just a little reassurance -
a 23 month old can most definitely understand not to take or touch another child's food or drink. We stressed it to my daughter and she was ok. Even younger than 23 months, she was great with this. I think it depends on what you have told your child and how long they have had to have the allergy issues ingrained in them.
At that age, we were finishing at a daycare center and transitioning to Montessori toddler program.
At the daycare center, they provided all the food. They had 1 mistake where they gave her veggies with a cheese sauce, and noticed immediately and took it away. Unfortunately she did not say anything to her teachers, but maybe she would have if they didn't take it so quickly. I don't know. They ate family style around a table. There was ALWAYS the concern (for me anyways) that a child would knock over a cup of milk, or dump their yogurt, etc. I also am always worried that there may be dairy residue on a chair that is not cleaned that she may use later and that kind of thing. But in actuality, she never had any allergic reactions at daycare.
In the Montessori classroom, they provide the snacks (technically parents provide them for the school on a rotating basis). She stays for wraparound care, so I provide a lunch and they provide afternoon snack. This is how it is normally done, and how we did it until we found out she was also allergic to soy (supposedly). They also did cooking projects in her classroom. For the cooking projects, they pretty much restricted her to fruits and veges. For snack, they just made sure her stuff was safe. Again I was always (and always will be) concerned about another child spilling their food or drink. For lunch, all the kids eat at a big table. They put my dd at a different table and she is the only one who eats at that table. She started Montessori at 24 months. and she KNEW what she could and couldn't have and knew not to share any food. In fact she is not even allowed to share with her sister, even if the food itself is safe due to the risk the dd1 may have contaminated it. Now with the extra soy allergy, we provide all snacks and her lunch.
I still worry about cross contamination issues mostly. I know she would never take food or drink or use someone else's cup. She KNOWS this. But it is other people's actions I worry about. Do they make sure not to touch her snacks after touching the other snacks? Sometimes there are spills - another child shakes and spills milk from their sippy cup. I have seen them just wipe it with paper towels, but that doesn't remove the allergen. I have seen another child take my dd's water cup and drink from it. That means my dd can't use it again until it is washed. The teachers know this. But what if no ones sees the other kid do it?
Now my dd is not ana to dairy or soy. She is for peanuts and probably for tree nuts. The day care centers and Montessori school are nut free.
I am terrified to send her to public elementary school. My dd1 goes there, I have visited and after the visit, I am terrified. I wasn't until I visited. Their may be some nut free classrooms, but the cafeteria is not. PB&J offered everyday. Kids not required to wash hands before playing,coloring, etc for the rest of the lunch session, walking back to classrooms touching the walls, etc. Even if they wash hands back in their classroom (and only the younger grade I would expect to have a sink in the room), they have already contaminated EVERYTHING. There are makers, crayons, paper, other activities in the cafeteria for the kids to use when they are done eating. My dd will not be able to touch those. She may have to spend the entire lunch time isolated from all the other kids to try to keep her safe and there are still no guarantees especially once she leaves the lunch room. That doesn't seem fair to me.
but anyways, just trying to reassure that a 23 month old most definitely can be taught what he/she needs to do to be safe.
I am very glad they are banning beef for you. I wouldn't feel comfortable sending a young child somewhere that had stuff they are ana to because even if your own child is 100% good about their allergies, the other little kids won't be.
