Romper: Allergies increased by 50% since 1997; time to ban outside food from schools

Feb 14, 2019, Romper: Food Bans In Schools Might Be Annoying, But They Save Lives https://www.romper.com/p/food-bans-in-schools-might-be-annoying-but-they-save-lives-15954115 There will be no cookies today. My kids attend a school with a new policy banning outside food for class parties. And our school is not alone: districts across the nation have adopted similar guidelines. The reason? Kids with food allergies. According to the CDC, the prevalence of food allergies — many life threatening — has increased by 50 percent since 1997. … If there was child in our school who needed a wheelchair ramp, a specialized desk, or an adaptive communication device to participate in school fully and safely, not many parents would be lining up to argue for denying that child accommodations. Yet debates are blowing up on social media across the nation about allergy-safe parties and classrooms. It can be overwhelming and frustrating when a school implements new policies, but these debates have gone far beyond that to shaming the families with allergies…. Change is hard, but this is one area where I choose to lead by example with my kids. If we as parents are excited about the way that our schools celebrate holidays, our kids will be too. If I complain and bemoan the changes and reminisce about bygone sugar comas, my kids will think they are missing out on something.