Let them eat peanut butter at school?

[duckman]

Yeh and what was with that "turn your head and cough" thing!

Now that, I didn't want to remember.... off to therapy again.

Who kept the records?

Have the scrolls survived? I'm feeling decidedly middle aged today.:eek:

Do they actualy mean anything?
Where are those Nurses now? Are they traumatised?

Bugga the matrons. Where are their daughters?

[arose62]

We had to fill out a form giving our 14 y.o. son's High School permission to put a Band-Aid (or presumably any equivalent product) on cuts or scratches which warranted it.

Parents were trying to find out why formal permission was required, and

"Some kids must be allergic to bandaids" was beating

"Bandaids must offend some wacko religous groups delicate sensibilities" and

"Maybe putting on a bandaid can be construed as some kind of sexual assault"

in the rumour and theory stakes.

I understand banning peanuts, due to the potential rapidity and extreme severity of the reaction, but I'm stumped as to why Band-Aids are nearly a banned substance...

Cheers,
Andrew

[Bleedin Thumb]

The evil thought just came into my head...

It would have been good to put peanut butter down your shorts prior to seeing the nurse... probably the only time you would get a reaction from them! Sorry Folks.

[Glenn_M]

My son is one of the unfortunate ones who is allergic to many things - nuts being one of them. A cake with nuts, eggs and chocolate could kill him if he ate. He goes to a nut free, egg free child care centre. He also has to carry (or we do more the point) an adrenaline injector pen with him at all times. Anyone looking after him is trained how/when to use it.

When offered food he asks "Does it have egg in it", "Does it have nuts in it?" and refuses. We have taught him to ask this and he knows why. Do I trust him to ask all the time? No, he's only three. Do I trust others to answer correctly? No. Do I entrust his care to others - yes, we have to and take all the precautions we can.

I understand that he is my child and my responsibility. I also know it's not his fault and that sometimes he doesn't understand why he cant have what all the other kids have.

Do I care that one of his friends at child care can't take their peanut butter toast into the centre? No, I am grateful that others take the welfare of my child into account.

Does this or could this inconvenience others? Perhaps. Probably. Do I care? Not one bit if it will keep my boy alive.

I understand that this is a purely selfish, emotional and irrational reaction but this is my boy and until he grows out of his allergies I live in fear that one day, somehow something will happen that I cannot stop and he will be hurt or die.

I do feel bad that this impacts others and perhaps inconveniences them but I love mi kid way more than that.

Peace

Glenn

[JDub]

.

I understand that this is a purely selfish, emotional and irrational reaction but this is my boy and until he grows out of his allergies I live in fear that one day, somehow something will happen that I cannot stop and he will be hurt or die.

Im a registered nurse and have spent a few years working in an Emergency Department in a major hospital and I can assure you that your reaction/feelings are anything but irrational. Nut allergy is one of the most common and can be the most severe allergies esp for young kids, and it aint nice seeing a little one have a reaction I can tell you, whether its your child or not.

Is it such a big deal that kids have to wait till they get home after school to have a peanut butter sandwich? I dont think its too much too ask given the potential consequences.

BTW I love peanut butter

[JDub]

Parents were trying to find out why formal permission was required, and

"Some kids must be allergic to bandaids" was beating

"

Being allergic to the sticking plaster on bandaids is not uncommon. An allergic reaction usually just means a 'local reaction' at the site the bandaid was applied though (welts etc), not in the same boat as nut allergy IME

[knucklehead]

My daughter has had peanut butter sandwiches every day for the last couple of years. A letter came home last month to say that next year there will be no peanut products allowed in the school.
Now I disagree with a lot of the left wing crap that the school goes on with, but I've got to agree with this.
Its just way to serious.
How would my daughter deal with the fact that the small bit of peanut butter that got on the the school swing kills one of her friends.

On the matter of allergies, I was interested to learn that the most common source of protein in the world in peanuts. They are grown extensively thought the 3rd world because of their soil rejuvenating qualities.
Several of the aid organizations are buying locally produced peanuts, processing them in to peanut butter and adding various vitamins. It is one of the few foods that can be stored long term without refrigeration.
Apparently they have no issues with peanut allergies in the 3rd world. There are many theories about why these people don't have allergies.
One suggests that we get allergies because we live in a sterile world. Anybody that lives in the 3rd world doesn't have that problem
Another suggests that a malnourished body can't afford to reject the nutrition. i.e. allergies are a diseases of the affluent.

[aljenit]

Im a registered nurse and have spent a few years working in an Emergency Department in a major hospital and I can assure you that your reaction/feelings are anything but irrational. Nut allergy is one of the most common and can be the most severe allergies esp for young kids, and it aint nice seeing a little one have a reaction I can tell you, whether its your child or not.
D

The hospital I work in has just removed peanut based skin lotion from general use because of potential reactions to patients.I guess it's not just peanut dust or eating it that is the problem?:confused:

[Wood Butcher]

Was watching a show today about bullying and one of the abused kids (who is allergic to peanuts) was describing an incident where three bullies had him pinned to the ground while a forth waved a peanut butter & jelly sandwich inches from his face. Apparently they knew that he was allergic and were delibrately taunting him.

I know that his was an seppo show and their school system and behaviour management is slighty different to ours but still...

[havenoideaatall]

Seriously, I wasn't aware of how bad the situation was so I was right about being a grumpy old fool.

When I went to school I didn't know anyone with serious allergies and didn't even know an asthmatic. Now every school has at least 2 kids with allergies to nuts not to mention the raft of other things and it seem that about 1 in 10 kids have asthma......What the hells going on??????

I wondered this too. I don't recall any allergic (to peanuts) kids at school. Only knew 1 asthmatic in 11 years of schooling.

[Honorary Bloke]

My son is one of the unfortunate ones who is allergic to many things - nuts being one of them. A cake with nuts, eggs and chocolate could kill him if he ate.

Does this or could this inconvenience others? Perhaps. Probably. Do I care? Not one bit if it will keep my boy alive.

I understand that this is a purely selfish, emotional and irrational reaction but this is my boy and until he grows out of his allergies I live in fear that one day, somehow something will happen that I cannot stop and he will be hurt or die.

Glenn,

I don't think anyone disputes the seriousness of the allergy. And if I were in your place I would feel the same. But it is curious (and true) that these and other allergies seem to crop up more often than before. And you have to wonder why? :confused:

[Groggy]

I don't think anyone disputes the seriousness of the allergy. And if I were in your place I would feel the same. But it is curious (and true) that these and other allergies seem to crop up more often than before. And you have to wonder why? :confused:

Bob, I suspect it may be (partly) a case of better identification of the allergies and fewer deaths due to unknown allergic reactions.

I often wonder though if we are becoming sensitised to nature because we no longer roll around in the dirt. I know that in my childhood kids eliminated every possible allergy source within a week of getting free of the house (including snake and spider bites).

[DavidG]

One suggests that we get allergies because we live in a sterile world. Anybody that lives in the 3rd world doesn't have that problem

From what I have seen overseas, is that there are limited numbers of persons with severe allergic reactions because those that did react adversely are dead, because of lack of finances of medical care.

[Glenn_M]

Glenn,

I don't think anyone disputes the seriousness of the allergy. And if I were in your place I would feel the same. But it is curious (and true) that these and other allergies seem to crop up more often than before. And you have to wonder why? :confused:

I agree that it certainly appears to be more prevalent than when I was young but I also tend to agree with Groggy that we are now aware of the problems. Personally I think that places now caring for children in this more and more litigous society are being forced to remove any risk. I hope the motivation is the welfare of the kids but I am too cynical to believe.

Again on one hand I think it verges on the ridiculous, yet on the other I have learnt that I don't know all the dangers our world presents to some kids and if keeps mine (and others) alive then I'm for it.

It's not entirely rational as I said, and I don't pretend to be.

Cheers,

[Ivan in Oz]

G'day Ppl,

WOW!! Hot topic.

What about the Children / People who are allergic to
Gluten
Dairy / Cheese
Bees / Honey
Seafood
Eggs
MSG
Pork
The list goes on.
Where does "Political Correctness" draw the line:confused:

It's a NO win situation and not everyone will be happy.
Have friends or know people with ALL the above.

PS
Hate to cater a function when the ALL are present:confused:


Then you have some who are allergic to some Timbers / Woods
My ex seemed allergic to one particular Woody