Dairy Free/Nut Free Classrooms

A peanut allergy is an airborne allergy. So, technically, yes...someone eating a PBJ at the next table 'could' send a peanut allergic child into anaphylactic shock.
I've not heard of a dairy-free policy, but is dairy allergy the same in some cases?
I'm with Talkstotrees on this O., what kind of parents say NO to a family with a child that has a life-threatening condition? That's sad...really sad.

I agree that kids with severe life threatening food allergies should be home schooled.
Its not fair to take away the nutritional benefits of dairy foods and good proteins that can be obtained by nuts, from children that benefit from it, because of one child.

I have a severe tree nut allergy, anaphylactic shock and everything if I eat them and sometimes if I even touch them. That said; unless the child is allergic via inhalation or touch then nuts should be allowed in lunches since those are typically served outside the classroom (I'm assuming there is a 'nut free' table since most schools have them). My daughter's 2nd grade class has several children with allergies. We have been asked to let the teacher know when we are sending in treats so that the allergic kids can bring in their own treat. That's it. I was ready to restrict peanuts in her snacks & lunches, but apparantly none of the kids are inhalation or touch sensitive so they aren't requiring it.

The key here is compromise, if it's possible without endangering the lives of the allergic children. The non-allergic kids are trying not to bring peanuts to school. The allergic kids are bringing their own snacks for parties/birthdays. Go to the meeting with an open mind and see what they mean to restrict, it might not be that bad and could make a world of difference for an allergic kid.

I do know a child who can't come in contact with milk, not even on the skin, or he has an anaphylactic reaction to it.

What I don't understand is why other parents get so angry about this. It's a child's life on the line. Please don't come out with guns blazing about this. The affected parent is in enough hell trying to work this child's (and probably the whole family's) entire diet into their daily life, in and out of the home. Go to the meeting, find out what they expect of you, don't assume anything. Nut free probably means no nuts in the classroom at all. Dairy free MIGHT mean the same thing, but it might just apply to shared snacks. Attend this meeting with the intention of alleviating the other parent's fears about her son's school environment, and assure her you plan on coming to an acceptable compromise. Be diplomatic, not reactive. Encourage the other parents to, too.

Honestly, people all over the world live without cow's milk. You will find nary a dairy product in Vietnam or Thailand, for instance. I don't get how some Americans can be so inflexible. And nuts, really? You guys do know that you can develop an allergy at any point in your life? Have a little empathy.

I have to say, I am a mom of a child who is lucky to not be allergic to any kind of food item. I am sad to see so many moms calling for kids with allergies to be put into isolation either at home or in special schools. What is that teaching our children? Where is the compassion? Does it only apply if it doesn't impact your lunch choices? If someone doesn't fit in, should they not be included? Do we repeal Title IX or go back to the 50's when schools were segregated and kids with any kind of impairment were institutionalized?

My daughter has had some sort of restriction on what she could bring in to class going back to preschool. In daycare, if she wanted to take a PB&J, I bought soy nut butter. No big deal. In Kindergarten, we encountered the kid with the multiple food allergy...no dairy, no eggs, no chocolate. It kind of made me wish for the peanut allergy back. I took it upon myself to be informed rather than feel inflicted upon. I went out and found a site that listed vegan foods. When my daughter's birthday came around, I made sure the snack for the class was one the kid with the allergy could enjoy. Yes, their mother had brought in special treats for them to enjoy when the class had something they could not, but I didn't feel that was right. It took all of 10 minutes for me to scout out a couple of different, commonly found products that were vegan and peanut free. It was worth it to me if it meant that kid could be included in the celebration. I took the same steps when it came to her turn to take in the class snack.

I've found the parents of these kids are very well informed on what would be suitable items that could be enjoyed safely. I am sure they'd be more than willing to share that information with you as well as be appreciative that you're taking the step to include their child. I know if it were my child, I would feel that way.

T.:

I am with you and of the mindset that I am NOT going to limit what the majority of kids can have because a few have allergies...

Our school has a "no peanut" table that is wiped down with a different cloth.

We have one child who has allergies sooo severe that the parents wanted the room to be "free" too - parents said NOT ONLY NO BUT HELL NO!!! This means that if Johnny has a PB&J at home for breakfast and touches Jimmy - he could go into anaphylactic shock - parents said - we should NOT have to change our diets at HOME to appease your son - home school him or deal. Yes, it sounded cold - but in reality - this family was asking that the WHOLE school change for him - no Doritos, no peanuts, no dairy....they are trying to combine the kids who have allergies into one room so they can make that room "free"....

As we told the family - we CANNOT wipe the jungle gym down after each use. We CANNOT be expected to change our breakfast diet with the possibility of one child touching another.

The family has started looking into the shots to combat the allergies...we'll see if it works!

GOOD LUCK!!!

I have never had to deal w/food allergies until my daughter but I have learned so much from others. Without a doubt if the situation were reversed & if it were your child w/the allergy I would most definitley restrict my daughters snack/lunch for the day (until she got home) if it meant your child would feel safe not stressed 8 hrs a day away from the safety of their home away from mom & dad so that they could learn, experience new things and make friends. It's hard to a 6 yr old to know they are different than everyone else & have to miss out on things. For instance we were driving by Dairy Queen one day & the kids were all in their baseball uniforms gathered around a picnic table eating ice cream cones my daughter wanted to know what they were doing & why...I explained that they were a baseball team & they must have won their game so now they're having a special treat they were a little older than her & she said oh that's neat maybe when I grow big like them & don't have allergies I can do that too. There are so many things that we take for granted because sometimes we can. I would give anything to be able to take my daughter for an ice cream cone or take her to a bakery & let her have a cookie or a cake or let her go to her favorite friends house for a pizza party. I read this perfect analogy today from another parent "You don't buckle your kid into the car because you expect to have an accident, you do it because you know the consequences of what might happen if you don't" this was with regard to having restrictions or having to wash hands before school in the morning & after snack/lunch at school.

My daughter absolutely knows what she can & can't have; she knows that she is not allowed to share or have anything that does not come from home...we all know that in preschool, kindergarten/elementary school that kids are not the neatest eaters there are some adults that also are not neat eaters :( generally it's the people around us that we have to be the most careful of. Homeschooling may be an option for some but not for others, unfortunately. My daughter deserves an education & opportunites just like everyone else all she ever wants is to be like everyone else & to fit it & belong she didn't ask to have food allergies.

I completely understand the peanut/tree nut free classrooms some peanut/tree nut allergies are so severe in that inhaling the oils, dust & coming into contact w/the residue can send a person/child into anaphylaxis I can tell you from experience this is not something you want to see a child or anyone go thru. As far as dairy free I can't imagine a school going dairy free maybe a classroom. My 6 1/2 yr old daughter is anaphylactic to dairy/dairy derivatives which means if she injests or comes into contact w/someone or something she will most definitely go into anaphylactic shock my first experience w/such a reaction was when she was around 6 months old....before she was diagnosed it was horrible & terrifying...her lips, face swelled eyes swelled shut she was gasping for breaths because her airway was closing her lips turned blued..... this is not by any means an exaggeration of a reaction. Her classroom is a peanut/tree nut free classroom there are substitutions for PB that taste just as good or even better (sunbutter) there is a table in her class that is designated dairy free because there kids do eat their snack & lunch in the room. I can tell you she has never had to sit alone the kids in her class go home to their parents & tell them they need dairy free snacks/lunch just so that they can sit w/her. The kids could careless about not having that PB sandwich or milk snack it's the parents that make it an issue when it's not. There are great substitutions to cow's milk which really isn't meant to be consumed by people anyway (do some reading you will be shocked) : ) Kids love vanilla or chocolate flavored soy milk because they taste like milkshakes. There are other ways to celebrate class parties w/o food being the focus I was her kindergarten room mom last year & planned all her parties the parents loved me how I planned their parties/activities this year I had the same parents asking me to be room mom again even parents new to the class because they had heard from other moms. Your child is not going to want to see their classmate/friend have any kind of reaction your child will not die w/o that Pb sandwich for the day (they can have it when they get home) same thing w/the milk. I know I can't put my daughter in a bubble & protect her from everything but just as I am teaching my daughter to be aware & advocate for herself I am also teaching & educating others. I worry more about other's than I do my daughter. It's so much more that a lactose intolerance it's much more than just a tummy ache. It's not my daughter's fault that she has a life threatening food allergy she wants to be accepted & belong just like everyone else. Go into this meeting clear of judgement w/an open mind encourage the other parents to do so too it's not easy for a parent w/a child w/a severe food allergy to send their child off to school or playdate or where ever without worry of their child accidently coming into contact or being exposed to something; just listen ask questions become informed. Absolutely a child can have an anaphylactic reaction from playing on that jungle gym on the playground it has happened. Sorry for my long winded post.

If you were to take all of the foods out of school that someone might be allergic to, you would would not be able to eat ot drink anything at school. Not anything!

It doesn't seem right, but we no longer have the 10 Commandments in school because of someONE in school found it offensive.

Don't be surprised if the ONE makes the many suffer so the ONE won't have to suffer. That's the way "politically correct" works (or doesn't work).

Good luck to you and yours.

As the other responders have mentioned, it depends on the severity of the allergy and the age of the children. In daycare and pre-school, where the kids are too young to be responsible for their own allergy safety, it was common for my kids to be in rooms where there were no peanuts and/or tree nuts allowed at all. As the children get older, the restrictions tend to get less strict. For example, there is a "peanut free" table in the lunchroom because that is so common and any children with rarer or more severe allergies is accommodated on an as-needed basis.

Last year (1st grade) the classroom was also peanut free, even for individual snacks, which is fine IMO. There are plenty of healthy peanut-free snacks. This year (2nd grade) the classroom is only peanut- and tree nut- free for shared snacks and special events, but we've been living peanut-free for snack time for so many years that I wouldn't send in a peanut or tree nut snack anyway. No need to stress out the allergic student or teacher.

Dairy is a new one to me - most people I know who are allergic to dairy are only allergic if they ingest the items, but if you have a child who is allergic to touch or smell of dairy, then yes this may mean no dairy in the classroom. It's not the end of the world - presumably, even if there is no dairy in the classroom lunch will be less restrictive and you can certainly find a wide variety of non-dairy/nut-free snacks for snack time. Fresh fruit or a baggie of baby carrots and a bottle of water make excellent morning snacks.

And finally, it's been my experience that schools don't take food allergies lightly and only restrict a classroom if it's needed. So yes, this means that to preserve the health (and possibly, life) of one child the rest make accommodations. It's not a ridiculous idea and one that we all need to get used to as food allergies are getting more and more common and need to be dealt with among adults as well. If your child doesn't have an allergy, consider yourself lucky. I'm sure that the parents of the allergic child, and the child him or herself, would love to trade places with you and your child. They're not doing this to get attention or be pains, they are requesting accommodations because the child needs them. Have some sympathy and compassion and make their lives easier. Hopefully once you get the information from school, you'll have a clearer picture of what the restrictions actually mean to your child's classroom.

Sorry 8kidsdad, once again your analogy doesn't make sense. They are not taking nuts out of the school because they are "offended" they are taking them out because children can DIE from nut allergies.

I wish people would take the time to educate themselves and then wonder what their lives would be like if they or their child had a deadly allergy. We don't have allergies in our house and we still understand the severity of it and have compassion.

T., I know you were asking an honest question, but if you were the parent of the "one" out of 18, it would probably seem right to you. Kids with allergies are protected under law. I hope you and the other parents have compassion on the family that is dealing with a difficult issue.

Our elementary school sits the kids with allergies away from the others at lunch time. Since they have snacks in the classroom, they put all the kids with nut allergies in one room, dairy in another, etc. That way the rest of the class is only restricted by one food when bringing their snacks.
It is a very frustrating situation. By elementary age, the child should know what they can and can't eat. Hopefully it's not an air born allergy in your child's class. (Personally, I would home school my kid if they had allergies so severe that smelling food or touching someone who ate a food would cause a reaction.)

I have a nut allergy myself, but it's not life threatening. However my best friend and her brother have anaphylactic shock aka will-die-within-three-minutes-if-there's-no-epi-pen-plus-treatment allergies to nuts. I've seen it. So I'm all for the restriction on foods that cause anaphylactic shock. I'm fine with classrooms that are nut-free.

That said, my middle daughter will ONLY eat peanut sandwiches for lunches at school, along with yogurt, because of her Autism and Sensory Processing Disorder. Therefore, she's in a classroom that is not nut-free and she's not allowed anywhere near the allergen-free table in the lunch room.

The children who can't even be in the same room as nuts and can't even be at the allergen-free table eat in the classroom with the teacher, but if the teacher has to leave the campus for lunch then the student has to eat in the office with the nurse. If the nurse leaves for lunch, then the student eats with the principal in her office.

My middle daughter is also Lactose Intolerant, but I don't ever request that her classroom is dairy free. I do request that there is no snack-sharing between the kids. I also request that if there's a class party where food is brought in to share that ingredients are read and she be given the choices between the lactose-free foods and the artificial-dye-free foods (sensitive to those too). If something comes in that was homemade like brownies or cupcakes and it wouldn't be fair to leave her out, then I get a phone call and the school nurse brings her Lactaid chewable tablets, a serving is measured out, and she's given her tablets so that she doesn't get sick. No second servings are given.

When we do bake sales or I bring in food, I list all possible allergens and always make dairy free. A lot of the teachers have food restrictions so that's always appreciated and wins me points. :-)

My kid has a peanut allergy and I still think that is ridiculous that a class of 18 has to make special accommodations. I would never ask a whole class to accommodate my kid by changing their school lunch diets and grocery lists for 180+ school days.

Our school has a special area/table for nut allergies. All the kids are responsible to eat there if they know they have an allergy, and if they eat at the other tables, its at their own risk.

T.,

Is your child in a kindergarten class where each student shares a snack with the class? Or is your child older and the classroom has been designated dairy free / nut free?

Some food allergies are life threatening. This means if a classmate were to bring a peanut butter sandwich to school, eat the sandwich and then touch the allergic child, that allergic child may go into anaphylatic shock. This is where a person's throat starts to close up due to severe swelling of the skin and muscles. It is an allergic reaction and can only be stopped by the use of an Epi-Pen and a trip to the emergency room. If the pen is not used in time the person's airway will close completely and they will die of strangulation. Even severe brain damage can occur from lack of oxygen.

This is a very serious issue. From your post it sounds like you will be discussing this further with the teacher. I would also suggest asking the teacher to bring the parents of these children to an evening meeting where the other parents can ask questions about the allergies, talk about substitutions, and learn more about the issue from people who are more familiar with the topic.

It is a major change, but it is not impossible. Our son was diagnosed with seven food intolerances over five years ago. That day I was totally overwhelmed. After much discussion with his allergist and a nutritionist we have built up a number of recipes we love that work around his food issues. Give yourself some time and do some research about the subject. Your local health food store can be a good resource and a place to start.

C. J.

I agree pecations needs to be taken but to cut out dairy from a healthy child's diet? No way! What would they do about the cafeiferia not serve milk if the child it in there? I personally would be upset it they said I couldn't give my child any dairy because a child had an allergy. Peanuts are banned from alot of schools these days, not my sons though, so I guess it's more excepted and easier to replace.

In the elementary school in NC there was one classrooom that was nut free. This child had a severe nut allergy and in that case I agreed with no nuts whatesoever -- in the class.
Dairy, no way. I have never heard of a child so allergic to dairy and they have to be sent to a hospital because of it.

My own daugher is allergic to rice. If she touches it she will break out. Would I demand they take out all rice products, no that's ridiculous. All granola bars are made with rice. She knew to stay away from them at 3.

Of it is truly dairy and nut free it would include milk, cheese, yogurt and any food that was processed and contained dairy, casein or whey. Or w as processed in a plant that used dairy or nuts.

That would make it very difficult for parents! I'd find out the details of what exactly is banned. It would make sense to isolate the child with the allergy instead of restricting the whole class or school. But they didn't ask me. :)

Updated

Of it is truly dairy and nut free it would include milk, cheese, yogurt and any food that was processed and contained dairy, casein or whey. Or w as processed in a plant that used dairy or nuts.

That would make it very difficult for parents! I'd find out the details of what exactly is banned. It would make sense to isolate the child with the allergy instead of restricting the whole class or school. But they didn't ask me. :)

I'm sorry. I think if your child has life threatening allergies they should be home schooled. My child should not have to give up peanut butter in her breakfast if she really wants it. If they want to eat peanut butter captain crunch for breakfast they should not have to eat according to what someone else says they have to do. That is wrong on so many levels.

The parents have a hard time with this, I understand. I am allergic to tree nuts.

I think it is crazy to expect that the world is going to give up foods and things they love to accommodate a few (% of kids allergic is minimal compared to kids not allergic). These poor kids need to be in a safe environment and if the school is not safe then they need to have a different accommodation.

Let's say my child develops an allergy to cotton...it's a plant...it could happen. Are you going to go out and buy a completely new wardrobe that only contains silk for your children in case they brush up against my child...no.

You are going to say that is unfair and that we need to do something else. #1 it would be horrible expensive. #2, silk is hot and clingy so the AC bills would double due to the AC being down on 60 degrees all the time.

I feel bad for these kids, I do. But to expect the world to accommodation them this way is asking too much.

The thing with food bans is - they give a false sense of security.
The allergic child s parents are placing their child into an environment which can not be completely controlled but for the sake of socializing and being with other kids they are placing their child in danger.
Anyone who does not jump on the band wagon with attempting to keep an illusion of a bubble around their kid is accused of being insensitive, murderous, etc.
You've got to ask your school what this means and how they are going to handle it because they all do it differently.
(I delete hate mail, so don't bother.)

.

What grade? What school/district? Is the policy only for classroom snacks, but not for the lunchroom? Maybe the dairy allergy is very severe contact, and if it's in a Kindergarten class snack time where their hands are on everything (with poor hand/table washing), I can understand the need for some restrictions. If it's not an airborne allergy, I don't think they'd restrict the lunchroom though? We see a lot of peanut free zones now because of airborne allergies. Interested to hear more information and also hear how your meeting went. Please post an update!

our school has a nut free / dairy free policy in the class room. the kids bring a snack to school that is nut and or dairy free which they eat at their desk at snack time. lunches go into a bin at the door of the classroom. they never even go into the classroom at all. they are trasported to the lunch room. in the lunch room their is a table designated as the nut free / dairy free table. those children who are allergic to things sit at this table. that way kids who have peanut butter, etc in their lunch boxes are not a danger to the other kids.

As a friend who saw a child go into shock after touching a child who just at a pb and j sandwich I am all on board with no peanuts. in fact it surprises me that the school district that my kids go to now allow peanuts. i am use to a different state and dsitrict that doesn't allow.

As far as the milk...unless it is a severe reaction even to tough this should not be done. A parent cannot request no milk for just some lactose issues. A child is to be tought not to drink milk or have food with milk in it. Now I know this is NOT easy as a young (say kindergartener) but they do have to deal.

That is my take.

You need to call the school and ask what it means. It differs from school to school.

At our school, we have designated areas (classrooms, library, etc) that are designated "food free". The kids are allowed to bring whatever food they want in the lunches, which are only eaten in the cafeteria.

There are some classrooms in our school that are designated nut or dairy free. The kids in those classes cannot bring nut or dairy products in for snacks or partys.