Would you complain

[Crystallizedring]

Yesterday on the parents app I noticed they had lentils for tea. For 18 months now the nursery knows DS doesn't have lentils or chickpeas. They appear to give him stomach ache (he's non verbal but cries and holds his tummy) and poos a lot ( not diarrhea).
I checked at pickup, thinking it might be a mistake, no he had two helpings of the bloody stuff. (Staff who brought him out isn't normally in his room so although I did mention it it obviously wasn't her fault).
So now my 4 year old is sat next to me, crying, because his tummy hurts.
This has happened twice before and I'm tempted to complain this time but he's only there for two more weeks so is it worth it?
Just to add surely they should be super hot on children with allergies, imagine for some children having food they're not supposed to could be life threatening.

I'm not sure I would complain as such but I'd ask for a meeting with the manager and check they understand he has an intolerance and how are they going to prevent this from happening again.

Definitely raise this.

As pp says they need to be aware this error has occured and review their processes to ensure it doesn't happen again.

I would complain. Their processes to keep children safe are inadequate.

Have you filled in any paperwork that states he's not allowed lentils and chickpeas?

Yes I would complain. It’s not nice for your son to have stomach ache. But for some children this could have killed them. I’m amazed, I’d expect nurseries to be very hot on intolerances and allergies.

Of course you should raise this.

If you haven't already tell them he has an allergy to these things and get the paperwork filled out. They might be more rigorous if this is categorised as an allergy.

Have you told them he’s allergic/intolerant and filled in the proper paperwork? Or have you just vaguely said along the lines of I think it gave him a tummy ache last time? But yes definitely raise it and make sure it’s properly recorded.

I think it's definitely worth pursuing how it happened if only to make sure that you are better armed going forward to other settings to make sure everything is in place.

Definitely raise it, yes. No need to complain as such, but let them know they’ve made a mistake and need to monitor this much better, as luckily in your DS case it’s just an intolerance (though he of course shouldn’t be left poorly because of their actions), but for other more serious allergies it could be a deadly mistake.

I filled in paperwork. The rooms all have a list of which children can't have which food. His name is on there .
There have been times when they've given him something different if the others are having lentils or chickpeas but it's not consistent.

If you've filled in the paperwork stating no lentils and chickpeas then they absolutely should not be giving them to him, and should always offer alternatives. I would ring the nursery and ask for a meeting with the manager to discuss a serious safeguarding issue.

You mention there have been at least 2 previous incidents. Is there a reason why you haven't complained in the past when you know he's been given lentils / chickpeas?

I would absolutely complain. And complain hard.

with two weeks left it won’t make much difference to your DS, but it could make a massive difference to other children.

Giving two portions of something a child has an allergy to is ridiculous.

They're completely failing to keep him safe. I have a DC with an allergy and the nursery are all over it, as they should be. I would be fuming OP.

This is the kind of thing you need to raise immediately and have a meeting with the manager to ensure it doesn't happen again.

your son suffered twice before
and you said…. nothing?

so from their perspective

he had it twice before
you said nothing
they had no idea he suffered and all they saw was a child hoovering it up and having seconds

That's not the nursery's call to make. They've really fucked up.

The first time was the day I had told them about his reaction (didn't do the paperwork until pick up). They apologised and said it was too short notice for the chef
Second time I spoke to his key worker and room leader. I didn't complain as such but asked them to please double check before letting him eat that the food has no lentils or chickpeas in. They assured me they would (tbf neither of them were in yesterday but his dietary is on the board).
And it doesn't matter if they saw him enjoying it or not when I told them multiple times don't give him lentils.

How can they not know he'd suffer when I told them he gets an upset stomach from it? And told them this three times.
I hadn't complained before but I did speak to them both times.

Why wouldn't you? There's literally no reason not to. It doesn't need to be an official complaint. A phone call to the nursry staff or to the manager. Or say it in person when you drop off or collect. Or by email.

It's not an allergy, it's an intolerance, but yes you need to speak to them about it

so you did complain before?

how is telling them that your son suffered badly from their negligence not a complaint?

i can’t believe you sent him back after the second time tbh. Sounds like there’s a sadomasochistic nursery worker there!

all they saw was a child hoovering it up and having seconds

Totally irrelevant. You could enjoy the taste of food which kills you. The nursery should have procedures in place which makes this type of slip-up impossible. It’s bad tummy ache with the op’s ds. Another child might suffer even worse consequences.

If it was just mentioned in passing then could understand how mistake has been made..but the fact it is written down and still being given it is worrying!