Its always been my fear that come Junior High/High School my son would somehow be involved in an altercation where he was attacked not physically but with food. He was diagnosed at age two with a life-threatening food allergy to tree nuts and though he is only four now I cant seem to shake these fears of another child intentionally placing my sons life in danger through the use of something so simple as a cashew.
After reading an article this morning on CNN Health entitled "Food allergies make kids the target of bullies" these fears where only reiterated. It sickens me to think that kids can be so malicious. I shouldn't have to be frightened to send my son out the door because another kid may find it amusing to see his fear over a walnut or an almond.
I would like to think its all just a lack of education but more and more I find it to be ignorance. Unfortunately these are probably the same children who's parents refused to leave out the PB&J that their child so desperately had to have in their school lunchboxes. As someone so kindly pointed out to me this morning, "the apple never falls far from the tree."
I just don't understand what it will take for some people to understand the seriousness of food allergies. I guess that is why I do what I do.
*Take our poll in the right sidebar - "Has your child ever been bullied because of their food allergy?"
After reading an article this morning on CNN Health entitled "Food allergies make kids the target of bullies" these fears where only reiterated. It sickens me to think that kids can be so malicious. I shouldn't have to be frightened to send my son out the door because another kid may find it amusing to see his fear over a walnut or an almond.
I would like to think its all just a lack of education but more and more I find it to be ignorance. Unfortunately these are probably the same children who's parents refused to leave out the PB&J that their child so desperately had to have in their school lunchboxes. As someone so kindly pointed out to me this morning, "the apple never falls far from the tree."
I just don't understand what it will take for some people to understand the seriousness of food allergies. I guess that is why I do what I do.
*Take our poll in the right sidebar - "Has your child ever been bullied because of their food allergy?"
My allergic child won't be two until November, so there hasn't been any bullying. I do worry that once he's in school, there will be problems. I have to agree - the apple doesn't fall far. I imagine any kid that is intolerant enough to bully a child over a food allergy, is probably the child of someone who sees no problem risking a child's life over a PB&J sandwich. Children tend to be a product of their environment.
ReplyDeleteI read the article and i am shaking in my boots. My 5yo was bullied already....
ReplyDeleteI'd like to know more about the disciplinary actions. I don't have any kids yet, but I did grow up with a severe shellfish allergy. No one ever really taunted or bullied me, and certainly no one ever waved shrimp in my face or put crab in my food.
ReplyDeleteThese kinds of actions really ought to be looked at like the kid was trying to poison the other kid. Only then will people start "getting" the seriousness.