A school in Edgewater, Florida is under fire after a group of parents protested, complete with picket signs, the very strict peanut policy the school had to adopt due to a student with a severe peanut allergy.
The first grade girl's condition is so severe that she could actually die if exposed to even the smallest amount of peanut dust, says WKMG. Her condition affects only 2 percent of the population. Her mother, Tracey Bailey, explains it:
We're not talking about she will break out in a rash. We are talking about she will die, stop breathing.
In fact, the situation is so dire that the little girl's classmates are required to wash their hands and rinse out their mouths to avoid bringing peanut particles into the classroom. And the parents have had enough.
Parents say their children are missing out on the learning process, missing out on the fun of having outside food brought in on birthdays and generally missing out period. All of this is because of one student's severe allergy. Mother Carrie Starkey said:
I don't think my child should have to rinse her mouth out three times a day. Nine times out of 10, peanut butter is not coming out of her mouth. They shouldn't have to lose out on what they should be able to experience at school. On average, it's probably a good 30 minutes taken out of the day. That's my child's education. Thirty minutes could be a whole subject.
Parents stood outside the school the little girl attends with signs protesting the policy and, inadvertently, her attendance at the school.
Look, I get it. I'm a parent, too and there is a little girl in my daughter's class with a peanut allergy. Sure, it's a bummer that I can't bring cupcakes to school or pack either of my children peanut butter crackers or a PB&J for their lunch, but you know what? I suck it up. That's life. That's parenthood. And I would rather the 4-year-old in my daughter's class have a happy and healthy life than my daughter have her natural peanut butter. To those parents, I say: Grow up!
Life is going to be full of slightly unfair situations that we make the best of because we all share the world together. Instead, these parents are teaching their children that a child with a disability (which is essentially what this is) is somehow less worthy than their desire for cupcakes. It makes me ill and is sort of funny that Starkey is so concerned about her daughter's 30 minutes a day of education. What she SHOULD be worried about is what selfish, repugnant values she herself is imparting to her child.
If she is so against the policy, she ought to send her child to a private school. There, she can pay tuition to be able to run the school exactly as she sees fit. But as long as she is at a public school where all of our tax dollars are pooled to provide education for all of us, then she -- and all the other protesting parents with their signs -- needs to learn to suck it up. Life isn't always fair, but kindness and the willingness to help others are always lessons that every child should learn.
Does this story make you as mad as it makes me?
Image via ° d i + m a r s °/Flickr
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Comments 493
I get it. I do.
But my question is WHY would the parents of the girl even risk taking her to a public school? That's a lot of kids. Surely, you can't stop every child from sneaking in a piece of halloween candy. SOMETHING is bound to get through the doors at some point. And then what?
The child does have a right to a public eduation but not to impede the other students' learning experience. Perhaps a child with that severe of an allergy should be home schooled.
Kelli, that's my thought. If my child suffered such a serious allergy of such a common thing that they could die if another kid touched them with invisible particles on their hands, I wouldn't send them to public school. That's pretty extreme.
Will at my kids is school their is no outside foods. and It's just not peanut butter their are kids that can not have certain foods. and If only parent can noot understand or whine because a child has a severe peanut allery to peanut butter then oh will. Also my younger kids is school they have a table in the lunch room for kids who have an allery to peanut butter and they sit their if a classmate bring peanut butter . The girl has every right to go to school
Should they force her to live in a bubble? Never interacting with anyone but her parents? What kind of life is that?
These parents are assholes. It's not that big a deal and perhaps the kids will get sick less because they're keeping their hands clean.
And what about particles that stick to clothing? This girl is only in 1st grade. She has 11 more years of public school, if she's going this route.
If it's that dire, I really don't see how she'll get through it all.
why not move her to a much smaller class, then it wouldn't be such a bother to take time out their day. i don't know that would probably bug me too, it almost sounds like they're being treated like they already have a disease. imagine how that little girl feels.
"The child does have a right to a public eduation but not to impede the other students' learning experience. Perhaps a child with that severe of an allergy should be home schooled."
Have you been in a school at all? All kids impede the learning process of other students. Kids with ADHD and autism cause disruptions, kids with learning disorders take teacher attention away from the class when they need extra help, gifted kids take time away from the class with their special needs, some kids demand more attention than others and some are annoying and some are sweet and cute and get more attention for that. A peanut alergy, even a small one is nothing compared with the distraction of having an autistic or ADHD or obnoxious child in class.
Wow. The amount of selfish.