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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Teacher eating peanuts

155 replies

Trillian · 19/06/2009 13:31

In DS2s class there is a child with a sever nut allergy. The class teacher is off sick so they have had stand in teachers.
Yesterday the teacher they had decided to sit in the class and eat a pack of peanuts we are a nut free school so surley someone should have told the teacher this before letting her lose on a class of children including one who could die from just the dust off of a peanut

OP posts:
angrypixie · 19/06/2009 19:09

But, at the risk of repeating myself, why was the teacher eating in front of the class anyway????

(I know that the child could have a reaction later, but the op said that there were children there because they pointed out that it wasn't allowed)

Blondeshavemorefun · 19/06/2009 19:16

i still cant beleive a teacher would be that silly to take something nutty into school - let alone eat it in class

our school only banned asked nicely if all parents could not give their child crunchy nut cereal mon-fri

not a bad request personally

nothing wrong with weetabix,porridge, rice crispes, toast etc for breakie

"I would not change what we eat at home even if the school ask us too, (big crunchy nut fan here)"

i find this really selfish kimi - you would give your own child something nutty, which may and could kill a child at school

did know about the antihist - maybe this child does take it, i dont know, but i certainly would risk his life by eating crunchy nut cornflakes for breakie(i love them)

2shoes · 19/06/2009 19:18

but my question was more general, ok you stop all the school kids, but what about the bus driver, policeman even the nurse.
you can't stop everyone from eating nuts. so how do you live a normal life if you have such a severe alergy?

Blondeshavemorefun · 19/06/2009 19:20

guess you cant, but maybe when in school the children are all close together on table, and more likely to get a reaction

just like nits go through schools like fire, but you dont get it so badly in an office

Thunderduck · 19/06/2009 19:23

I don't think it's selfish. I think it's perfectly reasonable to draw a line between home and school.
The school has no right to ask/dictate that people change what they eat at home.

I have no problem with peanut bans in school, but what I eat at home is my business, and I'd take appropriate precautions after consuming the item but I'm not going to have someone tell me what I can eat at home. It isn't a reasonable request.

Morloth · 19/06/2009 19:28

I don't know if it is selfish or not, but it is going to be the way the majority of people view it (myself included).

I will absolutely not base my eating decisions (or DS's) at home on somebody else's allergy.

ChippingIn · 19/06/2009 19:28

I have no problem at all with having a 'no nuts' or a 'no bananas' rule at school, it's not that hard to do (once you are used to it and put a big red cross on the peanut butter jar!!!!) and has a huge benefit for other children, however, if it was my child who was that allergic I would home school - I don't think it's fair when the reaction is so bad that you have to start dictating what other children can eat at home. Not to mention that with so many children eating breakfast at 'early clubs', childminders, grandparents, on the run etc, it's not something I think should be relied on!

Thunderduck · 19/06/2009 19:30

And before anyone mentions it I am aware of what a nut allergy is like and how difficult it makes life for the child and their parent.
I have a young cousin who has both severe peanut and tree nut allergies.

KingRolo · 19/06/2009 19:35

angrypixie - you are completely right, teachers shouldn't be eating anything in front of the class, very unprofessional.

Though when I had morning sickness I used to sneak into the store room for a quick nibble on a dry cracker.

blueshoes · 19/06/2009 20:18

My niece is severely allergic to diary. Touching causes a rash. Eating even just a minute amount means ambulance, A&E and adrenaline injections. Does this mean that school becomes a milk/yoghurt/cheese-free zone?

In the OP's case, the school is right to introduce a nut-free policy (since nuts are easily isolated) but the point when it becomes intrusive is to dictate what children eat at home.

Kimi · 19/06/2009 20:28

I don't think it is selfish to say I would not let the school tell me what my child could or could not eat at home, where would it stop?
No pork in case you upset the Jewish or Muslim students? No beef in case it offends the Hindus? No meat in case it upset the veggies, A little girl in DS2s class has a fatal allergy to nuts, epi pen in school (nut free school too by the way) but I am not going to say my child can not have peanut butter at home because of it, we are very careful when we have parties and so on that there are NO nuts, we check everything we send in to school.

DP has a nut allergy but the rest of us still have them we simply keep them away from him.

NancysGarden · 19/06/2009 20:30

Sorry - completely puzzled by this thread - would you leave a restaurant if the customer at the next table ordered satay chicken? I work in a school and find it ridiculous to say the least that a member of staff should not be allowed to consume nuts in the presence of children lest the nut-dust reach their little lungs. Come on. The teacher in question ought to be pulled up on eating in class, sure, not very professional, but the fact they were nuts? This is crazy imo.

Original poster
Trillian · 19/06/2009 20:37

Our school has only banned nuts in school and that is fair enough, I think it would be extream in the least to tell people what to feed their children at home though.

I know the children in the class told the teacher she could not eat nuts in school, I know the head has been informed, I think that is where the blame should lie because it is up to the head to inform any and all staff that the school IS nut free.

The child in question is a lovely child, and I know her mother appreciates the nut free school thing. She does not take it for granted that the school will do this, and until her child and another started it was not a nut free school.

My point was AIBU to think the teacher should have been told the school was nut free, and I really do not think I am

OP posts:
tigermoth · 19/06/2009 20:40

Why didn't the girl tell the teacher of her nut allergy problem?

Of course the school should have told the supply teacher of the problem. But how does this girl cope when she goes to public places?

Thunderduck · 19/06/2009 20:40

Nancy. That dust could be enough to induce a severe reaction in a nut allergic child.

NancysGarden · 19/06/2009 20:42

Ok - I hold my hands up I know nothing about nut allergy, but how does one cope in public then, out of curiosity?

Thunderduck · 19/06/2009 20:43

With extreme caution.

GrimmaTheNome · 19/06/2009 20:44

YANBU.
The teacher should have been informed that the school was nut free.

The teacher should not have been eating in class.

I don't think its unreasonable for a school to request that people consider what their kids are eating if it is liable to cause a severe reaction in one of their classmates. Of course they can in no way enforce such civilized consideration. Kids do get a lot closer than casual passers-by. I doubt that kids with bad contact/breathed-in allergies get taken to many restaurants (esp not thai). They do have to go to school (home schooling is unsuitable for most familys).

Thunderduck · 19/06/2009 20:45

You can't really ever feel completely relaxed if you have a severe nut allergy, or are a parent of a child with a nut allergy.

You can take precautions and have an epi pen but having to use that is less than ideal and still means a hospital trip.

Kimi · 19/06/2009 20:45

DS2s friend ended up in hospital for eating some crisp out of a bowl that had had peanuts in, someone filled it up with crisp after all the nuts were eaten and that was enough for a hospital visit

wb · 19/06/2009 20:48

Like thurderducks says. Epi-pens are good. Sometimes you have to get off a bus/leave a cinema damn quick. Sometimes you call an ambulance. And sometimes people die, of course

It is pretty rare for someone to be that allergic though.

Thunderduck · 19/06/2009 20:50

Yes they do have to go to school, and a ban is fine there,but expecting people not to have food containing nuts or food that may contain nut traces is taking it too far imho.

It may also mean that the parents can't eat breakfast cereal or other food containing nuts as they'll be in close contact with their child who may then also have close contact with the nut allergic child. Is that aa reasonable expectation?

Kimi · 19/06/2009 20:51

I would not stand in the playground eating a snickers bar, but I would eat one at home (well I would if I could but as a diabetic it would not be a good thing to do)

I know the child in DSs class has a rough time going to parties and so on, I was talking to her mum about it and she said she had to have a mask on an airplane as the air is recycled round the plane and every little think is made harder.

Think is she needs to be allowed to be a child while all the time being very careful.

I would be terrified TBH if it were my child, it is bad enough with DP and he is old enough to look after himself not 7

Thunderduck · 19/06/2009 20:52

A not aa.

GrimmaTheNome · 19/06/2009 20:53

No-one on earth has to eat nutty cereal on a weekday to stay alive. Therefore it is perfectly reasonable to ask people to be considerate. Of course people are perfectly free to ignore the request but its such a simple thing I can't understand why anyone would object.

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