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What would you think if your child's daycare wanted to outlaw peanut butter?

  • Our center is considering eliminating "nut products" such as peanut butter, items with nut oils, and any items such as granola bars, candies with peanuts in them, or peanut butter crackers. We have already eliminated them from the snacks and foods that staff serve to children, but the administration is considering a policy that would forbid parents to send these items in their child's lunches. I think this crosses the line of responsibility. I believe it is the center's responsibility to take "reasonable" precautions to protect our children with special allergic conditions, which includes not serving potentially harmful foods and avoiding cross-contamination. However, I feel that it crosses the boundary when the center tells families what to serve to their own children. What do you think?

  • Answer:

    I feel schools and daycares are really overstepping the bounds here. I feel for the kids who have allergies, But I think if my kid wants to eat peanut butter-thats his right. Since when did the rights of one group(kids with allergies) trump the rights of another(kids without) I know a woman who was asked not to feed her son ANY peanut products at home because when her little boy was sent to school..he MIGHT have the oil on him! These kids have got to learn that in the real world people are going to eat peanuts. You cant cater to them their whole lives. They need to learn responsibility for themselves. I DO have kids who have various allergies. My kids knew from early on what to avoid. Kids need to be taught what is ok for them to eat and not ok. IF the kid wont do it, then the PARENT should sit with the kid while it eats lunch to make sure nothing is shared. Most parents of kids with allergies would NOT go and sit with their child, but instead expect everyone else to change. How is that fair? Its not being a responsible parent. Which is sorely lacking today.

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There are some kids that are very allergic to peanut butter and can potentially die if they eat it. If your kid takes peanut butter to their day care and shares with his/her friend who is allergic, there is liability for the daycare if the child has a severe reaction. You can serve your child whatever foods you want when they get home. But while they are under the legal custody of a daycare, the day care has to take precautions to protect their liability and they have a right to tell you not to send your child with potentially harm full foods, even something that seems so harmless as peanut butter, because you're paying them for their services and with that you agree to the policy. If you don't agree with their policy then you should find a daycare that will let you send your kid with peanut butter. But this is a trend that will most likely continue because there have been major issues in daycare centers, and allergies to certain kinds of foods is one of them.

Michael

They're trying to avoid liability in case some kid takes a bite of another's sandwich and expires due to alergies. Unfortunately it is the times we live in...and you really can't blame them for wanting to cover their butts.

sage

My son's day care already has this in place and as far as i know so do most centres in Australia, we are not allowed to send any peanut products or lollies chips or chocolate and i think it is fine because they are trying to teach children to eat the right foods. And i know that i would never forgive myself if another child died from eating or touching my sons food if it had peanuts in it!! Think about it realistically its a matter of life and death for some poor innocent child that may or may not know that they are allergic!!!!

bec

I guarantee that if your child had a severe allergy to anything, your tune would change. My 9 year old son has a peanut allergy. He has experienced 2 episodes at school, so far he has not had a severe, life threatening reaction, just hives, difficulty swallowing, and his eyes almost swollen shut. That was from just being touched by someone who must have had peanut butter for breakfast earlier that day. He has to have an epi-pen at school. A doctor would say that in both cases, that epi pen should have been used. By the way, we're in a town of about 800 people and at least 4 people I know here have a peanut allergy.

amarugian

They're not telling you what to feed your child. They're just asking you not to send those products into the school. You know kids like to share food sometimes. This could lead to one of them getting something that they shouldn't have. Since teachers can't keep their eyes on one child every second this policy could go along way in ensuring the safety of the children with those allergies.

marie2dessy

I completely agree with your outrage, but to play devils-advocate I think I can also understand their reasoning. Children will often share, or trade their food with other children which could accidentally lead to an allergic reaction. I really think the chances of this happening are pretty slim but with the chance of getting stuck in a costly lawsuit that is obviously not a chance that the Daycare is willing to take. I can tell you that if someone tried to take my 4 year old son's peanut-butter sandwich he would have a major fit.

p_doell

kids swap food alot and young kids dont understand allergies they are trying to keep the dangerous food out to protect the kids its not telling you how to feed your kid at all

kleighs mommy

I have a severely milk allergic child, who is 2 and a half. Even being a stay at home mom, it is tough trying to explain to other kids such as cousins and friends that my guy can't even touch foods/drinks or ANYTHING that has milk, a milk product, or possible milk contamination. Although I am sure that most daycare canters are safe and trustworthy, I feel better staying at home with my child. Watching my child break out in hives and proceed to stop breathing is a scary sight even though I am a paramedic! (This is how we discovered we had an allergy at only 12 months old) I think that if you are offended by a center wanting to "outlaw" any item, you should seek alternative child care, and respect the parents that don't want to get a call from someone saying that their child is being rushed to the ER with symptoms of anaphylactic shock .... When it comes to child safety, nothing crosses the line.

j

Time to find another daycare center and let them know it.

Chalie M

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