Not allowed nuts in school

[pingu2209]

A friend of mine is really concerned about a letter home from school and subsequent conversation. Her dd is very fussy and will only eat peanut butter sandwiches. It is a long battle for her and the doctor is very concerned about her weight as she eats very very little. Has to be white bread, no crusts etc. I would go as far as to say it is an eating disorder - she is 9.

Her eating has to be tackled and the mum is getting help. So far the specialist help has said that it is a good idea for her to eat peanut sandwiches as this is pretty much all she will eat and will give her nutriants etc. They said the key is to increase the types of food, rather than take away what little she does.

But the school has said nobody is allowed any nuts, inc. peanut butter sarnies, in school as there are a handful of children with severe nut allergies - that could kill them.

My friend is at a loss. She asked whether her daughter could eat her sarnies away from the allergic children. The school has still said no, just incase there is peanut butter on her fingers etc that the allergic children could accidentally get it on them.

Who is being unreasonable?

The school is being unreasonable.

Can the dr write a note recommending this diet and get it made part of a care plan/IEP in the school?

the school is being unreasonable I think, they could just get her to wash her hands surely?

I do understand why they have to be careful though

The school are not being unreasonable, allergies are serious and the school are trying to ensure that there is no danger.

If your friends DD has such serious diatary requirements then maybe your friend should have her go home for lunch (either her or a family member, or a childminder could do this) that way she could get whatever she wants for lunch.

I do understand that the children could die if they have a nut, even a very small amount. My friend's daughter won't die, but would put her eating back as anything that makes eating 'an issue' causes more stress for the daughter, which is what the specialists say not to do.

Worst case scenario if she doesn't have peanut butter: She misses lunch, which she could always have after school.
Worst case scenario of she does: Some children die.

The school isn't being unreasonable IMO

Weareeternal, I had thought this too. My friend works 3 days, but that is not the reason her daughter shouldn't go home; it is because everything around food needs to be as stress free as possible and a total normal non issue event.

I think you'll find on the allergies board, many mother of DCs with nut allergies would not ask the school to be a nut free zone and in fact don't think it helps at all.

Can she have nut butter, rather then peanut butter if peanuts specifically are the problem.

The school is being unreasonable

If your friend had a letter of support from the dietary expert explaining the need for her to eat the peanut butter sandwich, the school could make adequate provision for her. And it is not impossible to make this work. But it would need communicating to the school. She is effectively food phobic and can't be left without food during the school day.

The school is not being unreasonable I am afraid. Peanut allergies kill. Children cannot be relied upon to stay away from the allergic children, wash their hands, not breathe on them, not touch their clothes and so on.

Best to have an outright ban on peanuts and peanut butter.

Your friend will have to come some work around re: dietary requirements, such as eating from home or the child will need to eat something else.

The school is being unreasonable even the allergy foundation say not to ban foods as it just leads to a false sense of security.

I agree with twinkle. It' s more of a risk for the kid with the allergy than the kid with eating disorder.

I' d expect most schools to come up with a solution where the kids in question can be separated at lunch though. Doesn't seem too much to ask.

Could it possibly be a catalyst, in some way, for enabling her to confront her food issues? If she can't have her PB sandwiches because another child could die from them, might she look at it in an altruistic way- I will have to have something else so somebody doesn't get hurt? I could be completely arse about face though, just a thought!

It does not help to ban whole food groups because of those with allergies.

It is not necessary and does not help.

If there was a child allergic to dairy would all dairy have to be banned too?

It's ridiculous

Yes yes to 5madthings 16:44 post

I understand that, but if it is that or her not eat at all I think taking her out of school is a better option.

Either that or they Will just have to find an alternative, maybe something that tastes like PNbutter but isn't. Chocolate spread and mashed banana is a good alternative, my DN has that in her lunch box instead of PNbutter when they banned it from her school.

The tiniest amount of nuts can trigger a reaction, so it really isn't worth the risk, I know it's tough for your friend but nut allergies are serious, that's why they don't allow nuts on planes and things if there is a passenger with an allergy.

Your friend is BU. Every school here has a blanket nut ban...even though most of us parents grew up with peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in our lunch boxes. Everyone has to help keep allergic kids safe at school (fyi: all my kids love nuts and nut butter and I happen to think it's a near-perfect lunchtime foods for kids but it could kill someone else's child ).

She should give her little girl PB toast for breakfast and ensure her child continues trying to expand her diet.

The school are going against the advice of the allergy foundation which is NOT to basin foods such as peanuts etc.

People then have a false sense of security, its better for the children and the schools to learn and understand how to cope with the allergy than to have a blanket ban on a specific food type.

The school are not being unreasonable, allergies are serious and the school are trying to ensure that there is no danger

If your friends DD has such serious diatary requirements then maybe your friend should have her go home for lunch (either her or a family member, or a childminder could do this) that way she could get whatever she wants for lunch

Or maybe, the very allergic children should go home for lunch so as to not stop the majority of children being slowed nuts!

Nut allergires kill. So do other allergies- like dairy but schools never ban that and stop giving reception free milk do they?

It would be better ifthe schools allowed nuts but were very careful about contamination. A nut ban just means people become lax and children with allergies a more at risk.

NOT to ban, not basin!

I'm in two minds about the school. I can see both sides tbh.

I wanted to post because dd1 went through this, she was born a poor eater and it went downhill from there. We did all the nutritionist appointments, GP's, Pediatric specialists, she had all kinds of tests, no-one could give use any answers.

The foods she ate were very limited, she would often fixate on one food and eat only that refusing all else, sometimes she went for days living off a few bits of fruit and a biscuit.

What worked in the end was giving up through sheer exhaustion and frustration. She was offered what we had in for breakfast, she was offered a choice of two different lunches or nothing, she had to eat her main evening meal with the family, if she ate, no one made a fuss or commented, if she didn't eat no one made a fuss or commented. If she cried or kicked up a fuss about what she was given she was quietly told she could leave the table if she wished, no-one gave into fighting with her.

She simply stopped making a fuss and started eating more amounts and types of foods. I think because everyone was so worried, we'd inadvertently put her under a lot of pressure and scrutiny and once that was lifted she relaxed.

I don't know if it will work for your friend, but it's worth a try?

My friend's son has special permission as he is a vegetarian. She argued that he knows not to share food with others. Having said that most schools now operate a no nut policy and I'm not sure I entirely agree with her actions. Some children can get ill by smelling peanuts etc.

Exactly little ducks a blanket ban does not work.

Phone type:

Should go home so as to stop the majority of children from not being allowed nuts.