Peanut Allergy and Recess

[nurseshajwani87]

I have a parent requesting that everyone wash their hands after lunch. 200 Kindergartners???? Before recess??? They are worried about contact reactions if their child is playing with someone outside that ate peanut butter. Do you guys deal with this and how? Our school is big and there is no way we can do this! We do not have the money to have wipes for every kid every day or even sanitizer (even though I read it doesnt get off peanut protein anyway) . Any thoughts?

[kidzcare]

This is very difficult and I have been in this exact situation. The parents were not satisfied with asking students to wash hands after lunch/before heading to playground since it was not realistic to expect that all would or that they would do a good job. We ended up getting hand wipes that the students would use as they exited the lunch room in a line. It had to be wipes since hand sanitizer does not kill peanut protein and the mechanical rubbing of wipes or hand washing is what removes it.

Personally, I thought this provided an unrealistic sense of security. This child needs to function in the real world and school is the part of preparing them for that. The child was in fifth grade at the time and would be in 7th grade now... I wonder what is being done at the junior high level? I no longer work for that district so I cannot find out.

[BeckyESRN]

Personally, I thought this provided an unrealistic sense of security. This child needs to function in the real world and school is the part of preparing them for that. The child was in fifth grade at the time and would be in 7th grade now... I wonder what is being done at the junior high level? I no longer work for that district so I cannot find out.

^This, all day long!

[MrNurse(x2), ADN]

I have my first REAL allergy, anaphylactic reaction. We had long discussions with parents, Allergists and administration. Thankful that these parents of an only child had the big picture viewpoint that this child has to live in this world. Peanut free table, peanut free classroom and washing hands for classroom only. My wife and I are training lunchroom volunteers to administer.