Is eating Peanut butter before school breaking the ‘nut free’ rules ??

[RenaissanceGraffiti]

Dd has ARFID and autism so has a limited diet . Breakfast is always peanut butter on toast.
School is nut free and one day dd last week dd had gone in and said she had PB when they’d been chatting about breakfast - after school the TA said as there’s a child in the class with a nut allergy can we give dd a different breakfast ?? Surely this isn’t breaking the rules !!

This isn't true. It can be. Perhaps have a quick google before speaking with such authority on something you clearly haven't researched.

My friend has an airborne allergy to peanuts and sesame. Ends up in a&e a few times a month with anaphylaxis.

I think that is highly inappropriate for a TA to bring up, especially to a child with ARFID as you really can't risk any food rejections (for whatever reason). As you say she isn't going in with peanut residue on her clothes, face etc., otherwise where do you draw the line?

Op it sounds like you're being really considerate.... I think if you're washing hands brushing teeth and changing clothes before school you're not putting the other child at any more risk than they would encounter outside of school.

I don’t eat it at all but it’s not relevant. OP’s child ONLY eats peanut butter for breakfast due to her additional needs. It’s not a question of choice, it’s very different. Please don’t add pressure to OP’s life I can imagine she has enough on her plate already.

Are the allergies life threatening? I think the whole topic is very confusing as I know of a child whose allergy was described as potentially fatal and could be triggered just by someone opening a snickers and biting into it. It's terrifying and I don't think enough practical info is shared around dangerous allergies.

Peanut butter isn’t giving off peanut dust to float around the classroom, and eaten before school when she does washes up and cleaned her teeth… the TA is being an idiot and no, you don’t have to change. Feed your daughter whatever you want.

We had a similar situation when my eldest was at primary. At the time all he would eat (at lunchtime, that is) was nutella sandwiches. So he just had no lunch. 😔

I'd also be inclined to think the TA is incorrect just because if it was that severe, surely this would have been communicated already. Rather than waiting for a child to mention they've had peanut butter, and then speaking to them individually.

@PTSDBarbiegirl

I agree, people aren't educated on food allergies. I certainly wasn't before my son was born.

It would be great if there was a module in school for young children, to explain things.

Nut allergies are usually life threatening.
All of my son's allergies are life threatening (can cause anaphylaxis) and he carries epi pens.

However, people with allergies can't expect the world to accommodate them. It's not feasible. Of course, it's wonderful when schools are considerate and do what they can to keep the child with allergies safe, but asking for children to not eat the allergens in their own home is a step too far IMO.

It goes against the allergy advice that nut free schools lead to false feelings of security and aren’t supported by the relevant charities.

it always annoyed me as dd has an allergy to coconut but school never banned that or made dc wear sun cream that doesn’t contain coconut (lots do) in case it rubbed on dd. I also disagree re eggs - really healthy yet I wasn’t allowed to send homemade quiche for dd who was underweight and didn’t like sandwiches. Why does one dc health get prioritised over another at primary when secondary they suddenly manage to have eggs and peanut butter.

This is an autistic child with ARFID and people are seriously insisting that the issue is the he and his family just need to be kind and considerate about his breakfast choices?

Yes allergies can be life threatening. But other people’s needs matter too.

Restricting the diet of a child ARFID even further is not a reasonable way to manage this.

But how do you know if people don't have other allergies? Do you not eat anything that might cause an allergic reaction in someone else?

Thanks, 8 agree with you and would add that if a bit of whole school training was delivered about the practicalities do's/dont's, epipen use it would help alot. Often staff avoid would do the proactive things if they knew what they were, except the obvious ones. The awareness around what foods contain these allergens would help too. It can be hard enough encouraging some parents to provide a snack or PE kit never mind assuming they will act on the newsletter info on allergies. It must be really frightening as a parent.

@IncomingTraffic I agree 100%. Can't believe people are saying oh just feed her something else, like it's the easiest thing in the world. Op, keep giving peanut butter, all traces are gone after, brushed teeth and wash anyway. Nobody can tell people what to feed their kids at home

If teeth are cleaned, hands and face washed, and uniform put on afterwards, I'd say there's no risk at all to anyone.

If it's mentioned again (or if your DD is likely to tell them that she's had peanut butter again) simply point out all the precautions that you're taking

There are many cereals for breakfast which have peanuts in them.
Is tte school planning to tell all the children that those are not allowed either??

Continue to give your child her breakfast. If the child with the allergy is so sensitive to peanuts that even nuts eaten at home by another child is a risk, that child shouldn't be out of their own home.
My children's school tried this 20 years ago and in fact asked parents to sign a documents saying that as long as the child was at the school we would never use any food that may contain nuts either at school or at home ( Married Quarters, so child would be living on the same camp) As you can imagine the school were told to get stuffed.

The TA is being ridiculous. My kids eat it for breakfast, either that or nutella on toast usually so pretty much always nuts. They eat in PJs, wash hands, face and brush teeth afterwards (supervised to make sure they’re doing it properly) because I am conscious of kids at school with allergies but it wouldn’t have ever occurred to me they shouldn’t be eating it all.

Of course they do but an ARFID child is unlikely to die from missing breakfast whereas someone with a nut allergy could die from contact. As said, I have an ARFID child. Op need to speak to school no one here knows the severity of this child's allergy.

Even if a school aspires to a nut free school environment, it’s impossible and ridiculous to try to guarantee nut free children and a school community of nut free homes.

So you’d avoid eating dairy for @Alloveragain3 child too then?
No milk in your tea. No porridge or cereals for breakfast. Not even cheese on some toast.
Because that child has a life threatening to milk to it’s fair enough fir all children and teachers (!) to avoid milk at breakfast right?

They can be. My sisters certainly is and as such we don’t have nuts in the house as she visits regularly.

but it sounds like the OPs daughter isn’t going to pose a risk to anyone eating before school as she does.

A child who already has an extremely restricted diet is certainly at risk, health wise, if they are suddenly missing one if their meal !!

It's all very well saying not eating PB is too far but you're not
A) the terrified parent of the allergic child or
B) the terrified TA who would have to deal with the anaphylaxis
This is a teachers worst nightmare!