Nut-free classrooms (threads merged)

chen

Wed, Aug 22 2007, 7:03 pm

Motek wrote:

And should passengers not wear perfume because someone might be allergic? .

Motek, have you never had the delightful experience of being in an elevator or other small space with a person wearing enough perfume to asphyxiate an elephant? You know how your throat rebels and your eyes water? Lovely, isn't it? now imagine you're asthmatic and perfume is one of the triggers that has you coughing till you puke, or sends your airways into spasm and has you gasping for breath. or you're allergic and your whole body starts to itch and your face to swell.

I happen to know a number of people who suffer in this way, and out of consideration for them and people like them, now that I am aware that these are problems, I no longer wear perfume or scented toiletries in public. Yes, I am more than willing to be mevater the pleasure of using fragrance for the greater good of my fellow human being. I can still wear perfume at home if I so choose.

In answer to your no doubt rhetorical question--yes, passengers should not wear perfume because someone might be allergic. They also should not bring their dogs, cats or other notoriously allergenic pets aboard, either.

Ruchel

Wed, Aug 22 2007, 7:09 pm

chen wrote:

Motek wrote:

And should passengers not wear perfume because someone might be allergic? .

This is beautiful, but cannot be done. People already go mad when they cannot smoke.

mummy-bh

Fri, Jan 18 2008, 6:34 am

My daughter has an allergy to peanuts, amongst other things. Her school has a no-peanut rule, and a no-sesame rule as well, because she is extremely allergic to sesame.

As far as bakeries and manufacturers are concerned, none that I've ever spoken to will give me a guarantee. They're all too scared that I would sue them if chas vesholom my dd had a reaction from eating their products! Also, there are many many things that are out of their control.
However, some years ago one of the local bakeries did a special run of mezonos rolls with no sesame for me. That was fine, B"H.

Chani

Fri, Jan 18 2008, 6:50 am

My husband has a severe nut and peanut allergy. He doesn't eat chocolates because almost every company uses the same equipment for nuts and no nuts candies. He doesn't eat any bakery goods except for bread - no cookies, etc. unless I make it. And he always asks in restaurants about the food ESPECIALLY chinese food. Egg rolls often we find have been sealed with peanut butter. We learned this the hard way.

ffbmom

Fri, Jan 18 2008, 7:07 am

mummy-bh wrote:

So how does the school make sure children bring nut and sesame free snacks to school? Do they call themselves peanut free or peanut friendly? I know that Hershey's kisses and Twizzlers are fine, as are Mars Bars (kosher and nut free), but it becomes more difficult with chalav yisrael. Is the sesame allergy anaphilactic (I think that's how you spell it).

amother

Fri, Jan 18 2008, 7:10 am

Chani wrote:

In Toronto there are special bakeries that are peanut and nut free. It is worth their while because it is the only thing that can be brought to school so two bakeries get all the business: one is a doughnut store and one is a regular bakery. I'm not sure about the sesame though.

mummy-bh

Tue, Jan 22 2008, 5:42 am

Ffbmom, do you mean with my daughter? She had a 'pre-anaphylactic' reaction. Not sure if that is a real term, but that's how I describe it, anyway! Her face blew up, almost immediately, then a little while later she was complaining of her throat feeling strange. Of course, I didn't know what it was. A little while later I called Hatzolo who took her to the emergency room, where they gave her steroid treatment. All in all, it ws probably a couple of hours from her initial ingestion of the chalva until her treatment.

The school are very supportive. She is the first severely allergic kid that is in the school, so it's really a learning curve for both us and them. She keeps a bottle of piriton (antihistamene) in school, but B"H it is still unused. They made it a school rule that no sesame or nut products may be brought into school.

Friiend's houses, kiddushim, parties etc are a source of worry for me, what can I tell you. My dd is talking about going to camp for the first time this summer and I'm already a nervous wreck!

The truth is, though, B"H the majority of people are very understanding and happy to help.

btMOMtoFFBs

Tue, Jan 22 2008, 5:45 am

My kids school is peanut and tree nut free. A letter was sent out in the beginning of the year to parents explaining what foods are and are not allowed.

If teachers notice during lunchtime that a nut-based food was sent by mistake, the child just puts it back in his backpack and brings it home with a note reminding the parents of the nut free policy.

In the case of the classrooms of the kids who are actually the allergic ones, the teachers check the lunches each day before the kids eat. Also, a very detailed explaination of allergy statements and list of foods that are OK was sent to the parents of the kids in this class.

Hope this info helps.

BTW, I like your S/N - mine is similar. Smile

Mommy3.5

Wed, Jan 23 2008, 10:41 am

our school provides one snack and lunch for the kids. Everything they make is peanut and nut free. Preschool classes are not allowed to bring in ANY snacks. Older kids can bring in snacks for recess, but bamba's are banned and ingredients must be checked.

Birthday parties, all party bags need to be peanut/nut free. Parents of birthday child bring in either cupcakes or donuts.

ffbmom

Thu, Jan 24 2008, 5:34 am

so, does anyone have the list of acceptable foods that can be brought into the school? How does the teacher check? I hear that in Israel it is not as much of a problem as it is in America. Is this true? I guess it is easy to check granola bars and chocolate bars, but how do you know about bread, muffins and anything homemade?

montrealmommy

Tue, Feb 12 2008, 5:49 pm

B"H the school my son goes to is nut/penut free. I check the kitchen and apoke with the cook (teacher responsible for all meals) at teh start of the year. My son is also allergic to eggs, soy, legumes, sesame and corn, so believe me I can relate and understand. The person who wrote about Toronto - I used to live there and the bakeries that call themsleves nut-free REALLY are. The one on Yorkdowns and Bathurst (sorry forgot the name) actually has a book behind the counter with every product and the ingredient list - they are very very respectful of allergies. I do a lot of home stuff, and have gone into school to bake there (nothing from home is allowed, mostly to avoid allery issues and I respect the school's position). For public affairs (kiddushes, vorts, chassunas, etc...) my DS and DD wear "plaquards" on their front and back which says "I have allergies" - on the back and "Only my mommy or Abba can give me food". At fist people laughed or told me I was crazy or overexxagerating, but truth be told, I don't care! My MIL gave me this idea, she used to do it with DH who also has anaphalactic allergies! As a rule of thumb, I personally write a letter to all parents about my child and what the allergy (and respecting it's bounderies) means to me and how much I appreicate it. HAve not had to do it here, as parents in DS class were already notified by school, but used to live in NY and had heaps of trouble about it, the letter helped. If anyone wants more "tools", PM me. Also, be insistant, I get manufacterers #'s and call myself to ensure a product is safe.

Hope this helps.

Also, Penut free stuff (if tree nuts are ok) - stock up on Pesach products, incl. chocolate!!!!! I do!

chaylizi

Mon, Sep 01 2008, 2:41 pm

My daughter's preschool banned all nut products this year from school grounds. As there was no such ban last year, I'm assuming a child with a severe nut allergy joined the school this year. My question is this: how much accomodation is appropriate? On one hand, some kids are so allergic that touching an object that someone who ate peanut butter touched is enough to trigger an anaphylactic reaction. I understand that allowing something that is a definite health hazard to one child is definitely unfair. Especially if it was my child, I would want the school to be accomodating. On the other hand, how fair is it to ban food from school because of one kid? or even several? What do I do if my kid only eats peanut butter? Or whatever the banned food is? Some kids are allergic to half the world. What are they going to ban next? Wheat? Dairy? Eggs? Where do you draw the line?
(for any potential bashers, I started this thread b/c I'm tired of politics. not because I have something against my school for accomodating all the children who need to be able to attend. thanks.)

de_goldy

Mon, Sep 01 2008, 2:55 pm

The preschool I work in also bans all nut products. Other allergies are taken into account in each specific classroom. Almost every class has an egg allergic child so we do egg-free challah and cookie dough when we bake. We had a sesame allergy this year so no sesame seeds in our classroom.

I agree with it, but our preschool provides lunch and snacks to the kids so its not such a big issue.

Mimisinger

Mon, Sep 01 2008, 3:00 pm

ALMOND butter is a nut product! chaylizi, I know you understood this, but so many do not.

You can try soybutter. It's pretty close.

My sil got all bothered bc her boys only eat PB&J. I understand this, but seriously, it's one meal, get the kid to eat something else. Dh has always had major allergies, and his schools growing up never did anything about it, but now if CH"V ds has the same allergy, I would hope there would be accommodations.

I know that everyone has their issues. There are some with really bad allergies, like if peanut is in the air they can go into anaphalacitc shock.

If dh touched anything with pb or bamba (which gets everywhere) he has a reaction. It's annoying, but the alternatives are worse.