Page 4 | Chocolate in cards from school.

MomOfCritters · 2021-12-16T17:04:49+00:00

When did this become a thing? DS is in reception and has been bringing home Christmas cards recently and some of them have chocolate coins or similar in them, I just wondered if this is a normal thing? I'm not bothered by it, more curious.

rainrainraincamedowndowndown · 17/12/2021 14:01

My ds is in secondary now but used to get few odd coins with card when he was in primary.

Same as other pp, my ds is allergic to dairy so he can't actually eat it, but never had problem. Either he gave it to someone if he opened the card at school, or gave it to me if he was at home. He has alternative at home, so he didn't care much if he got something he couldn't eat.

saraclara · 17/12/2021 14:13

@PeachesPumpkin

Really upsetting for those children with allergies or Coeliac disease though. Yet another thing to make them feel different/isolated and remind them of the fact there are so many things they can’t enjoy.

So no-one should have anything that anyone could be allergic to? This Christmas is shit enough for everyone. People are just trying to bring a moment's joy.

My brother was severely allergic to anything containing milk for his entire childhood, and spent a lot of time in hospital. But crap as my mum was in many ways, she made sure that when I or other kids in our circle got chocolate from anyone, she had a different treat available for him. And of course he knew what he could and couldn't have by the time he was at school, so he wasn't at any risk from accidental ingestion (though we won't mention the dinner lady who forced him to eat custard despite his protests and put him in hospital in an oxygen tent for a week).

A school being nut free is one thing, of course. But not allowing anything sweet to be put in cards? That would be way over the top, and unnecessary.

soundsystem · 19/12/2021 15:01

@PeachesPumpkin

Really upsetting for those children with allergies or Coeliac disease though. Yet another thing to make them feel different/isolated and remind them of the fact there are so many things they can’t enjoy.

Is it though? My DD(7) can't eat a lot of things and if she gets something like this she brings it home and swaps it for something in the jar of treats we can eat. And is perfectly happy with that!

MeredithGreyishblue · 19/12/2021 16:20

@PeachesPumpkin

Really upsetting for those children with allergies or Coeliac disease though. Yet another thing to make them feel different/isolated and remind them of the fact there are so many things they can’t enjoy.

It's not "really upsetting" to a child with allergies. It's a chocolate coin. A kind gesture from a small child. If you're raising a child to think that's "really upsetting" you might want a rethink. Or any kindnesses in the world will eventually stop. Perspective.

Heartoverheadheadoverheart · 19/12/2021 17:06

It's not the fact that it is upsetting it is the fact that some children are allergic upon touch. It is the fact that some younger school age children will still be at risk.

Yes, I am not in the camp of the whole world having to change for minority causes as we all have to adjust our own problems to the world but surely there is a line. Is a chocolate coin really worth risking a child's life for.

1940s · 19/12/2021 17:13

@Heartoverheadheadoverheart

It's not the fact that it is upsetting it is the fact that some children are allergic upon touch. It is the fact that some younger school age children will still be at risk.

Yes, I am not in the camp of the whole world having to change for minority causes as we all have to adjust our own problems to the world but surely there is a line. Is a chocolate coin really worth risking a child's life for.

If a child was so highly allergic to dairy that being gifted a card with a foil wrapped chocolate coin in it was deadly then the class would be made aware and no children in the year group or even in the primary school would be allowed butter in sandwiches etc.

sohypnotic · 19/12/2021 17:27

My DD is in pre-school (starting reception in Sept) along with cards from her class she had choc coins, choc lollies, choc cracker, small choc selection box, 2 x story books and a tub of playdoh!

Sparkle275 · 19/12/2021 17:39

I'd never heard of this before until this year when my youngest DS was coming home from school with a few cards that had a chocolate coin inside. Must be the latest tradition lol.

Heartoverheadheadoverheart · 19/12/2021 17:53

@1940s Trouble is these cards get opened by over excited small children and not all of these cheap chocolate things are wrapped properly.

You would think it would be taken as seriously as schools respond to nut allergies but unfortunately it is not. The difference between other children having sandwiches is that they are not physically being given to the allergic child.

saraclara · 19/12/2021 18:03

[quote Heartoverheadheadoverheart]@1940s Trouble is these cards get opened by over excited small children and not all of these cheap chocolate things are wrapped properly.

You would think it would be taken as seriously as schools respond to nut allergies but unfortunately it is not. The difference between other children having sandwiches is that they are not physically being given to the allergic child.[/quote]
It would be taken as seriously if there was a child so sensitive to chocolate as some children are to nuts.

I have never heard of touch or breathe anaphylaxis to chocolate, but if there's a rare case out there you can guarantee the school would know.

If you want school to ban every single food that child has ever been severely allergic to, then I'm afraid it's not going to happen, and nor would it even be possible.

MeredithGreyishblue · 19/12/2021 18:04

[quote Heartoverheadheadoverheart]@1940s Trouble is these cards get opened by over excited small children and not all of these cheap chocolate things are wrapped properly.

You would think it would be taken as seriously as schools respond to nut allergies but unfortunately it is not. The difference between other children having sandwiches is that they are not physically being given to the allergic child.[/quote]
If a pupil in a class is THAT allergic, there would have been a message sent to parents and repeated regularly.

saraclara · 19/12/2021 18:07

Here you. Now stop worrying about a kid touching a foil wrapped chocolate penny

Heartoverheadheadoverheart · 19/12/2021 18:28

O goodness, yes it is the milk in the chocolate that children are mostly allergic to, sorry I thought this was obvious.

I have never said about schools banning every single food a child is allergic to.. just not giving it to them as a surprise. It is different.

Well lucky for those of you that don't have to live with the risk of anaphylaxis upon touch. My children's consultant has assured me they definitely aren't the only ones.

I also love the faith people have that all schools are competent at managing children's allergies to such a high degree. Things happen at a million miles per hour in schools and many things are constantly overlooked.

ldontWanna · 19/12/2021 18:56

[quote Heartoverheadheadoverheart]@1940s Trouble is these cards get opened by over excited small children and not all of these cheap chocolate things are wrapped properly.

You would think it would be taken as seriously as schools respond to nut allergies but unfortunately it is not. The difference between other children having sandwiches is that they are not physically being given to the allergic child.[/quote]
Severe nut allergies mean a whole school ban on nuts. If there was a child with a dairy allergy the same would happen. In a lot of schools kids aren't allowed to open the sweets/cards until they're with their parents anyways.

ldontWanna · 19/12/2021 18:57

@Heartoverheadheadoverheart

O goodness, yes it is the milk in the chocolate that children are mostly allergic to, sorry I thought this was obvious.

I have never said about schools banning every single food a child is allergic to.. just not giving it to them as a surprise. It is different.

Well lucky for those of you that don't have to live with the risk of anaphylaxis upon touch. My children's consultant has assured me they definitely aren't the only ones.

I also love the faith people have that all schools are competent at managing children's allergies to such a high degree. Things happen at a million miles per hour in schools and many things are constantly overlooked.

Is the touch allergy to milk?

feelsobadfeltsogood · 19/12/2021 19:09

My dd is 6 and I sent in homemade gingerbread men for her class (only 19 kids) individually wrapped and they all loved them
I have to say I did this instead of sending cards 🤦🏻‍♀️

Heartoverheadheadoverheart · 19/12/2021 20:39

Yes, plus other things.

No, schools don't just ban dairy from the school they typically segregate the child (nor would I want them to ban dairy from a whole school).

The thing with schools is young children get very excited, often open things like cards quickly and when they shouldn't and there are not enough staff to children to ensure this doesn't happen when someone is turning their back. They might open it as soon as it is handed to them at the door at the end of the day before the parent even realises what they have.

Rather than surprise allergic treats being put in a card why not just hand a packet of chocolate coins to the teacher to hand out. This way the allergic child will be kept safe and all other children get to enjoy them. It means that everybody is aware and children at risk are protected. I don't know why any kind caring person wouldn't want this.

oKoK65 · 20/12/2021 06:24

@MeredithGreyishblue my child is allergic to milk, soya and nuts. If he eats any of them he has sickness, diarrhoea and stomach pain. The school manage this by giving he a treat from his treat box when other children bring chocolates in on birthdays etc. of. Of course it would be upsetting to him if all the other children got a treat and he didn't get anything as it would be for any child. My concern would be if treats are in cards teachers may not notice and he would potentially be given something that would make him very poorly if he ate it. Schools only make other parents aware of anaphylactic allergies so parents may not know. Thankfully this hasn't happened at our school hoping it doesn't.

reluctantbrit · 20/12/2021 08:33

We had a toddler in nursery who had a severe allergy to dairy and the nursery told us to not send in any food apart from formula and asked if we fed our children in the morning ourselves to not have them in the clothes they would be wearing to nursery to avoid overlooked spills of milk on the child. They offered a breakfast but some children ate at home.

I would assume a school would do the same, when I cooked with DD's Y2 there were signs. with the children's name and the food. they couldn't have all over the kitchen.

Also DD could tell me which child couldn't eat what so all birthday treats were chosen accordingly. In some cases the parent also asked the school to disclose it to the class to avoid problems.

HPandTheNeverEndingBedtime · 20/12/2021 08:38

We used to do this as DD wanted to give everyone in her class a gift and this was the quickest and cheapest way of doing so. DD used to love putting the coins in the envelope.

Beautiful3 · 20/12/2021 09:08

Our school wouldn't allow gifts to be brought in, for friends, but cards were allowed. So we put chocolate coins and sweets on my daughters friends, cards.

oKoK65 · 20/12/2021 09:08

@reluctantbrit

We had a toddler in nursery who had a severe allergy to dairy and the nursery told us to not send in any food apart from formula and asked if we fed our children in the morning ourselves to not have them in the clothes they would be wearing to nursery to avoid overlooked spills of milk on the child. They offered a breakfast but some children ate at home.

I would assume a school would do the same, when I cooked with DD's Y2 there were signs. with the children's name and the food. they couldn't have all over the kitchen.

Also DD could tell me which child couldn't eat what so all birthday treats were chosen accordingly. In some cases the parent also asked the school to disclose it to the class to avoid problems.

All great but if a child has a non anaphylactic allergy it would be highlighted in setting but not usually to parents so they may not know. These reactions whilst not (thankfully) life threatening can still be nasty and avoidable if all treats at school are given via teachers. In a card may be less obvious.

Treaclepie19 · 20/12/2021 09:55

I've never known this was a thing but this year a few of DSs cards came with coins in.
He wants to do the same next year.

Heartoverheadheadoverheart · 20/12/2021 15:46

I have children with severe anaphylaxis allergies in school. The school has copies up of allergies for staff but they do not share this info with parents as it is private medical info. Of course I chat to parents and many I have told anyway. But, relying on them to think and remember in their own busy lives?

I have worked in schools for years and I have never came across a school that has introduced any of the measures the previous poster discusses in a nursery and this certainly does not happen in my children's school either.

CeeceeBloomingdale · 20/12/2021 15:47

Never once has that happened. I have a Y6 primary school kid and one now in high school. It must be very new.