could read,(there are others):

• Do you know 1st grade has not had any kind of birthday celebration because of one child's allergy?

• Do you know how much time is coming out of our children's academic schedule because of said issues?

• Do you know your child will not be a priority if they have an illness or injury in the clinic if a certain child is there or comes in behind them no matter how serious or minor an injury may be?

• Do you know the 1st-5th Grade snacks were stopped asked to be stopped because of one child?

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/bestoftv/2011/03/24/exp.am.intv.peanut.doc.cnn?iref=allsearch

This is a good interview. Touches on other topics too.

I realize this mob isn't comprised of brain surgeons, but surely somebody noticed the irony of complaining about the lack of birthday parties AND that academic time was being wasted.

 

[WhyaDuck?]

I realize this mob isn't comprised of brain surgeons, but surely somebody noticed the irony of complaining about the lack of birthday parties AND that academic time was being wasted.

Ever see that episode of Seinfeld where everyone in the office was addicted to the birthday/get well/bon voyage cake breaks? Perhaps they want to prepare their children for cubicle life.

In all seriousness, I have always been uncomfortable with school/dept parties, being kosher - I always felt excluded and awkward about having to turn down a million homemade goodies without looking like a snob.

 

[Nova]

Is celebrating everyone's birthday a new thing? I certainly don't remember my birthday being a big deal in my first grade classroom. I think we sang "happy birthday" to anyone celebrating during morning announcements, and that was it. My teacher might have given me some stickers or a pencil, IIRC.

FWIW, my son's daycare does celebrate every kid's birthday at lunch, and for my son's birthday, I was asked to contribute a couple packages of clearly labelled peanut free store-bought cookies. It really wasn't all that much of a hassle, as far as I could see - the store had a wide selection, and they were the same price as non-labelled cookies.

I don't see the big deal of not celebrating or in having accommodating birthdays; I've seen both work fine.

In my grandkids' district (small town in northern Mass.), the parent of each kid is responsible for making cupcakes on the kid's birthday. Each year, a list of guidelines--including no nuts or nut oils--is sent out at the beginning of the year. To my knowledge, this policy has been in effect for years without incident.

But I agree: a school celebration of your birthday is not a divine right. If it can't be done safely for everyone, then let it go.