NO NUTS, NO SHELLFISH, NO EGGS! NO FUN?

Parents seem to be surprised when they see the "NO NUT" signs at school. I'm not sure why. Over the years, the prevalence of food allergies has grown and innundated the press or so I thought. While I continue to justify why this is the rule in most (if not all) schools, here is a heads-up for new parents.

Students can have severe allergies to nuts and other foods. While most have reactions only when consuming these food products, some have such severe reactions just by touching or smelling the food. If they are anaphylatic, their body systems can shut down and result in a rapid heartbeat, shock, hives, and even difficulty breathing. Unfortunately sometimes we don't know about these reactions until it happens. Hence it is safer to avoid the issue by preventing certain foods from entering the school grounds.

School staff even suggest we remove our Hot Lunch programs just in case restaurants cook with peanut oil or the like. However, what makes the rule a challenge is that parents are still buying lunches for their kids and dropping them off at the lunch table. For example, how are we to know what each fast-food restaurant cooks with? Do we know? For that matter, how do we guarantee that ALL parents are conscientious about what foods they pack in their child's lunch? Unfortunately, we can't guarantee anything and just hope that parents educate themselves and be responsible for their child and others.