I'm right there with you. I understand the desire to keep children safe but sometimes it can be taken to unreasonable extremes. This is one of them.
Yes, obviously some children are allergic to peanuts and obviously they shouldn't eat them. But some kids are allergic to milk or lactose intolerant (two different conditions, both more widespread). I don't suppose these schools are forbidding dairy products, hm?
Like others have said I really don't see what the problem is with having kids with allergies bring their own food. More options are better than fewer ones. Why not make two batches of cookies, one with peanuts and one without? Always worked for my school where we had a disproportionately large number of vegetarians. Some food with meat... and some without.
Honestly, I've never encountered this but I also haven't been in elementary school for a good... hm... six years? So I guess I shouldn't be that surprised. Still, it does seem excessive.
That said, are they objecting solely to peanuts or every kind of thing that sort of looks like a peanut? Something that a lot of people don't understand is that peanuts =/= nuts. Nut allergies are completely different. If its just the former, than almond and hazelnuts work as nice peanut-substitutes in my experience. If not, though...
As I said earlier...
Yes, obviously some children are allergic to peanuts and obviously they shouldn't eat them. But some kids are allergic to milk or lactose intolerant (two different conditions, both more widespread). I don't suppose these schools are forbidding dairy products, hm?
Like others have said I really don't see what the problem is with having kids with allergies bring their own food. More options are better than fewer ones. Why not make two batches of cookies, one with peanuts and one without? Always worked for my school where we had a disproportionately large number of vegetarians. Some food with meat... and some without.
Honestly, I've never encountered this but I also haven't been in elementary school for a good... hm... six years? So I guess I shouldn't be that surprised. Still, it does seem excessive.
That said, are they objecting solely to peanuts or every kind of thing that sort of looks like a peanut? Something that a lot of people don't understand is that peanuts =/= nuts. Nut allergies are completely different. If its just the former, than almond and hazelnuts work as nice peanut-substitutes in my experience. If not, though...
Well, your irritation is somewhat well-deserved.