Most of you are aware that school started a few weeks ago. Landon is in full day Kindergarten this year which is such a benefit for him, and yes me too! However, there is a downside to full day. For our family, it’s lunch in cafeteria. Landon has nut allergies, so severe that he goes into anaphylaxis shock if he ingests anything with nuts. Having lunch at school only ups the chances of a reaction. Luckily, Landon’s school  is small, only pre-k and kindergarten. Not many kids…less chance of a reaction.

Where is the judgement you ask? I’m getting to it. Just you wait.

We started the year just like every other. Getting the medical paperwork together, labeling his Epi-pens, gathering extra medicine for school and speaking with the school nurse. Ah, the school nurse!  They can be your biggest advocate or biggest nightmare when it comes to allergies. Luckily, this year ours seems to be on our side.

As years in the past, I always like to meet the nurse and drop off Landon’s medical supplies before school starts. Kids eat nuts on the 1st day of school and something can happen….there is no such thing as being overly cautious when it comes to kids with food allergies. Especially ones that can actually kill your child. Don’t let for one second anyone tell you otherwise. I am not talking about putting your child in a bubble, I am talking about being prepared.

During the conversation with the nurse about Landon’s medical history, lunch & the cafeteria came up. I assumed that all kids with a nut allergy on file would have to sit at the nut free table. I assumed wrong. The nurse proceeded to tell my husband and I that the school has 16 kids with nut allergies and only 3 of them will be sitting at the nut free table. The other kids parents decided against it. We were in shock. Our immediate response was, ” we can’t control what happens, but we can help shape a different outcome”. He will be sitting at the nut free table for lunch.

The nurse also told us some of the comments from the other parents. Some don’t take their kids allergies seriously believing it’s only a matter of time before they grow out of it. Some stated that their kids just have to deal with nuts around them and if they get sick so be it. And others say they don’t want to hurt their kids feelings by having them not sit with their class. WTF? Really, who are you parents? None of these reasons are good enough to put your child’s health in danger. NONE! They are only 5 years old….ugh!

Roughly 350 children die in school allergy accidents per year.  I am not a  mom who doesn’t allow her kid to attend parties, eat out or just be a kid. I am a mom who carries an Epi-pen, has a emergency medical plan and tries to limit the chances of exposure of nuts. I don’t limit my sons life experiences. I judge you parents because you judge ” us”allergy moms. You think we “helicopter” over our children or take the allergy too seriously. Or you are just plain mad because your kid can’t bring in a snack containing nuts ( but can still bring in nuts for lunch). You think we enjoy the fear that a mere speckle of food could send our kids into anaphylaxis? That we love checking and rechecking labels? We don’t.

These parents who have decided to push their kids allergy aside make it harder for the other allergy parents. We are made to look like we are the overprotective ones that shouldn’t be taken seriously. I judge that. I am saddened for those kids, and hope and pray ( and I am not even religious) that those kids don’t become one of the 350 a year.  I will do whatever I can to make any PERSON with an allergy safe and comfortable. It’s the “right” thing to do……

End judgement zone here

-a mom on a mission