peanut allergies By imatchr2

With all due respect to previous posters--I am not trying to insult anyone--but this is a LIFE THREATENING issue, and I find some of the posts somewhat selfish. It is not a matter of "my child will only eat PB and J." Seconds,

not minutes, can mean the difference between life and death. My school is completely nut free. Has been a for a number of years. It has become the accepted norm around here. It really is no longer a huge issue. I teach in Ontario. It is actually a law that all school staff (including volunteers and caretakers) be trained in the use of Epi-Pens on a yearly basis. These children

are isolated enough due to their allergies, do we need to add to that? Yes, their parents have the ultimate responsibility, but are we not responsible too? We do not share food, we do not have cup cake birthdays, children are not allowed to bring in any food that may contain nuts. This does not mean we do not have fun on special days. As a teacher, if we have a celebration, I supply the goodies--this way I know all children are safe. A "slight" allergy can become a major one over time. Labels are pretty good these days. There are plenty of other foods available for children to take to school in lunches. For special occasions--graduation cakes, etc., we go to a nut free bakery. It's a little more expensive, but worth the peace of mind. My son also likes peanut butter sandwiches for breakfast. I just make sure he brushes his teeth and washes his hands before he leaves for school. Shouldn't children be doing this anyway?

To make a long story short, is it really too much to ask when a LIFE is in the balance? Just tell yourself--there but for the grace of God, go I. It can happen to anyone, at any age, without any warning. My older sister developed her nut allergy in her twenties. This is an issue close to my heart, but even if I did not have a personal connection, I would hope I would feel the same way.

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