sigh...I just want food allergies to disappear!

[LarsMal]

DS had his "make-up" Christmas party at school today. I had signed up to take a snack so he would have at least one safe food to eat. Before the original party got snowed out I had talked to the teacher and the room mom about the party. They were planning on doing a food-centered craft. I went over the list of options that were safe for DS. The teacher suggested I split the list with the room mom so he would have some safe items. I was completely on board with that, but the room mom told me she had already gotten everything. She told me she got the icing that was safe, blah, blah...

I got to school today and saw an INSANE amount of food. It was ridiculous how much cr@p there was for "snack"! The majority of it has allergies in it so I was on high alert, making sure DS was safe (which he was, thankfully).

They kept calling him over to do the food craft so I went to double check the icing...it wasn't the right kind- of course! I *knew* I should have grabbed some just in case. DS was so upset because he really wanted to do it and kept telling me he could do it but not eat it. I had to explain that just touching the stuff might give him a reaction. I felt horrible.

I just want his stupid allergies to go away!!!!

[KrisM]

I'm so sorry he couldn't do the food-craft :(.

We don't have food allergies and I really can't imagine what you and he must go through to be able to participate with the rest of the kids.

[egoldber]

They kept calling him over to do the food craft so I went to double check the icing...it wasn't the right kind- of course! I *knew* I should have grabbed some just in case. DS was so upset because he really wanted to do it and kept telling me he could do it but not eat it. I had to explain that just touching the stuff might give him a reaction. I felt horrible.

Did the room mom witness this? Honestly, you need to have a frank conversation with her and the teacher as well. Neither of them get the seriousness of his allergies. The teacher should have reinforced to her.

And if this does not work, I would escalate it.

[HIU8]

:yeahthat: Unbelievable. I do not have a DC with a serious food allergy (just a milk intolerance--and not to foods made with milk, but to straight milk), but I would be pretty upset and would be wanting to have a very serious conversation with the room mom and the teachers-even if I had to do this multiple times a year (as I've noticed parents get lax as the year progresses--as if your DC's allergy magically gets easier to deal with just because it's the middle of the year instead of September).

There are so many kids in DS and DD's school that have food allergies. DS's teacher gave out a list of safe foods (including brands) and if a parent brings in something that is not on the list it is thrown out and something backup is used.

[alien_host]

I'm sorry....I really hate that schools use food as a "craft" medium. Why isn't glitter/glue/paper/pom poms/clay etc sufficient?

DD has food allergies and I'm thankful that her school has been good about it and are very careful with her. It shocks me that the schools even want to "go there" with food projects and parties with outside food.

I'm sorry your DS couldn't participate in the craft. Honestly if it were me, I'd talk with the teacher about banning food as craft items in the future. There are PLENTY of alternatives that it's just so unnecessary to exclude one child from the activity.

[ThreeofUs]

I so totally know what you mean.

Hugs!

[elephantmeg]

that just really suck. I am so sorry and so mad for your son!

[BabyMine]

I will never understand why people don't take it more seriously. My DC don't have any but we have a child in M's school that has a severe peanut allergy. Everyone takes extreme precautions. Do people think you are just blowing smoke up their a$$. I think at the beginning of school all school staff and anyone who helps in a school watch a PSA about food allergies. It should show what happens when nobody takes it seriously.

[LarsMal]

I'm sorry....I really hate that schools use food as a "craft" medium. Why isn't glitter/glue/paper/pom poms/clay etc sufficient?


I know!!!!!

I just don't understand how she went from having the right stuff 2 weeks ago to having the wrong stuff today. I understand that the party was canceled because of a snow day 2 weeks ago, but if you used it, why wouldn't you go buy the same.exact.thing again?!

I don't have to worry about it again until Valentine's Day, but I'll be sure to be on their a$$es when that one rolls around.

The parties in general are out of control- completely opposite of DS's school last year.

[bubbaray]

I :heartbeat: DD#1's Kindy teacher because she is adamant about NO FOOD for special days at all, period. Too messy, too hard to keep track of food allergies, too much drama.

I also :heartbeat: both girls' daycare teachers because they really do seem to care about their food allergies.

Having said all of that, I totally GET what you are saying and I am so freakin' D.O.N.E. with food allergies, its not funny. I'm tired of worrying, tired of reading every fricken fracken label, just tired.

[DrSally]

I totally feel your pain. There's nothing worse that watching your child feel left out b/c of a food related event at school. The look of disappointment is just killer. It's somewhat rare to have a fellow parent who totally gets it and is as careful as we would be. They don't have the info/experience usually. They haven't been in the situation, so they don't know how it would feel to a child to be left out for this reason and why they must be left out. No, he can't come over to do the craft, please don't keep highlighting that fact by calling him over.

I forgot to ask about any special snacks for DS's Xmas party. They were having cupcakes from Sam's club. I didn't have any premade, so I put a safe ding dong in his bag. Totally not measuring up to a cupcake with frosting and sprinkles. I felt bad about that one. On a bright note, a girl from DS's class brought in candycanes to hand out. I asked her mom what brand and she showed me the box (Spangler!), and said she specifically checked and got the ones with no peanut warning.

Life would just be so much easier wo/FA, I agree.

ETA: During the holiday season, I bought several packages of spangler candy canes and just carried them around in my car! That way, if Ds was at a Xmas event and was given a candy cane (he loves them for some reason, yuck), I could just swap it out for a safe one. I didn't want to have a scene about not being able to eat the candy cane at every holiday thing.

[MamaMolly]

Big fat juicy hugs. I hate FAs too. I'm dreading putting DD in preschool next fall because of them. On a side note I have a personal problem with food as a craft. It seems wasteful unless the kids are going to actually eat it. You know? ITA that there are plenty of great craft ideas out there that DON'T involve food.

[crl]

Do you think she ever really had the right stuff? How annoying.

I wish they'd stop doing food activities at school too. It's always junk food. And I end up trying to supply substitutes so DS can participate (milk allergy). It makes me cringe to buy frosting full of junk (at least when I make it at home it's just sugar, you know?), marshmellows, etc, etc.

I actually bought the Pretend Soup cookbook for the teacher hoping that she might do a healthy food project from it. They did do a soup, maybe it was from that. . . .

Catherine

[LarsMal]

On a side note I have a personal problem with food as a craft. It seems wasteful unless the kids are going to actually eat it. You know? ITA that there are plenty of great craft ideas out there that DON'T involve food.

This craft definitely could have been done with glitter/glue/etc. They gave them each a sugar cone and had them decorate with green icing and then put a bunch of candy crap on it for ornaments. I'm sure some of them went home and ate it, but they didn't eat them in the classroom. In a way I was sort of glad he couldn't do it b/c I didn't want to put the thing in the car and have a big mess!

They could've done styrofoam cones with paint and beads...so many options!

I am definitely going to try to sign-up for room parent next year since C will be a little older and M will be in school, too. I think I'll be able to manage it next year- wanted to do it this year, but knew it would be too much for me.

[JTsMom]

:hug: I'm sorry. I can only imagine how frustrating it must be.