When a mother in Ontario launched a petition at her child’s elementary school, I didn’t think much of it at first. But the ensuing discussion was nothing short of shocking.
The petition wasn’t about sensitive topics like sex education or religious practices. Instead, it revolved around peanut butter, and I found it utterly frustrating.
Jessica Thompson from Kitchener, Ontario, sought to overturn a ban on peanuts at her child’s school, deeming it unreasonable because her daughter is a selective eater. This restriction prevents her from providing lunches that her child will actually eat, leading to a tired and hungry child returning home each day. Her proposed solution? She should be allowed to send nut products, which her picky eater will enjoy—she even promised to label them.
Let’s pause for a moment to consider this.
A mother is fighting to introduce peanut products into a school setting, fully aware that those same products could pose a life-threatening risk to other children. She feels entitled to this not for medical reasons but simply because her child is a picky eater. In essence, she is willing to jeopardize the safety of others to cater to her kindergartner’s preferences.
This notion is outraging, and I don’t even have kids with food allergies.
As parents, our responsibility is to advocate for our children. As members of a community, we should work together to protect all children. We do this by adhering to rules that ensure their safety, like slowing down in school zones and avoiding actions that could endanger them. Food allergies are not a choice—they are a serious medical condition that can be terrifying. In Canada, approximately 2 in every 100 children have a peanut allergy. Imagine a school with 1000 students; that means about 20 of them might be at risk of severe reactions to peanuts. For these children, avoiding allergens is crucial, and we should all contribute to their safety by providing nut-free lunches. This responsibility lies not only with the parents of allergy-affected children but with all of us.
Life-threatening food allergies take precedence over mere food preferences, without exception.
Picky eating is not a medical condition; it’s a behavior. And dealing with it is far simpler than managing anaphylactic shock.
Of course, this doesn’t apply to children with actual sensory issues or medical feeding challenges.
So your child insists on eating peanut butter sandwiches and refuses anything else? That’s tough, but peanut butter works well as an after-school snack at home where you have the freedom to make choices. Explore new lunch ideas online; you’ll need them, and in time, your child will adjust to nut-free meals. Meanwhile, ensure they have a hearty breakfast and tasty snacks available after school. Trust me, they’ll manage just fine.
I’ve heard plenty of arguments from the “pro-nuts” camp, often suggesting that since the world isn’t nut-free, children with allergies should learn to cope with them. After all, how will they survive in the “real world” if they’re shielded in elementary school?
Let’s consider young children for a moment
In Ontario, kindergarteners can be as young as 3.5 years old at the start of the school year. My own child began Junior Kindergarten at three, and I can attest that his listening skills were far from stellar. Regardless of how intelligent or well-mannered a child may be, three-year-olds lack the maturity to consistently follow guidelines designed to keep them safe from allergens. If nuts were present at school, my son would likely encounter them at some point—whether out of curiosity, distraction, or mischief.
What if one of his classmates had a nut allergy? Would my son be able to eat a peanut butter sandwich and still safely play with that child? Absolutely not, because young children are notoriously poor at washing their hands and faces. Even if he attempted to clean up with soap, there would still be residue—if not full clumps of peanut butter—on his hands or clothes. If you believe that children can wash themselves impeccably, you are mistaken. Whether they are three, seven, or eleven, their hand-washing skills are typically subpar.
We also need to consider the potential for bullying through intentional exposure to allergens, which has been reported in some cases. For a child trained to avoid nuts, having a peanut thrust in their face can feel as threatening as a knife.
Currently, my kids’ school bans peanuts and tree nuts—not due to legal requirements, but as a common practice in many provinces. While some food allergies are less severe, those that could lead to anaphylaxis are typically banned. For instance, while dairy allergies might allow milk, if a child were at risk of death from dairy exposure, that would also be prohibited. At the high school level, however, these restrictions often disappear, as students are expected to manage their allergies independently.
Having a picky eater is certainly frustrating for parents, but having a child with life-threatening food allergies is a constant source of fear.
Imagine sending your child to school every day with the knowledge that a lethal substance could be present in the environment. Now picture that substance lurking in their classmates’ lunches. You’d be told that those children would wash their hands before interacting with your child—would that be enough to ease your worries?
Yes, the “real world” contains nuts, but we don’t allow four-year-olds to navigate busy streets alone because CHILDREN REQUIRE GUIDANCE. The same principle applies to allergies; we implement safety measures now because children depend on adults for protection. As they mature, we gradually give them more freedom.
Never forget: no child has ever died from not having peanut butter at school.
If your child comes home hungry and cranky because they can’t have a peanut butter sandwich, I empathize—no parent wants to see their child struggle. But if your solution is to endanger the lives of other children to alleviate your family’s inconvenience, remember this: your child may be hungry, but if you send nuts to school, another child might not come home at all. That should be motivation enough for all of us.
For further insights on parenting and related topics, you might want to check out this helpful resource.
In summary, while picky eating can be frustrating, it pales in comparison to the serious implications of food allergies. The safety of children with allergies must take precedence over the preferences of picky eaters. As responsible adults, we need to prioritize safety in our schools, ensuring that all children can thrive without fear.