Monday, September 10, 2007
Allergies
Okay, I'm all for accomodating people with allergies (especially my own... I'm selfish), but in this case, have the kid eat at home or in a separate room! That list of allergies is extensive enough that it's too much of a burden on the other kids in the class. Eliminating peanuts is one thing... a pain, but there are lots of alternatives. Eggs? Not too many of those to worry about. But no wheat or milk? For picky kid eaters who you're attempting to feed healthy diets? Give me a break. I've got allergies, so I know just how many things contain wheat and milk. The kid with the life threatening allergies *has* to avoid eating them, but there's no reason to screw up the eating habits of 20-30 other kids. Yes, having to go home or to a special table or room to eat sucks for that one kid, but not enough to balance the "suckage" that would be inflicted on the other kids.
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5 comments:
Hmm, I think I could know that kid. My MOMS Club had two children with severe allergies like that and one lived and started school in Ottawa. I don't believe they live tehre anymore though.
I can say that I wouldn't want to be that child or his teacher this year. What a scary situation.
I can't imagine being the parent of that child and allowing that child to eat at school. With such severe allergies, how can you ensure that the child is safe?
H
somehow, that just doesn't seem to be fair to the rest of the class that they are not allowed to bring nuts/milk/eggs/wheat because one child is deathly allergic. i agree, why can't the child eat in a separate room? how do the parents deal with eating out? i'm seriously surprised the child isn't homeschooled, if these are such issues.
what happened to the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few?
when my sons were in daycare, they went to the zoo for a field trip, and parents were asked to supply a lunch. i am allergic to bananas, but allow the boys to have them when they are not around me. i had bought a trail mix with banana chips and nuts, and they ended up bringing it back home, because one of the kids was allergic to peanuts. of course, no one was notified of this until after the trip. if i had known, i wouldn't have wasted my money, because the trail mix ended up going in the trash because they ended up not having an opportunity to eat it afterward.
what i really think is odd is that there weren't nearly so many allergies like this when i was a kid. peanut butter was regularly on the menu at school.
Allergies are increasing. There are many theories (from being exposed to a more worldly selection of foods than in the past, to pregnant mothers eating peanuts, to pollution, to fewer people dying from horrible allergies and thus being able to pass on their genes, etc), but no one really knows why.
I think public schools are required to offer education to all... and some people are so sensitive that they'll react to others eating the stuff, or forms of indirect contamination. Home schooling may not be possible (both parents needed to work to earn enough, neither parent having sufficient knowledge to teach, I don't know).
Needs of the many are generally more important than needs of the few, but then you don't want to *kill* the few either.
As a mother to a child who does have the same severe allergies, let me share what happens to that allergic child, when he feels isolated, or singled out because of his allergies - something he has absolutely no control over. At 4 years old, he starts questioning what is wrong with him, and why do people not like him. He feels as though having allergies is his fault (NOT) and that there should be something he could do about it. He went through psychological torture, until we found our new groove and came up with new eating habits. And it didn't matter what kinds of comforting words my husband or I tried to offer - he wasn't hearing it.
I'm thankful my son goes to a religious preschool. The school has in fact accommodated his dietary issues, (it helps that I bring in most of the snacks for the class) and his classmates are learning to be empathetic & sympathetic individuals. When we go to birthday parties, and other gatherings, the parents are always very understanding and accommodating. They can imagine the difficulties we go through, and they do their best to help. A lesson to learned by all.
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