With the diagnosis of food allergies, there comes a
host of other concerns. Many of these secondary concerns deal with school.
There are places that people with food allergies just avoid so as not to put
themselves in danger. Obviously, school is not one of those places. Sending a
food allergic child to school can be down-right scary! Especially when the
child is young and is still learning about their food allergies and how to
manage them on their own.
While checking out food allergy blogs today... I
came across this on The Food Allergy Mama's website. This is just a clip -
click here for the entire article.
"I’ve said it before but it’s worth mentioning
again; classrooms ARE NOT secondary lunchrooms. They are a child’s safe haven,
a place to learn and socialize in an inclusive, positive environment. I’ve
never advocated for food bans, especially in school lunchrooms. My son also has
a severe dairy allergy, and I would never expect any school to ban milk, or
cheese from children’s lunches. John knows it is HIS responsibility in the
lunchroom to eat at a peanut free table and to wash his hands and not share
food. However, the gray area lies within the classroom. Schools should consider
more food free celebrations, and snacks in the classrooms should be free of
potentially deadly allergens. To the reader who posted the comment above, and
to any other mom or dad who is annoyed at possibly having to buy certain snacks
for the classroom only, I would hope they could try for just a moment
to consider the food allergic child, and that no granola bar or cupcake is
worth losing a child over. Ever.
When I read the above blog comment, it saddened me
that we can’t all just come together and put these children’s lives first, and
think about what’s best for them, not what’s best and more convenient for
parents. We need to think more logically and compassionately about the issue of
food allergies in schools. I respect and value the opinions of non FA parents
who wish to fight these types of changes in schools, but I hope that they can
respect our food allergic children’s lives and well-being too. Change isn’t
easy, but it is possible to do with everyone’s support from the top down, as long
as the right information is put out, and more people are educated that food
allergies are not a choice or a dietary fad."
Reading this article reminded me of a conversation
I heard while at a PTA function. Two mothers were discussing their frustration
and inconvenience at having to accommodate a child with Celiacs during the end
of the year pizza party for that particular grade. They were annoyed at the
added cost of having to bring in a gluten-free pizza. They talked about how, if
this child (who happened to only be 7), CHOSE to eat this way, they
ought to get used to being "special". This child should get used to
sitting out of special parties and celebrations because of their
"choice" to eat gluten-free. I chose not to make a scene and
argue my point as I was so shocked and saddened at the thought of what The
Princess (and other kids with food allergies and intolerances) have to face and
deal with on a daily basis. I felt sorry for this child, who I'm sure just
wanted to celebrate with the rest of their classmates and feel included.
I am with The Food Allergy Mama in that I do not
support school-wide bans on peanuts (or other allergens). But I am a firm
believer in keeping food out of classrooms (as much as possible). A friend and
I took this issue to our school Principal last year and had a very open
discussion about why we felt it was important and how food allergic kids could
be safer at school. Even thought The Princess is not in school
yet, I would like to have policies and procedures in place BEFORE she starts
school to ease the stress on both of us when we get to that point. Although
our Principal listened and discussed the issue with us, I didn't feel like many
changes would be made. When the new school year started, I was pleasantly
surprised to see many of the teachers had opted for "food-free"
Birthday celebrations. Even though there are other times when food is brought
into the classroom, I felt that this was a step in the right direction.
I was not prepared for the amount of backlash my
friend and I would receive when others learned we had spoken to the principal
on this issue. I never imagined that this would be so hotly debated and so
personal to some people. I feel like I am understanding of others points of view
and would ask that others be understanding of why this issue is so important to
me. When it comes to the safety of my daughter, I will not back down and will
do whatever it takes to keep her safe - especially at school.
Food in the classroom (and food bans) are a hot topic in many areas of
the country as food allergies become more common. While I am grateful that
so much progress has been made, there is much work to be done to educate
society about food allergies (and other dietary intolerances that aren't
'choice'). I agree with The Food Allergy Mama that change can happen but
it will require an open-mind and a willingness to see another perspective.
Jana
Keep attempting to work with the school and I hope slowly people will be more accepting of the changes that are needed! Keep up the good work to make it safe for that little Princess!
ReplyDeleteThanks Mari!
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