Nut-Free School and Valentine’s Treat with peanuts

I would absolutely tell the school. If they are allowing parents to bring in snacks they should be checked if they are a nut free school. At the very least the children who had a peanut allergy's snacks from the other parents should be checked. The simple mistake could have killed someone. There is no room for error when it comes to allergies!

Re: Nut-Free School and Valentine’s Treat with peanuts

I would absolutely bring it up. My child has severe food allergies and he is not allowed to eat anything that is not sent by me. He came home with an entire box of Valentine's and the teachers took out all of the candy before giving him the box. Whenever they have a birthday party in class, I sent in a safe treat for him. He is not allowed to eat anything homemade by another family at all. It wouldn't matter if they used new everything and checked every label. The sad facts are that labeling for cross-contamination (may contains, made in a facility) are entirely voluntary and just because something says "Made in a facility that also manufactures products with milk" doesn't mean that it DOESN'T manufacture things with peanuts or tree nuts (have learned this the hard way). Labels are dangerously inconsistent. Also, if someone doesn't have a completely peanut/tree nut-free home, there is likely cross contamination anyway.

I do not expect any non-allergy parents to know anything. I was extremely misinformed until I HAD to be informed.

My son had a terrible anaphylactic reaction from eating a SAFE snack that was poured into a clean, washed container that USED TO hold nuts (before we were a nut-free home). This led to 48+ hours of hell including an epi injection at home, call to 911, ambulance ride, multiple breathing treatments, multiple doses of steroids, another epi injection in the waiting room of the hospital... I could go on and on. People don't realize the severity that even just the DUST from peanuts/tree nuts can cause. I have unfortunately witnessed this with my own eyes and my life has changed ever since.

At preschool, my son knows not to eat any food from anyone else. He doesn't even accept food from the teachers. He puts it in his backpack and asks me when I come to pick him up. He has a big box of Rice Krispy treats that I got at Costco that he can eat for a special treat if the kids are all having something. It honestly doesn't matter to me if teachers read labels because I don't trust the labels. I have to call every single company and confirm (or at this point I kind of know which companies are good with labeling for cc and which aren't).

Sorry this is so long but this topic is very near and dear to my heart!

Re: Nut-Free School and Valentine’s Treat with peanuts

Re: Nut-Free School and Valentine’s Treat with peanuts

Re: Nut-Free School and Valentine’s Treat with peanuts

I agree that it is crazy to send something in like that.
DD has no allergies but her day care is nut free.
So while I am not careful at all at home, I am sure to be careful of anything she brings in.
We rarely send in food, since all meals are provided, but some mornings she is hungry and wants something on the way in- and I always make sure it has no nuts at all.
I'll allow her a banana or a yogurt.
And in this case it seems someone sent in candy to be given out to others- not just to be consumed by their own child- so that IMO is even worse.
Scary!
And shame on the school for not watching that more closely.

Re: Nut-Free School and Valentine’s Treat with peanuts

Can I just ask, are all daycares/preschools/prek, etc nut free? I've never received any warnings or reminder's for DD's daycare and it's a huge facility that goes up to kindergarten.

I would never send in actual nut containing products but I will admit that I didn't know you had to be so stringent as far as reading labels regarding where non-nut snacks/foods were processed. Obviously I know now and will be extra careful in the future.

Re: Nut-Free School and Valentine’s Treat with peanuts

Re: Nut-Free School and Valentine’s Treat with peanuts

Nut-Free School and Valentine’s Treat with peanuts

Yes, absolutely!!!! My sister went into anaphalactic shock when she was 5 years old and rushed to the hospital from her preschool program because of an allergic reaction to peanuts. She almost died that night, 2 days later she was still all puffy. She's 15 now, and carries her epipen everywhere, but back then, even though she would tell people she can't eat nuts, she wouldn't know if they said that the food was OK. And, there are TONS of kids that would have eaten that chocolate while waiting for a parent/guardian to pick them up!!!

And I'm sorry, but YES, if notes had been sent home to all of the parents in the school to inform them that there are to be NO NUTS, then sending in ANYTHING THAT HAS A TRACE OF NUTS IS ABSOLUTELY INCONSIDERATE AND IRRESPONSIBLE. In fact, I would put it on borderline criminal. It's not that a Mr. Goodbar was made in a factory with peanuts, it HAS PEANUTS IN THEM.

Re: Nut-Free School and Valentine’s Treat with peanuts

Posted by mommy2Alex

Posted by tara73

Posted by LittleDiva

Posted by tara73


. Sending in Mr. Goodbars is just plain rude, inconsiderate, and ignorant.

honestly, i wouldnt go that far. when your child does not have a nut allergy it isnt the first thing on your mind when you are picking foods out.

i have sent my kid into school with something containing peanuts before. i was in a rush and had a screaming sick newborn....i just grabbed a snack and threw it in her lunchbox so we could get out of the house. i didnt do it because i was rude, inconsiderate, or ignorant. and you know what....i sent m&m's in for halloween....i honestly had NO idea that plain m&m's had peanuts. i do not read every label....i read labels of things i am unsure of. It would have never crossed my mind that plain m&m's have peanuts.

you can not blame parents and call them those things. we are not educated in peanut allergies! maybe you should speak to the school and have them give a detailed handout. Like someone above posted....can my kid bring in things that say 'produced in facility that handles peanuts'? because i feel like most snacks say that?

Yes, I CAN call it rude, inconsiderate, and ignorant.

Our schools send home reminders that treats, especially favors, need to be nut free ALL THE TIME. Every holiday, throughout the year, at the start of the year, at every meeting for parents. We are reminded also by the giant signs outside the classroom too.

Sending in Mr. Goodbars as FAVORS to a nut free classroom is ignorant.

Accidentally packing a nut containing snack one time and being remorseful is not the same as giving your child a peanut containing snack to HAND OUT to other children. And I honestly don't equate sending plain M&M's in error because you missed the warning label with sending in a freaking Mr. Goodbar. I didn't say that in my post.

But, now you know to read the labels on ANYTHING you're sending in. There are plenty of alternatives to M&M's that do not have the "may contain" or "processed in a nut facility" warnings. Plain M&M's are processed on the same equipment as peanut M&Ms and have caused reactions in some nut allergic children.

There's no excuse for blatantly ignoring the rules and endangering other small children because you don't want to read a label. And yes, sending in Mr. Goodbars, or peanut M&M's, or Snickers etc is BLATANT IGNORANCE. And? I guarantee if it were YOUR child in a PRE SCHOOL (where kids can't read labels themselves) you'd be beyond upset at your allergic child being sent home a MR GOODBAR!

This is a matter of life and death for many children, it IS serious for many of us. Thank goodness the OP's child didn't decide to eat that particular candy in class or before mom got to it.

If your child goes to a nut free Pre-K it is ignorant to send in a Mr. Goodbar!!

Re: Nut-Free School and Valentine’s Treat with peanuts

Re: Nut-Free School and Valentine’s Treat with peanuts

Re: Nut-Free School and Valentine’s Treat with peanuts

Re: Nut-Free School and Valentine’s Treat with peanuts

Thank you all for your comments. I am surprised by the amount of views and responses (some very passionate) to this post.
 
It is so moving to see that lots of parents recognize the danger of nuts and other allergies and are being responsible, even if their own children do not have allergies. I will be speaking to the pre-school director/owner and our teacher when the winter break is over.
 
Next year my allergic DS is going to K, which is not nuts free. He will be sitting at a separate table a lunchtime. I am a little scared, but I am planning to continue teaching him to be careful with foods and snacks and to never put anything in his mouth without checking with me first.
 

Nut-Free School and Valentine’s Treat with peanuts

I agree that you would definitely be in the right to talk to the school - if they are going to say that they are peanut free, you need to be able to trust that.

PS - is it bad that this post made me eat a mini Mr Goodbar from the candy bowl in my office?

Re: Nut-Free School and Valentine’s Treat with peanuts

I have to say I am glad I read this thread -- I swear, I learn so much from LIF it's not funny. I had NO CLUE about m&m's -- not because I don't care, but because I assumed since they have no nuts in them, they would be fine. I never even thought of the facility it's made in.

So, thank you to whoever pointed that out -- now I know to look more carefully at the labels. My boys are not allergic, but I want to protect those that are.....

Re: Nut-Free School and Valentine’s Treat with peanuts

I'm sorry but in this day and age with kids having severe peanut allergies that mother should have known better. I would talk to them in person, the preschool teachers should have checked the candy.

Re: Nut-Free School and Valentine’s Treat with peanuts

Re: Nut-Free School and Valentine’s Treat with peanuts

Nut-Free School and Valentine’s Treat with peanuts

If you didn't know, it's likely because you haven't dealt with it before. And that is OK.

The OP stated there have been emails, letters home, it's in the brochure.. this isn't a new policy that the parent wouldn't have been aware of. This is something that has been discussed over and over in different forms of communication to parents. (similar to our school)

It isn't accidentally missing the "may contain" line on a bag of M&M's or accidentally grabbing a snack for your kid one time.

The parent had to buy the snacks and then package the treats up individually, address them, etc. This was blatantly ignoring a policy and endangering children who lack the means to adequately protect themselves.

OP, he'll be OK, just make sure that you always send his food in and teach him ONLY to eat HIS food. You could also teach him to recognize the words "peanut" and "nuts" on labels over the summer. I'm sure he will be fine, just like my DD2 will be, but I get it ((hugs))