[LaneyDoll]

Originally Posted by julieisafemme

My child has a peanut allergy. We carry and epipen and Benadryl. I worry about it a lot in places where I am not able to control things. My child has a mild peanut allergy but the sneaky things about peanuts is that there is always a possibility she could have anaphalactic reaction and die.

Another child in her class has a *severe* peanut allergy as well as allergies to many other things. Our class has a list of things that the children cannot have in their lunches. It is also a vegetarian kosher campus!! So there are a lot of restrictions on what children can bring for lunch. None of this bothers me a bit! We are talking about the lives of these children! Not to mention the lack of anxiety they and the parents feel knowing that their child is in a safe environment. This is a private school. What if this parent could not afford to pay for a private school? What if her child had to attend public school and had a lot of angry people on top of worrying about the safety of her child? I don't think home schooling should be an alternative to an accomodation that a school can make. What about a child who has special needs of some other sort?

I just hope people understand that peanut allergies are deadly. They can come on so quickly that even with an epipen a child can die. The balance between that and a parent who wants to pack a penaut butter sandwhich for their child just does not make sense to me.

Well said!

I would hate to think that a child died because I sent a PB & J to school and they took a bite of it when my child offered to share.

There are too many rules/regulations and what ifs for me to easily say "it is unfair to ask the entire school to avoid PB."

What if the child left their pen at home or on the bus? Or was on the playground and it was in their backpack/teacher's desk?

These are children not adults. These are children who are required to attend school not an adult who opts to expose themselves to an allergy. It is not like someone who complains about going to a smoky bar despite an allergy to cigarette smoke. I am allergic to smoke and I go out and I know it will make me feel bad. But it was my choice to go.

Private school is not always an option; neither is home schooling. My boss home schools and do you have any idea of the expense involved in it? I sure cannot afford it.

If a child wants PB & J so bad for lunch but cannot take it because of an allergy, let them have it for breakfast. No child's life is worth placating a finicky eater.