To think this is NOT good enough?! I am furious!!

[Peanutsaga]

NC’d So dd (8) has a nut allergy and has an epipen that she brings to school. Long story short, a girl in her class brought in a cereal type bar into school with her lunch but it had peanuts and other nuts in it as well as chocolate chips (you know the ones!)
Dd informed me that she saw said girl with the bar and then avoided her for the rest of the day and she could even smell the peanuts. I called into the school to let them know that this had happened but in short I was told, that the school had informed the parents of the no nut policy and sent it out via letter and newsletter, and that there wasn’t much else they can do as they cannot police the lunch boxes every morning. Is that it? I feel really let down and nervous about dd at school now!!

The desensitisation process costs £18,000 as it's only available privately.

Postmistress you can disagree different views, different experience etc..

I’m glad your child feels safe, every child does, and should feel safe, I’d just advise you to be precautionary as not all lunch box meals have known allergens.

Unfortunately my DS (10) doesn’t get to not be on high alert, it’s just the type of allergens he has, he’s very well adapt to managing them now, even has had to give himself his Epipen

He’s been on allergy trials to Yorkhill children’s hospital, RVI in Newcastle, Great Ormond street and has been involved in a few BSACI trails - unfortunately he’s still acute.

But as with everything you make the best Of what you have and for us knowledge is key.

Barbarella1 as a lawyer is that your argument that “I don’t care about my child” .

I absolutely think HaudYerWheeshtYaWeeBellend cares about her child/children! But to suggest people think a nut ban makes nut allergic people think they're "safe", I do find a bit insulting tbh. Obviously, and also sadly, there is no guarantee (or in our case expectation) of "safety" - but I do expect school to have a policy in place (which they act on when necessary) that helps reduce risk and which also helps with my kid's understandable worries. I'm astonished that anyone thinks otherwise tbh.

Please read what I'm saying. My kid DOES NOT FEEL SAFE. She feels SAFER. Safety is not binary!!!!

The level of scrutiny dp have of foods containing peanuts won't be the same level of paranoia that parents of allergic children will have.

That's just the way things go. Like the dp who has had re occurring nits scrupulously combs through with nitty gritty every other day, uses hedrin etc, vamouse, keeps brushing...

But another parent doesn't research it that much, thinks one chemical treatment will sort it

It won't be on the or radar. My dd has breathing issues... I can't explain them to people who don't know, it's very hard!
The school didn't even keep her volumetric thing properly, lost a bit twice... Once didn't give it to her when she asked!!

Very very sloppy. I don't think staff get first aid training or talks.

Parents certainly don't, many parents won't know what happens in an attack...

I'd never ever rely on other parents or the school to keep the child safe. I'd probably home school or see what can be done to keep the child sort of separate around food...

But I do appreciate your point that different people have different views haud, but please don't think I don't understand there isn't still a risk re food at school. Of course I do! But at least the risk is late bit reduced. And my child knows school understand and do their best for her by having rules which aim to minimise that risk for her.

Probably off-topic, but how did you get notification that this had happened during the school day?

a bit, not "late bit"!!

Postmistress we disagree, it’s a false sense of security, safe or safer, even at 4 my DS was acutely aware of his allergens, but as I said different views, different experiences.

However il stick with the official guidelines by the leading specialist and with the many specialist consultants that I’ve have numerous discussions with, ds will mange his allergies with education and knowledge.

I’m nearly 50 and have a serious nut allergy. When we realised I had it, it was back in the 70s and was told it was all in my head and was attention seeking. Some doctors took it seriously, most did not. Although it was distressing at the time I suppose I benefited because I had to quickly learn coping mechanisms etc and I have no problem with removing myself from situations even if it appears rude etc. I hope your daughter’s situation improves xxx

@CallmeAngelina

Probably off-topic, but how did you get notification that this had happened during the school day?

It happened yesterday and my dd told me after school, I called into the school this morning after I dropped her in to class.

Haud, just for the record, I also manage my child's allergies with "education and knowledge" and advice from specialists. And, indeed, with risk mitigation in place go whatever extent possible. I think we'd better leave it there.

to not "go"!

Postmistress why are you taking things personally

My opinions aren’t a slight to anyone.

I've inferred that you thought I was uneducated and/or unknowledgable about allergies and associated risk management, apologies if that is not what you meant!

Absolutely not, if you read I’m talking about my experiences and my views, I’ve disagreed with you regarding one issue however that’s just down to views and experiences nothing more

It's a complete ball-ache, but not impossible, to police such things.
We are a large, supposedly nut-free school, and it needs constant vigilance to keep it that way, and there are always breaches of the policy.
So. not long ago, we had a child go into anaphylaxis, as her friend diagonally opposite her on the lunch table and who knew about her condition, opened a peanut butter sandwich. The friend's parents knew about the policy, but the lunch had been packed by a grandmother who didn't. How far can a policy reach? Not far enough, obviously, which is why blanket bans don't work.
It's good news that your daughter had the nous to spot the issue. That's a major plus for her, going forward, as you can never rely on the environment around her.

I’m a bit surprised at how some schools can police lunchboxes for things like cakes and biscuits but not for something that can cause a life threatening reaction in an allergic child/.

ClappyFlappy, Because they're not necessarily one and the same school. Some schools police lunchboxes for sweet things, and others might not. Who's to say it's the second type that are hot on peanut identification?

You can open a lunchbox and see if something is a cake by looking at it and making a judgement. You would have to read every ingredient on every item. Every day as ingredients can change in products. And nobody could bring a sandwich that was made at home. Everything would need to be from a shop.

One of the SNA's jobs at my son's primary school. There was a girl in his class with a severe nut allergy and they all put their lunch bags on the counter and an adult did check. Probably took 5 minutes if that.

ClappyFlappy

Because they aren’t all visible... someone with a nut cereal bar is could be spotted immediately however some with a homemade flapjack... however has been made peanut butter/oil

It’s exactly like not all disabilities are visible... this saying is fitting to those with allergies, just because something doesn’t appear to contain the allergen doesn’t make it ok to eat/have.

As said above, blanket bans are unhelpful and impossible to enforce. My kids' infant school had a no nuts policy, however the only child with an anaphylactic diagnosis was allergic to potatoes. Obviously they didn't ban crisps, mash, roast potatoes, chips etc from lunches.

While I get that a severe allergy is terrifying, it is the problem of the child who has the allergy not of the rest of the world. Children with allergies can and must learn from a very young age that they must be careful around other people's food.

All children can and should be educated about the dangers of allergies, and can be taught not to share food, to wash hands after eating etc.

We have endless posts on mumsnet about a child's own grandma (usually Mil ) giving dc with dairy allergies milk.

Thinking its all stuff and nonsense. If parents can't get the dangers across to their own parents, how is a school supposed to reach hundreds of parents?

bonbonours

This is the thing that somewhat grates me... is that ds allergy to citrus causes him to get actual blisters where the citrus has touched him... yet there is no ban on citrus in ds school I don’t expect them to ban anything however simply because a child with a nut allergy, nuts should be banned

It’s F^k d up illogical madness, milk, peanut and shellfish are the 3 most common allergies... yet you don’t see milk and shellfish being banned in schools..