Recently at a MOPS meeting I heard a couple of moms talking about how they were looking forward to their kids starting Kindergarten next year and all the baking they would do for thier child's class. I told them that unfortunately they would not be allowed to bake homemade goods for their child's class. We were pondering all the reasons why when it hit me. Allergies. I began thinking about all the kids with very real, very severe food allergies. The kind of food allgery where just the smallest about sends them to the hospital or causes the need for an epi-pen. It really hit me one day when I allowed the kids to make their own peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I had both peanut butter in the jelly and jelly in the peanut butter. The kids have friends who are allergic to nuts. If they made a jelly sandwich with that peanut butter we could have a big problem on our hands. People don't always think along these lines when baking. And many others are misinformed on food allergies thinking a little won't hurt, if you just take it off it's ok, and if it's mixed in that's fine too, etc. With that understanding I can understand the need to have no homemade items at school. At least with store bought items teachers and care givers can check labels and make it safer for everyone.
I know that there were other reasons that schools started taking this stand like childhood obesity which is another subject altogether.
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2 comments:
As a mom of an allergic child, having a no-homemade baked goods rule at schools sounds fabulous! Unfortunately, in this small OR town, we don't have restrictions like that. Jonathan's class Halloween party would have been a nightmare for David. And, Jonathan has been given peanut butter crackers as a snack at school. I dread the challenges we are in for when David starts school.
It is nice that you are aware... and understanding.
An update: I was just told that we can no longer bring in homemade items - for events like the classroom Christmas party. I asked if this was due to allergies and I was told that it wasn't. It is for "health safety reasons."
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