allergens in schools

[Guest guest]

Kadee wrote:

 

<<If schools start banning allergens even for kids who

aren't allergic, my kids won't be able to take soy

products or anything containing wheat in their

lunches!>>

 

I really did laugh out loud at this! My older

daughter had 5 years in a row in which she was put in

the most severe allergy classroom of her grade: not

only the usual list of actual food items, but not even

any products that had been processed in facilities

that also processed legumes, tree nuts (including

things like pine nuts and almonds), seeds (sesame,

sunflower, etc.), or soy products. I finally put my

foot down in second grade. I sat the principal and

the school nurse down and pointed out that there is a

world of difference between life-threatening

allergies, which of course we wouldn't want to set

off, and allergies that " merely " create hives or GI

discomfort if touched or swallowed. I pointed out

that by second grade a severely allergic child should

be able to know not to touch anyone else's food. In

fact, my own vegetarian child had never had the

slightest problem accidentally eating the wrong food,

not even in nursery school, so why wouldn't other

people's children be equally capable of monitoring

themselves? They got my point, and she was finally

allowed to bring soy products (as long as they had

been cooked, so no edamame).

 

This is now the first year in which she is not in the

extreme allergy classroom. Apparently there is a

child in her class who is allergic to pineapple, but

that's easy enough to work around.

 

Someone pointed out to me that the school may have

just lumped all the kids with special diets together.

They didn't register the fact that vegetarians,

especially vegans, have almost a mutually exclusive

diet to the allergic kids. So be forewarned that this

could crop up in your school too. If they designate a

" special food needs " classroom for each grade, let

them know that your child *shouldn't* be in that

classroom, if possible.

 

Liz