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I have had to modify meals in the past for children with lactose intollerance and celiacs disease, BUT had medical authorization to do so. Now I have a little girl who is 20 months old whose mother requested that I do not let her have nuts or nut products, for no medical reason and no one in her family is allergic either. I provide a monthly food menu, and in my contract it states parents are welcome to provide an alternate meal if they do not like what I am serving, or think their child would not like it. I don't short order cook, EXCEPT those with a medical need. On the days where a PB sandwich or PB cookie are on the menu, the mother never provides an alternate. How would you handle this?
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I know things have changed, but when my kids were little they said not to introduce peanuts till over age 2. Maybe that's what mom's been told too??
I would just tell mom a day or two before your PB lunch is coming up that if she doesn't want child to have it she needs to bring an alternative. Otherwise that is what child will be eating. Sometimes a little reminder goes a long way - she will either bring in the food or let you know its ok to serve that meal. -
I don't give peanuts or nut products to children under 3. That's what I was told was the recommended age. And I don't give it first. I make sure parents have introduced it first. I have seen a peanut reaction and it was very scary.
So I don't think what she is asking is out of line. I believe it is standard practice with all children.Comment
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I also have one who they are delaying nut exposure for. Moms friend has an allergy. On the days I do Pb I offer an alternative for him. I just put cheese on his sandwich. We never have cookies so that's not an issue. I make it routine and nOone is upset. If anyone says anything I'll just say " because".Comment
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I don't think no nuts or honey before 3 would be an unreasonable request from a parent.Comment
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I have had parents request this also, only it was because dcd had a nut allergy and they were being cautious. I would not cook a seperate meal item for her but just give her a jelly sandwich instead and maybe a graham cracker instead of the cookie. Or you could ask dcm to bring you a jar of a peanut butter alternative.Comment
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I always have ritz crackers and I always have cheese on hand thy ar staples in my house. I would just serve those. most allergies the dr has not tested thy rely on the parents to tell them.
I told my dr about my ds allergies and what we were doing... HE was glad to learn from me because his dd was also allergic to milk. I taught him about many products. They were hard to find 30+ years ago but mom is a dietition so I had lots of help.It:
: will waitComment
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I think it is a reasonable request for a child under 2. That said, I would remind mom that she needs to look over the menu and provide alternatives for those days when there is a nut item offered. If she doesnt, like another poster said, I would offer the plainest/cheapest alternative if you have to due to a food program or whatever....a sliced banana, plain crackers, etc.Comment
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I give kids under 2 a nut alternative...they get a piece of bread and some cheese instead of PBJ. You could also keep a jar of Sunbutter on hand (made form sunflower seeds, not nuts, so it's safe) to make the sammies for the littler ones. I don't think it goes bad so it'll keep for awhile.Hee hee! Look, I have a signature!Comment
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Anything that is considered a high allergen, I do not serve to that child until they have had it in their own home. This includes nut products (I don't serve straight-up nuts because they are a choking hazard), strawberries, and shellfish. If the child hasn't had it, I don't serve it to them. I am not peanut, strawberry, or shellfish-free in my household though, and I make sure parents know this before even coming into my home (same with telling them I have cats who live downstairs, in case of an allergy).
I don't think a food that is considered a high-allergen would require a doctor's note. That said, the parents do need to be providing alternates.Comment
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I use a soy butter replacement that tastes like peanut butter or almond butter or sunbutter until kids are 2.
I also make substitutions for vegetarians but not for any other non-medical request.Comment
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I dont serve fish,honey,or nuts at my daycare. We are completley pb free and it is save for a cjild with a sever allergy to attend my program. I had a mom a few years ago call in tears that her child had a nut reaction and he would have to leave our daycare. I said "i no he doesn't he will be perfectly safe here" she cried again with relief. In daycare where the majority of children are three and under i think it is risky to serve foods that have high allergy rates.Comment
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I agree with this. My dd is allergic to peanuts and peanut butter. You do not want to be the first person to give a young child peanuts and then find out they are allergic. The reaction can be very scary and can include hives, trouble breathing/swollen airway, swollen lips, sniffling, runny nose, vomitting, etc. No one else in my family or my husband's is allergic to peanuts so family history is not necessarily an indicator of a child's chance of being allergic. I personally would honor her request that her child not be given peanuts or peanut butter. If you do not want to offer an alternative, have the mom bring lunch for that day. Due to my dd's allergy, I did not serve peanuts or peanut butter to any of my dck's. I was always afraid they would smear it somewhere that I did not know and that my dd would touch it and somehow get it in her mouth and have a reaction...I know, that is a little paranoid.
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