Parents Say Student's Peanut Allergy Hazardous to Their Kids

If you child is at that much of a risk in the public school system, then you need to keep your child home!

It's not fair to the other kids to have to restrict their diets, have to wash their hands for 30 minutes in lieu of an education, and have to make special accommodations for classmates with allergies.

I'm all for tolerance of others, and for fair treatment. But it goes both ways. Why are my tax dollars expected to go to protecting ONE (or a dozen or whatever) child with a peanut allergy, one child with a learning disability, etc.. while my highly gifted child gets absolutely NO special treatment to enhance her wonderful abilities because, as our school system says, "there's no money in the budget for gifted programs".

And before you all jump on me for my attitude, I have a physically disabled husband and we expect NO special treatment as a result.

It's about time parents start standing up for the rights of the majority and stop catering to the "needs" of the few.

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My daughter with SEVERE peanut allergies, is also of the Gifted Population. As a result of budget cuts, this will be the last year of our Gifted Program at our school. I went to board meeting after board meeting until late hours in the night to fight with other parents to keep our Gifted Program in place. So, yes, I get the need to enhance the abilities of our brilliant children. But do you think it is better to provide for gifted children in lieu of providing safety to others. Ultimately, I would like safety precautions taken for my daughter before gifted services, even after how hard I fought for them. It is not unfair to ask children to refrain from eating peanuts in her classroom, to protect her and allow her the chance to live into her adult years. Should cut childrens' food choice or cut years off a child's life... the answer is simple.

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While I understand those parents who are lucky enough to not have to worry about what their child puts in their mouth on a hour to hour basis, I as a parent of a 3 year old daughter who suffers from peanut allergies appreciate when extra precautions are taken to keep my daughter away from it. She goes to a private school where there are no restrictions on children bringing in peanut items. However, everyone has been so sweet and thoughtful of her needs even packing special treat bags just for her at Halloween. Luckily she knows she is allergy to peanuts too and will ask if it has peanuts when new foods are introduced to her. Kids are innocent...they didn't get asked to be born with allergies. I apologize for any inconvenience that my child's allergies may cause anyone out there but I would think most sophisticated and loving parent who wish the same courtesy be extended to their child if they had a special need.

My question to those parents who are parading around protesting is-why would you ever subject your children to intolerance, from you??

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"Jen Berger said...
So, you think children with handicaps other than fatal food allergies should be kept out of school, too? Why build ramps for those in wheelchairs if the other kids/their parents find the ramps inconvenient?"

You need to learn to read.
nowhere does she mention physically handicapped children, your comment is ignorant and unintelligent. This has nothing to do with students finding things "inconvenient," this is a matter of a school system that does not work.

If Ford made only 3 wheeled cars that rolled if you take a corner over 20 mph AND charged $100,000.... you wouldn't buy a Ford would you? That is why they do research, why they invest thousands of dollars to further their 4 wheeled designs; because you can put as much time, money and effort into something but if it has no potential its all wasted.

As a certified gifted student, I can tell you that the children with disabilities are given 95% of the funding and resources for special education so they can do what? meet the basic requirements to live a basic existance collecting disability cheques ?
meanwhile, the truly intelligent students who have a chance to do miraculous things and truly change the world for better are pushed aside because "they'll be fine on thier own."
which to be honest is a load of horseshi*t.... gifted students are battered around with the idea that regardless of what you do to them, they'll exceed the other students; this is completly untrue!!!

My point is... students with real potential are being forgotten and abused by the system so they can feel good about themselves when they help a child with a learning disability.

**I myself was labelled gifted in the second grade and the only assistance they gave me was in the 6th grade, and that was only one day a month to go to a special class with other gifted students.

By the eleventh grade I had given up on the school system because they gave up on trying to help me a long time ago.
IQ-144, 11 of 30 highschool credits.... you tell me if the system works.

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David, you got a bit off subject as the article is about allergic children not disabled children. Also, to both David and Inadequate wife private schools are great places for gifted students.

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OMG all you supposedly "gifted" people need a reality check and the people protesting need one as well. Little Susie and Billy can't have PB&J at school? Boo Hoo! Have it at home. This girl could DIE because you are so damn insensitive. Your little darlings need to wash their hands? Gee maybe my little one won't come home with as much strep and colds this year because parents send them to school regardless of how much they are coughing. Adjust people, Peanut butter is not a right and if this child is allergic and in your school then so be it. My son has an allergic child in his class, thankfully for those parents not as bad as this little girl, and you know what, we don't send in peanut products for holiday parties. You think your kids are missing out on an entire half hour of education in an elementary school day? LMAO!!! How many times does your kid interrupt the teacher or act up or something else happens during the course of the school day that there may be time lost? It is NOT a half hour straight. God find something really important to complain about and stop teaching your kids that the world revolves around them and you.

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Thank you Sara. You said exactly what I was thinking. Only I was too angry to formulate the words in a coherent fashion. :) I have a 4 year old peanut allergic child and do not have the money for private school or resources (time/money) to home school, as I am sure the parents of all "gifted" students don't either. It shouldn't be unreasonable to think that my daughters school could have a few simple measures in place to keep my daughter safe. Parents of non-allergic children should be thankful that they can but groceries without reading every single ingredient in am item and their kids can go to birthday parties without having to eat separate snacks because of the risk of anaphalactic shock.

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Thank you Sara. You said exactly what I was thinking. Only I was too angry to formulate the words in a coherent fashion. :) I have a 4 year old peanut allergic child and do not have the money for private school or resources (time/money) to home school, as I am sure the parents of all "gifted" students don't either. It shouldn't be unreasonable to think that my daughters school could have a few simple measures in place to keep my daughter safe. Parents of non-allergic children should be thankful that they can buy groceries without reading every single ingredient in am item and their kids can go to birthday parties without having to eat separate snacks because of the risk of anaphalactic shock.

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The child is taking nothing away from the classroom except peanut products. She is adding hygiene. If kids wash their hands more perhaps less will get sick since they go to school with everything from strep to the stomach flu. Spend a day in a typical elementary school classroom, which I've done. Perhaps a little over three quarters of that is teaching. Not the teachers fault, they need to keep them focused, hear about a lost tooth, what happened on a trip, it's part of the elementary school experience. As for "gifted" children not getting services. Rubbish. Truly gifted kids get serivices. My 4th grader is in Omni and my high schooler is in some advanced classes. Not that this story is about that, that became you using this as a sound off that your child wasn't being recognized as special. Loved the comment that a handicapped child was welcome at a school as long as they could push the wheelchair themselves. Your tolerance amazes and humbles me. I am so fortunate that I have two healthy children that eat whatever I put in front of them and if the school asked me to not send in PB&J, which really is not a healthy lunch option, then he'd have something else for lunch. There are so many other options out there. Some of you may not be raising disabled children, but sadly you will be raising disabled adults who won't know what to do when the world expects empathy for others from them and compassion for life.

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What I don't understand is why so many children have become severly allergic to peanuts-I mean one of the staples of life for a kid when I was growing up was peanut butter and jelly-But now there are schools that if you bring your own lunch you have to set at a cold lunch table because you might have peanut products. I feel for the parents and the kids. We have had the same thing trying to find candy or treats that weren't near peanuts-it's hard. But if I had a little person that was allergic-its hard to tell them they can't go to school and not meet kids or have friends....I don't know tolerance is hard-and I think many times it seems like favortism. But those kid could bring little hand sanitizers to stick in their desk.....and so what if they don't learn 30 minutes in a day....they're children not processors you need to up-date every 30 minutes. Give me a break. I can't believe that adults would throw such a fit-do they even understand how they have made this little girl feel? Over peanut butter....the kids can eat it after school-It amazes me how a community can pull together and raise money for a family thats has lost their home-or needs an operation-but then we have this....people are just interesting creatures to me.

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Now, if we are going to ensure that any student that is allergic to specific foods don't come in contact, then will schools ensure that kids who have nasal allergies (grass, trees, mold, dust, ragweed, etc.) don't come in contact with those allergens.

My allergies were so bad as a child that my mother had me excused from outdoor P.E. and even recess. So what did the bulleis do? As soon as I walked out of the school, it was push me in the grass and rub grass, leaves, and flowers in my face, because it was fun to watch start me sneeze and deal with a horribly runny nose.

Was that life threatening? No. But I would get the sinus headache from hell, and have serious issues with getting a good night's sleep. That leads to decreased ability to pay attention and perfrom well on school work.

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What happened to allergy shots? My mom use to take them back in the 80's because it is a known fact that exposing a person with allergies to the allergen in very small doses helps them build an immunity to that allergen. By making sure they kids stay away from the allergy completly we are making the allergy worse.
My daughter was/is allergic to peanuts back in the 90's they had them eat in a seperate room if the parent wanted. I did not. I ate peanuts and her allergy got better, she can eat a handful of peanuts with out reacting, this test was done at the allergists and he said that is probably why she didn't get worse. We are both allergic to citrus but she can eat 3 slices and be ok.
My sons school is so bad they can't bring nuts of any kind, peanuts , soy, strawberries, citrus, or any other high allergy foods, this should include milk and wheat products as well. It is effecting the kids health. because now thier diets are so restricted. How can they have a balanced lunch with all these bans.
I am just waiting for them to start banning pork because it offends someone. Where does it stop.
I agreee if her allergy is that bad why is she in school, what happens to these kids when they graduate? Work places are not going to ban food, they need to learn how to to deal with it now . My daughter knew not to eat them and she is fine.

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