I guess you guys should be glad you are allowed to exchange baked goods at all. We can't have anythign but store bought and packaged foods for our events such as cake walks because someone got sick a few years ago after getting a cake and swore that someone baked something into it. Maybe if you are trying to prove that this bake sale is needed for funding, then you could not have it and show how big of a loss it is as well as the loss of support of the volunteers who find that this is the only thing they can do to support your group. As far as allergies goes, my son is allergic to shellfish and since he was 4 he won't eat anything that someone says is fish unless he clears it through us. I understand the difficulties of kids with diabetes too, but it sounds like you are trying hard to meet their needs. I guess if I thought might child might get something he shouldn't, I would just make sure he didn't have any money to buy anything.
The irony of commitment is that it’s deeply liberating-in work, in play, in love. The act frees you from the tyranny of your internal critic, from the fear that likes to dress itself up and parade around as rational hesitation. To commit is to remove your head as the barrier to your life. --Anne Morris
I really don't think of it as catering as much as protecting and being sesitive to the needs of children with a life threatning allergy.
As far as education, I found out the hard way about my seven allergies, eating shrimp, being stung by a swarm of wasps, living my life.
I know now, I didn't understand it 25 years ago.
We don't have anyone complaining yet. I simply post a sign on the table that the food may have peanuts. I think a hospital ride is a scary thing to face and my nephew ends up in the hospital if he has anything with any milk product in it. Gotta be tough to manage. All the more reason for the child to be taught to manage himself. Learning what the answer to the word no means is part of that. Perhaps the parents of these children should focus their energy in teaching the child (gently but firmly) that they can not participate in food that is not brought from home, or whatever. By the way it seems that the children that learn 'no' means 'no' and that they can survive just fine when they are excluded are the ones who are armed to standup for themselves later in life when peer pressure is so strong. My daughter has stood at the side of a trampoline when 8 friends were on it because I thought it was ridiculously dangerous. Sure she felt excluded. So what!
insurancemom is so right , we are very lucky that our allergy parents are supportive of our PTO and we try to be supportive of them! We ask bakers to label all items they bake and keep allergy items seporate as much as possible also we always help and serve our allergy kids first so we make no mistake and they do not get lost in the crowd but the parents also have to understand that this is a fundraiser and we are asking them to help out. I'm glad we are not the people of no homemade and state testing. What a way to live!
I agree that thaving the allergy and/or diabetes stinks - but having sugar free dessert and a nut free table is already above and beyond what has gone on for years with regular bake sales. Cancelling for 500 to cater to the needs of 1 or 2 is just not right.
My son has the bee sting allergy and I have not asked the school to clear the playground of bees and keep everyone inside lest one land on the back of someone's shirt - hitch a ride in and then seek out my son to sting him. At some point we all have to live in the real world where actual dangers lurk. (keep those epi pens handy folks) Life just isn't fair - but if we rule out every event when one person has a problem I guarantee there will be no events - as many of you can attest to.
At our school there are no holiday celebrations of any kind - you would never know the seasons change - there are no competitions for any thing (that includes fundraisers) - no holiday shop - no nothing. We don't even have bake sales but I'm sure if I wanted to start one I would have to listen to someone complain about it. Sorry to rant- I'm tired of constantly catering to the needs of that one - I'm waiting to hear about cancelling our ice cream social someday because someone is lactose intolerant!!!
