elementary

Okay, total mom rant here.

I have three kids in a Clovis Unified elementary school. Today, I got a note sent home in my second grader’s backpack that states we can no longer bring peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to school. What the hell?!?!!?!?

This ban on the most tried-and-true staple of childhood lunchtime is the result of one child’s allergy to nuts. According to this parent’s logic, every child in our school is banned from eating peanuts rather than teaching this ONE child what foods to avoid to stay safe. This parent avidly lobbied at the school meeting for this ban and refused to listen to advice and concerns raised by parents whose children have other allergies and disabilities (i.e., to bees, dairy, diabetes). Truly, I’m all for educating those around us about food allergies, but at what point are you going to realize how little control you actually have over your child’s environment? Middle School? High School? Will you hand out notes in his college dorm? Where does his accountability begin and mine ends?

How about this – instead of penalizing every peanut eater at my kid’s school (and every parent who is slapping together a cold lunch in the morning because we’re not on the hot lunch program), you teach your child how to COPE with having a nut allergy. Teach him to move through life in spite of the challenges he might face. Teach him to OVERCOME any obstacles he faces and not SUCCUMB to the hype surrounding them. Instead of using his nut allergy as a way to empower your kid, you’ve made him the reason why every other child at school can’t bring their favorite lunchtime meal. And you think that’s going to turn out well for him? You think you’re protecting and helping him? Wake the hell up.