Munchausen on the increase?

Specialties School

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It is my observation that many parents strongly advocate for their children to the point of excluding the rights of the rest of the students. I would love to hear from experienced school nurses if this has always been or is this relatively new? We just had a parent demand the school go peanut free despite talking to the student's allergist stating we did not have to do that. Had another demand her child needs special consideration for PE on a week by week basis dependent on the child's decision, a student who plays basketball and softball after school. A student who has refused PE in school and goes to her after school sports? Parents are condoning this. I am sure my coworkers here have more stories than this, as I only have 90 families. AN administrators, please don't put this on FB. Thanks

Specializes in kids.
It is silly, the requests just continue to grow in absurdity. How can a school guarantee a peanut free facility?? Even if you made this a policy, other than checking every kid and every adult for contraband every day, how could you enforce??? And truthfully, aren't we all (especially parents) supposed to be preparing students for the real world?

I hope these parents are prepared to have these kids living in their basement way into adulthood because I cannot see them becoming productive members in society.

I struggle with the peanut free area, especially in HS!!!! Theyarethisclose to being out in the real world and there are way less limited protections in place. First time in over 20 years I have needed areas to be labeled nut free.

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Specializes in kids.
It is my observation that many parents strongly advocate for their children to the point of excluding the rights of the rest of the students. I would love to hear from experienced school nurses if this has always been or is this relatively new? We just had a parent demand the school go peanut free despite talking to the student's allergist stating we did not have to do that. Had another demand her child needs special consideration for PE on a week by week basis dependent on the child's decision, a student who plays basketball and softball after school. A student who has refused PE in school and goes to her after school sports? Parents are condoning this. I am sure my coworkers here have more stories than this, as I only have 90 families. AN administrators, please don't put this on FB. Thanks

It has always existed in some way or form. A kid with a dx that needs a 504 plan, extra books at home, elevator use, blah blah, but has medical clearance to play a varsity level sport! I truly feel the 504 plan was developed by mom so she could trip us up and sue us. She went to OCR more than once. With no finding I might add!!! Said child is now the guest of the state in a correctional facility...so take from that what you will

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Specializes in IMC, school nursing.
Did I miss something? What does this child/parent snowflake phenomenon have to do with Munchausen Syndrome? Self directed or by proxy?

I would argue that it does fit the Munchausen definition. These parents get an emotional reaction from their "advocacy" and make the child more "disabled" than they truly are. I can bet you this mother has taken her opinion to FB to get even more "positive vibes" from people who will agree with her and think we are unreasonable by not protracting the rights of other students, some of which only eat PBJ sandwiches every day.

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I struggle with the peanut free area, especially in HS!!!! Theyarethisclose to being out in the real world and there are way less limited protections in place. First time in over 20 years I have needed areas to be labeled nut free.

This. THIS is my issue. I had a parent raving because their child was in the same room as someone who was drinking a hazelnut coffee.

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I would argue that it does fit the Munchausen definition. These parents get an emotional reaction from their "advocacy" and make the child more "disabled" than they truly are. I can bet you this mother has taken her opinion to FB to get even more "positive vibes" from people who will agree with her and think we are unreasonable by not protracting the rights of other students, some of which only eat PBJ sandwiches every day.

Munchausen is very hard to diagnose.

Let's just call the parents effing crazy.

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Specializes in IMC, school nursing.
Munchausen is very hard to diagnose.

Let's just call the parents effing crazy.

I thought the two were synonymist.

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Specializes in kids.
This. THIS is my issue. I had a parent raving because their child was in the same room as someone who was drinking a hazelnut coffee.

Aye, yay yay!

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Specializes in IMC, school nursing.
This. THIS is my issue. I had a parent raving because their child was in the same room as someone who was drinking a hazelnut coffee.

Everyone knows that nut allergies are airborne. The real logistics and legalities of nut-free extend the school's responsibility to the student's homes. The school has to assume any home made food is prepared in a nut free environment. This is an extremely deep worm hole that may end up in a black hole of culpability.

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Everyone knows that nut allergies are airborne. The real logistics and legalities of nut-free extend the school's responsibility to the student's homes. The school has to assume any home made food is prepared in a nut free environment. This is an extremely deep worm hole that may end up in a black hole of culpability.

We are trying to go as peanut free as possible, but things are impossible across the board.

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Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.
I would argue that it does fit the Munchausen definition. These parents get an emotional reaction from their "advocacy" and make the child more "disabled" than they truly are. I can bet you this mother has taken her opinion to FB to get even more "positive vibes" from people who will agree with her and think we are unreasonable by not protracting the rights of other students, some of which only eat PBJ sandwiches every day.

Facebook...for example, "Need prayers, at the emergency room with LD"

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Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.
We are trying to go as peanut free as possible, but things are impossible across the board.

Peanut free is not possible to attain so the best plan is to realize peanut products will be on campus and plan on managing the environment of what you know versus trying to manage an environment of what you don't know.

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Specializes in School Nursing.

The more things they can find wrong with their children, the higher the chance of getting a SSI check for them. It's sad, but I'm seeing this happen quite a bit.

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