Here's the delima with that line of thought : what is the child who is allergic to the dust or just the smell (and even in some cases - just touching someone or something that the child is allergict to will trigger a reaction) suppose to do? They have no way of avoiding that situation.
Also, allergic reactions tend to get worse everytime one happens. So the parent of a child with any kind of allergy (and I am one, though it's not food - it a chemical dye) never knows if it's going to be just a mild reaction, or if it could be one that is a potential killer. I would rather have to rack my brain for new lunch/snack ideas than worry the lunch I've packed is dangerous for a fellow schoolmate.

Why take the chance .......

This is just crazy. According to about.com the first commercial peanut crop was grown in Virginia in the early to mid 1840's and in North Carolina beginning around 1818. People have been eating peanuts for almost 200 years. If it we have never had mass death due to peanut allergies.

Please don't missunderstand me, I beleive that the allergie exists and that it can be deadly for some people. I just th ink that we have gone overboard withthis issue. Teach your children about their special needs and let the rest of the world do their thing. Just because my kid has special needs doesn't mean your kid should have to change his reasonable behaviors. Tell the teacher about you families needs and teach your child.

This is just one of those issues where you can't please everyone. Parents of kids with pnut allergies have legitimate concerns about a safe environment for their kids. Other parents have a legitimate issues as well - "my kid only eats PB&J", "tyrany of the minority". It is an emotional issue all around.

In our school, there is a pnut table, all the rest are pnut-free. This allows the PB&J group to still eat lunch, but doesn't make the pnut allergy kid feel like he is being punished.

The discrict and/or school policies for this are really beyond the control of the PTO. SHC had it right - allow some of the disucussion to happen but shut it off when it becomes repetitive venting rather than constructive dialog.

BTW - the nutrition policy in our school includes the birthday celebrations (those that include food are somewhat frowned on). If you think a pnut discussion is emotional, you should have heard the "discussions" when this policy was announced. "What do you mean I can't bake my kids b-day cake and have to buy one from a store with ingredients list?" It was not pretty.

allergies are serious stuff. some schools also prohibits latex balloons school for the very same reason as no pnuts in the classrooms proper.

they put the kids health above the parents 'right' to bring in balloons and peanutbutter cookies to class. makes sense to me. kids welfare should always take priority in an ideal school world.

I'm the husband of a wife with severe allergic reactions to any nuts... I understand your fear, we've done airvac and emergency room visits

So if a kid at my childs school has allergies to nuts, I cant serve my child a Peanut Butter Snadwich ? (none of us like jam or jelly- No PB&J)

I understand the cookies, snacks and party stuff but anything else would be overboard IMO -- I like the 'peanut free table or area' as a compromise and educate the school

[ 09-05-2006, 12:10 PM: Message edited by: Shawn ]

I am the mother of a 7 year old with peanut allergies and let me clarify the gravity of this allergy. It can kill him any time he has any kind of contact with peanuts or any nuts. A lot of children with pnut allergies also have allergies to other nuts. This is not like being allergic to grass or hay fever, this is life or death! We have ended up in the emergency room on numerous occasions without any idea of how the contact occurred. These kids can have allergic reactions just from someone in the same room having pnut products open. The smell alone can cause a reaction. And a reaction isn't sneezing and such. It is their eyes begin to swell shut then the swelling moves down to their nasal area. And then to their throats. Then they can't breathe. And all this happens in a relatively short period of time. So if you really think this is an agenda put your child in this position. How would you feel? Let me tell you from experience it is all encompassing fear that drives me to make parents, teachers and administrators aware and involved. Because while he is at school and out of my care I need help from these people. Please try to understand before you condemn these ideas.