Strollerderby

Maybe I could send you a picture of my milk allergic son trying to run in his orthotics and falling down.  I'm sure it would be even more hilarious.

You admit there is a real problem, but don't appear to take it seriously.  Children learn their attitudes toward food allergies and other disabilities from adults.  (Yes, a condition that may stop a child from breathing is considered a disability.  Is that what you are referring to as an attitude of "fragile specialness?")  What are you teaching your children?

There is certainly nothing funny about food allergies, and I am all for showing consideration for allergy sufferers and making sure they are safe.  But could this taunting and bullying by any chance be a sort of backlash by the kids against school policies about certain foods.  A few kids out of who knows how many have an allergy to something so that food is banned from the school forever more for everyone.  

Yes, I get that some allergies, like peanut allergies, are so bad that a person doesn't even have to eat it, just come in contact with the dust or be touched by someone who has touched a peanut to have a reaction.  But, you know, people have had allergies forever, and schools and students used to be able to deal with it in ways that kept the allergic kid safe but didn't penalize the other kids or dictate what they could and couldn't eat themselves.

What's next?  Banning these foods from the entire world?  

My son has food allergies-milk, eggs, and nuts, and while I understand the visual that you've described-running around with spoons of peanut butter as being amusing (albeit in a really cruel/"jackass" kind of way), you make light of the real danger in this being done.  It's like playing monkey in the middle with an asthmatic's inhaler.  

I know that there are those parents that pull out the allergy card for all kinds of reasons, but I think food allergies should always be given full credence until it is clear (especially from a physician's note-for school settings) that it is a food allergy and not a food preference or intolerance.  Food allergies typically cause severe reactions.  We've visited the E.R. just for two bites of an angel food cake (we didn't know that's what he had eaten).  

So, as a mother of a severely allergic child, I think that your post would have done more good to tell parents how they can avoid their child being the bully and encouraging against cruel behavior rather than posting on something that wasn't all that informative.  What exactly were we supposed to learn after having read your post?  (I really don't mean to sound harsh here, but I don't know what you intended this post to be about.)

"But, you know, people have had allergies forever, "

Not like they do now, Sherry.  Don't believe me?  Ask your pediatrician.

"But the image of children chasing each other around with cartons of milk is amusing.  I can't help it."

You'd get over that right quick if you're one of the moms who keeps an epipen near by. In case someone who thinks allergies are a joke is in charge of the food.

I have just discoverd your comments from someone named "Sherry", and these are the most ignorent comments I as a parent of a 12 year old peanut allergy child have ever heard...

Currently we have had to get the police and principal of the school to address an issue of food allergy bullies..were 2 older boys are threatening to "Shove peanuts down my sons throat" do you actually believe that these kids, one of which is a high school student are just pulling a prank, or reacting to a food that was taken from them. No these boys are trying to get back at him because they in a previous incindent took a class project from him on the school bus and got in trouble for that. now they are using his allergy as threat on his life.. And yes if it come down to it if it comes down to elliminating the threat to our kids by getting rid of the cause of there allgery, then what is different in that then getting rid of what cause's people to get cancer or any other life threaening ailment.  Peanuts will KILL my son is that fair!!!!

I have just discoverd your comments from someone named "Sherry", and these are the most ignorent comments I as a parent of a 12 year old peanut allergy child have ever heard...

Currently we have had to get the police and principal of the school to address an issue of food allergy bullies..were 2 older boys are threatening to "Shove peanuts down my sons throat" do you actually believe that these kids, one of which is a high school student are just pulling a prank, or reacting to a food that was taken from them. No these boys are trying to get back at him because they in a previous incindent took a class project from him on the school bus and got in trouble for that. now they are using his allergy as threat on his life.. And yes if it come down to it if it comes down to elliminating the threat to our kids by getting rid of the cause of there allgery, then what is different in that then getting rid of what cause's people to get cancer or any other life threaening ailment.  Peanuts will KILL my son is that fair!!!!