MB I agree with you...it is very hard to explain the complexities of allergy management to those not dealing with it.
No snack in the classroom is the way my school does it, and I'm not about to argue =)
However ds#2's preschool (which is supposed to be peanut free), merely has ds sit at an allergy table. He brings his own snack. Despite the peanut policy his own teacher brought in granola bars with peanuts in them and the label was covered in warnings. I happened to be there that day or I never would have known. Provide your own snack, keep surfaces safe and do your best to enforce label reading, realizing at some point an error is bound to be made (but at least a 504 will make label reading a requirement not just an offer out of the kindness of their hearts).
One more thing, you may want to offer a list of suggested snacks. Have it come from the teacher. I say this merely because those used to eating peanuts all the time actually do find it hard to find a safe snack! A quick little list may result in fewer safety issues because busy parents will glance at the list and choose something rather than try to figure out an original idea.
Luvmyboys

Quote:Originally posted by notnutty:
[b] This list is for parents of non-allergy kids bringing snacks into the classroom. PA only. Since there are countless generic brands available, it is impossible for me to call each one to verify the manufacturing heat, soy, egg, peanut, tree nut, oat, sesprocesses to list whether or not it is safe.
[/b]
The thing that I failed to make clear in both of my other replies is that the list you're providing is only safe for your child, and does NOT take into account the possible food allergies of any other student.
If your "name brand only" list contains many things that another student is allergic to, it's probably not going to be fair.
I've been there, done that. The preschool that we use has a "parents bring in snack on a rotating basis" thing going.
I don't think my son has ever been in a class where he was the only child with food allergies, so I'm kind of biased to that extent.
What has worked for us in those communal snack situations is to either provide safe snacks for our children and the teacher requests that other parents not send in the things our kids are ana to.
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Cheryl, mom to Jason (9 MFA including peanuts, tree nuts, shellfish and egg)
Joey (7 NKA)
Allison (4 milk allergic, suspect shellfish, avoiding PN/TN for now)
Ryan (1) nka *knock on wood*

Quote:Originally posted by mommyofmatt:
[b]
Notnutty, since your snack is a shared one, I totally understand why you want to make it as safe as possible for your ds with no generics etc. FWIW, we don't buy generics either [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img] And, if there aren't any other food allergies in the classroom, and the school has agreed to your list, I think you're in great shape [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img] Hopefully, you won't run into other food allergies which may conflict with some of your not safe list as Solarflare mentioned.[/b]
I'm thinking that given the prevalence of food allergies, notnutty is benefitting from another parent's flexibility, possibly a parent who is very much like solarflare, a parent she thinks is not giving practical advice. Ironic yes? Given confidentiality laws, and individual plans, no one can say for certain how many allergies are in their child's class....
Quote:[b]
MB: I agree with you completely that with a snack that is consumed individually, the label should be a sufficient guide.
[/b]
Let me be very clear. My child has never eaten anything at school that was deemed "safe" by a staff member reading a label. That's toying with my child's life. I've posted numerous instances where staff DID bring in incidentals, (holiday's etc,) and give them to my child thinking they were safe either because they "read the label" or were the same brand name (not size) off an "approved list". Several of these "incidentals" were items he brought home to me, not trusting them, and WOULD have been deadly if he ate them. I had to do some re-educating, or attempted to, but I was just met with either sighs, rolling eyes, or a blank stare. They were just waiting for me to stop babbling. Not listening.
Any "approved list" I had previously, involved me actually comming in to [b]physically inspect, read the label, and approve[/b]. Stuff had to come in original packaging for parties. Not picked out of a "multi flavor" chocolate bar bag. KWIM?
In my humble opinion? It's NEVER SAFE to allow school staff or other school parents to make those decisions for you or a child, especially a child who cannot read, or isn't as savvy at label reading yet, and work only off an "Approved list". Too much room for error. In ways you can't even anticipate even as a seasoned parent of a food allergic child. Murphy's law. Unless you're naive about food allergies, you could never imagine the ways they "don't get it", until it happens. It's just not how we think, YK? It's just not a point we get to. Or are people saying their young children are adept at making those final judgement calls for themselves in school? What age? When? Anyone want to start a thread? Is there already a thread?
I could never trade my peace of mind or my son's safety in order to prove a point, demand "fairness", enforce federal laws, or pave the way.
In reference to what you and some others agreed with me on, [b]I am inferring I would still send my child with his OWN snack. [/b] Not have him eat the "allowed" one. [i]Unless I deemed "the class snack" safe after physically inspecting it and reading the label immediately prior to serving it.[/i] Maybe I should have point blank said that. And with that scenario, you will STILL lose SOME credibility, if you are not careful.
Lose credibility, sacrifice cooperation and people's open minds. Don't underestimate the value of it. A lot of people, including those in positions of authority, can't get past why you trust some products and not others that are labelled similarly. For what it's worth, and not advice, I couldn't use the whole "generic" argument, since, my cabinets are loaded with various generic items. [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/redface.gif[/img]
No advice, just how I personally feel, and what's in my cabinet. Individual Mileage May Vary. If there is anything I keep short and sweet for the school OUT OF NECESSITY, it's "DO NOT EVER, EVER, E.V.E.R. FEED MY CHILD."
[This message has been edited by MommaBear (edited March 25, 2007).]

I agree with the NEVER, EVER FEED MY CHILD!! That is my rule too. he will ALWAYS have his own food, I don't care if there is a safe list or not, he will only eat what I put in his backpack that morning. I do understand the reason behind these lists are for the *other* kids in class to eat, right?? I have to agree with mommabears first post
"""Demand anything more than having people eliminate the allergen from the label, including "may contains" or "processed ons" and you lose something you can't afford to: credibility."""
I think if you start saying this brand is okay in this size, but this one isn't and this flavor is okay but this one isn't....it just gets too confusing. These are busy parents, busy teachers, you have to keep it simple. If it says PEANUTS on the label then...I don't know. In my school, they CAN bring those in....I don't want them in his classroom...eat them in the lunchroom. I am having problems becaue it WILL come into the classroom and there is nothing I can do about it. The school did say I could make a list of safe foods that I could give the parents to consult(but if they didn't want it was their right)...do you think any of these parents would look twice at this list, take it with them to the store, or hang it in the kitchen to refer to in the future HECK NO!!!
I don't know, my solution is keep the food out of the classroom, then there's no lists, no policing, no label reading. I am going to offer I come to school EVERY DAY and walk the class to the lunchroom while the teacher stays and prepares whatever for when they return, if I do that will they consider it??? I honestly think there is no time difference in either approach. The kids can grab their snacks, walk to the lunchroom(the walk would take maybe 2min's) sit down and eat visit....5 min tops, wash hands and be back in class....15min tops. So in class they get their snacks out, teacher needs to read some questionable labels, swap some snacks that weren't allowed...eat, visit, kids wash tables after, wash hands....all that in 15 min??? I don't think so!
I think keeping ALL foods out of the classroom, off markers, off floors, off books, off playdoh, off chairs....out weighs the extra minute or two to eat in the lunchroom. My daughter has seen classes doing *stuff* while eating, can you imagine the food residue int hat room...and they want me to allow this???? Sorry I am really thinking out loud here...getting my words ready for the school, I have to think this through from every angle! THANKS [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img]
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Chanda(mother of 4)
Sidney-8 (beef and chocolate, grasses, molds, weeds, guinea pig & asthma)
Jake-6 (peanut, all tree nuts, eggs, trees, grasses, weeds, molds, cats, dogs, guinea pig & eczema & asthma)
Carson-3 1/2 (milk, soy, egg, beef and pork, cats, dog, guinea pig and EE)
Savannah-1 (milk and egg)
[This message has been edited by chanda4 (edited March 25, 2007).]

Quote:Originally posted by mommyofmatt:
[b]MB: Wait a sec...I was referring to all kids bringing their own snack from home. I am NOT by any means planning on letting any one give my ds any food!!! Guess I wasn't clear. Meg[/b]
nonono, I was just clarifying if you thought the label was sufficient to determine if a snack brought in for the whole class to consume was safe. I wasn't sure about what you meant about "individually". You know, if you meant a snack brought in for the whole class could be given to the allergic child if the label appeared safe. Guess that's clear now. [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img]

Quote:Originally posted by MommaBear:
[b] Let me be very clear. My child has never eaten anything at school that was deemed "safe" by a staff member reading a label. [/b]
This was the same situation for us during elementary school. *I* pre-approved anything Mariah ate.
But we've changed that once DD got the 504 designation and started Middle School. I no longer approve the food. Now any food served/used in the classroom is approved by [i]both [/i]the Director of Food Services [i]and [/i]the School Nurse.

No time for a long post as I am out of town and borrowed a computer just to check email, but this sentence really struck me from Chanda4: "The school did say I could make a list of safe foods that I could give the parents to consult(but if they didn't want it was their right)...do you think any of these parents would look twice at this list, take it with them to the store, or hang it in the kitchen to refer to in the future HECK NO!!"
This sentence really bothers me. It is not up to the parent to pass a safe list out to the parents. It is up to the school to do it. I think this just causes other parents to get angry at the pa parent, which I know is what happened to you (Chanda4). The school should be passing out the safe list. All the rules related to the pa should be presented as coming from the school, not the parent of the pa child.
In elementary school, our teacher sent home a letter every year with the rules coming from her. I don`t have it with me since I am out of town, but it went something like this:
"Dear Parents,
This year we have a child in our class who is severely allergic to peanuts. For someone who is severely allergic to peanuts, even the smell or contact with a small amount of residue can cause a severe reaction. I am doing my part to reduce the risk by requesting that parents not send in food with peanuts."
I don`t recall the rest right now. Mommyofmatt, you have the letter. It was in the pile of stuff I mailed you when I mailed you dd`s 504. You can post the rest of it if you want.
I also remember another note going home about birthdays with a suggested safe list. It said something like "if you want to bring in a treat that everyone can eat, the following items are safe". It did not require it. It was suggested and most people did follow it.
I totally agree about the food free room. When your child is MFA and not just pa, it becomes even more clear cut. Almost anything the other kids eat will have either milk, eggs, or peanuts in them. They do move from station to station quite a bit in the room. If they do this while eating, everything is contaminated, so a peanut free zone in the classroom is not really effective. It was very common in elementary school for kids to be separated into groups for various things, and dd could be sitting anywhere in the room.

Quote:Originally posted by Gail W:
[b] This was the same situation for us during elementary school. *I* pre-approved anything Mariah ate.
But we've changed that once DD got the 504 designation and started Middle School. I no longer approve the food. Now any food served/used in the classroom is approved by [i]both [/i]the Director of Food Services [i]and [/i]the School Nurse. [/b]
so you have no say whatsoever? I'm assuming Mariah can refuse...
Anywhooo. I might consider it [i]to a point[/i] if my school nurse had been on the job longer than a month. (LOL) She recently sent me "epipen administration" forms. I'm assuming she's still a "newbie" and can't find the ones I turned in earlier this year. We don't have a "Director of Food Services". The "Hot Lunch Moms" run the show. (They bring in "fast food" a few times a month for the entire school) I think they are having a hard time working around the "Wellness Policy". I'd offer to help, but I don't believe in what they are doing. I was told by their leader their goal was to be able to "see their children, in their [i]environment[/i]". I told her (thinking: "[i]what a crock[/i]")[i]: "You can come in any day lunch is served, sit and eat lunch with your child in the lunchroom." [/i] paraphrased. (I verified this with the principal who oversaw our meeting and was sitting right next to me.) Great satisfaction when I pointed that out, I admit. I think I made an enemy of her at that moment, but it was sooooooooooooooooo worth it. Not like we were best buds to begin with. [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/tongue.gif[/img]