What else not to bring to "peanut aware classroom"

[HappyMommy2]

I hoping you mamas with experience can educate me about what is okay to bring to school and what is not. DS is in a "peanut aware classroom" ... whatever that means!

The info sent home is less than adequate. It just says not to do it, but doesn't say what not to do!

I know not to send a PBJ sandwich for my son's lunch. But what else?

Are there other ingredients besides "peanuts" that need to be avoided? What if the package says "made on equipment shared with tree nuts." ???

thanks!

[beanma]

Our school is a no nuts school so we don't send any nuts at all. "Made on equipment" snacks are fine as long as they're only for your child and not for the whole class. I'd ask your teacher/admin for clarification.

[DevaMajka]

I have the same question! It would be nice if they were more specific about what not to bring!

[HappyMommy2]

Surprising that nobody is telling us mamas what to do!

I thought mamas that deal with these allergies every day would love a chance to educate the rest of us how to be respectful! Maybe I should have phrased it differently.... something like "what do you wish other mamas knew about peanut allergies" .... or something!

Clearly the teachers don't know what to do and what not to do. I'm hoping allergy-moms will advise us!!

I had a friend a long time ago ask us not to eat peanut butter the morning before we visited her house. I just wonder if there are lots of things like this that nobody else knows!!

[mbbinsc]

I think the problem is that the school is being so vague. I appreciate you asking, as the mom of an allergic DD! For her school, the preschool teacher talked to the parents about what is safe and not safe to have around her. The rest of her school strives to be nut free (they were told not to say they were nut free due to liability issues) but the other parents did not get the details as parents in DD's class (she has multiple food allergies). Sometimes it is a matter of no peanut butter and peanut butter products, and other times (depending on severity of food allergies) it is even no products on shared equipment. I am surprised that any parents of food allergic students aren't trying to get better clarification from the school (which makes me think there is not a food allergic student in the class).

[tanyalynn]

I think you aren't getting a lot of "do this, not that" advice here because really, it needs to come from the school. Some kids would react to very small amounts of peanuts or tree nuts, but if this child doesn't, then it's not relevant in your situation. Or if no one else tells all the other parents, then you being the one parent who's extra vigilant, reading all those product labels, won't make a big impact if the 25 other parents don't do the same.

[Hedwig_Fly]

I think it's hard to know for sure because it really depends on the severity of the allergy. Last year DD1 had a peanut allegry in her class but could still have a peanut butter sandwich she just couldn't sit at the same table as that student. However my friends DD goes to school with a peanut allergic child that is so allergic they ask the parents of students to not only eliminate sending any peanut products to school but also not to feed their child any peanut products for breakfast. The allergic child in their school would react to the peanuts on others breath.

I say best bet is to try to ask more questions - that is what I did last year for my DD. I was mortified when I found out there was a peanut allergy and we had sent her with a PBJ sandwich but the teachers and the students mom were ok with it. Just no shared snacks with peanuts. Oh and my DD is milk and gluten free so we talk to the teachers quite a bit about what she can and can't have Good Luck

[DevaMajka]

I guess there are a lot of differences! I sort of had the impression that all peanut allergies were serious. Of course, I still take all allergies seriously
I asked ds's teacher, and she said that "may be contaminated" stuff was just fine, that they just don't want nuts laying around the classroom. I'm glad I asked- I can relax a bit now

[LauraLoo]

The nature of seriousness can vary -- not wanting peanut butter on the breath can indicate that the child has airborne anaphylactic allergies. Other children or adults can be anaphylactic by ingesting food with peanuts. Most people with peanut allergies take it vary seriously because one time a mild case of the hives and stomach cramps and the next time, a full blown anaphylactic reaction that causes severe respiratory swelling causing breathing difficulty or death. Reactions tend to become more severe with each exposure -- and those exposures can be very tiny.

OP -- I would definitely ask the teacher what constitutes a "peanut aware classroom." As a peanut & tree nut allergy mom, I would not be comfortable with *shared* classroom snacks that said "manufactured on same lines." The potential of cross-contamination is way too high.