Does Your School Have an "Approved Food List" for Birthdays, Celebrations, Etc

No. We can bring in whatever we want. My experiences have been that if a child in the class is allergic (to gluten, chocolate, nuts etc) the parents have sent in some pre packaged treats for the teacher to hold in the classroom and give to that child on days when a treat is served that they cannot have. Why punish/control the whole class, the majority of kids over one child's allergy?? Now that being said, I do take it into consideration. This year there is a boy in my daughter's class that is allergic to gluton so I have tried to send in fruit for snacks most of the time instead of crackers or something.
I am so sick of all of this overcontrolled snacks, holiday parties etc!!!!!

My son has a nut allergy, his best friend has several deathly food allergies. There is one girl that has to sit at a table by herself because of her allergies...

When I purchase food for school, I always scan the ingredients, AND the second label. If there is anything on there about nuts, tree nuts or 'processed in' I don't send it.

Since your school doesn't allow chocolate, my go to staples would be
Golden Oreos and bags of Frito Corn chips- even the friend with the dairy allergy can eat these.

You can also just send in non-food items like crayons, coloring books, rainbow slinkys.

Yeah, they have totally taken this TOO far. I cannot believe that you spent that much money and they turned away fruit for goodness sake. You are damn right that I would be meeting with the administration on this one. I truly do understand taking reasonable precautions for children with allergies. I can understand the cupcakes although I would have been annoyed for sure. However, it seems like way overkill to turn away fruit from a reputable company.

I can tell you that as a parent of a child with severe food allergies, I am thankful that the preschool was diligent about this.

I understand and sympathize with your frustration (and I'd be angry about being out the $100), but this could be a matter of LIFE or DEATH. I am not exaggerating. Please read this news story and know that my heart breaks for the family:
http://www.wtvr.com/news/wtvr-chesterfield-student-death-...

There is a problem with using a "pre-approved list of foods." And that problem is that while a food label may be listed as safe at one reading, the next time a person goes to buy the item, the manufacturer could have switched ingredients or manufacturing processes and now the food is not safe anymore, but is still erroneously listed on the "pre-approved list of foods." The best real-world answer is to always read the ingredients, and the warning labels; read the entire ingredients panel to search for allergens. I know it's a pain, but your taking an extra few minutes to read it could save the life of a child in your child's preschool.

Always, always, always ask the school (both to find out the policy and to specifically ask if there are any known food allergies for your child's classroom) before sending food treats for children. And instead of doing food items, consider doing other items like specialty erasers or pencils or temporary tattoos, or coloring pages with a theme, or sponsoring a craft activity for the day (everyone get's to make a crown or a magic wand), etc.

You can purchase products from Enjoy Life that are free of 8 of the major food allergens (free of wheat/gluten, dairy, peanuts, tree nuts, egg, soy, fish or shellfish). Here is their website: http://www.enjoylifefoods.com/our_lifestyle/allergy_frien....

I would also suggest contacting a nut-free bakery in your area. Just google "nut free bakery" and your location, and I'll bet you get a hit.

Arm yourself with information about food allergies (and how to avoid allergic reactions!), and realize that by doing so, you could very well save a child's life. No exaggeration. This is an excellent site for learning more information about food allergies: http://www.kidswithfoodallergies.org/.

My son goes to a nut free school, and parents are warned to not bring anything with nuts to the school, and the teachers are diligent to check labels.

That surprised me that they allow home baked goodies... at my son's school only packaged goodies are allowed on birthdays.

We're not even allowed to send birthday treats--just to buy a book for the classroom library. Zzzzzzzz!

For my son's school we can not bring food containing nuts, but the school sells affy tapples (many have nuts) as a fundraiser and that week we PTA parents have to be very careful because we do have two nut allergy students. Things MUST be store bought and healthy is preferred but one mom brings in Oreo's for snack all the time - makes me nuts and proud that my son declines them and asks for an alternative. All schools have their own thing when it comes to food being brought in. Honestly, I like it but I do not like it as well so I just live with it and only bring in the mini cupcakes on his birthday and snacks as requested. I agree in your case though to have an approved bakery, deli, grocery store etc due to the amt of drama you suffered IF you HAVE to bring something in at all.

First let me say, I do believe that there are children with severe nut allergies. However, they are far and few between. I think the allergy thing
is way out of control. I am interesteed in what these families do when they
take their kids out in public. My sister, who teaches in California, has
run into this whole allergy thing too. A little girl who cannot have or be near
a variety of things. Fast forward about a week or two later and she sees
this family in a restaurant where the kids is exposed to all sorts of foods. So I just wonder how bad these allergies are.

At our school, all "treats" have to be individually wrapped and they are not allowed to be eaten at school. So.....theoretically....a parent could send Kin Sized Snickers bars for their kid's treat and the parents at home can choose to toss or have the child consume it.
Nothing can be homemade. Nothing can be consumed except the approved, PTA provided "party" treats (Halloween,Christmas, Valentine's Day in-room parties) which is usually bagged apple slices and a Fruitable juice box. Yippee.

Our school just has a policy that food brought it has to be store bought and smaller sized cupcakes are requested over larger ones. They encourage healthier options for birthdays, but don't demand it. In other words, please follow our guidelines, but no food policing. Everyday snacks cannot be junk food. What is acceptable varies considerably by teacher (elementary school). Some teachers say Cheezits OK, some do not. One teacher made it a rule that the everyday snack could not have sugar in the first 5 ingredients listed. It is a large public school system and no foods are banned due to allergies (though some students have to eat in the principal's office when they serve Thai Peanut Chicken noodles for lunch just because the fumes have triggered reactions).

Personally I think the treats in school on your birthday is a crazy modern ritual. When I was a kid, NO ONE brought treats on birthdays. Cupcakes and treats were for home and parties outside of school. We only got cupcakes on Halloween and Valentines Day, and that's all. I don't know when it all started, but now kids expect birthday treats at school (not judging, just venting, mine do too!) Once a few kids do it, EVERYONE wants to. And teachers see how much more junk kids eat because so many days are someone's birthday. I wish it would stop because it creates all sorts of issues.

Our school doesn't allow anything to be brought in for birthdays, they're to be done "on your own time." For "celebrations" the teachers say what can be brought in, all store bought, and parents have no say-so. My nephew is in 5th grade and made the decision after the "winter" party right before the break that he wants to leave school early on the days they'll be parties in the future, they're no fun anymore.

Like Sue said, here in the Twin Cities area, only store bought items had been the norm for many many years as far as I know. My daughter is 17 years old and that was always the case for her in regular public school. She attends a public Arts High now (small, audition /acceptance policies to get in and run more like a private school in that manner)...but they have functions and the foods are home made. But this is 11th and 12th graders, not young children. They do this so labels can be read and traced in case of food bourne illness, allergies, etc.

I will assume at some point "treat" days and such will just become a thing of the past for school kids? It seems to be a common issue of frustration for allergy-parents and those without allergy issues as well. Both side of the fence have frustration and issue with the restrictions, etc. Soon enough all schools will just go to a policy of non-edible party items for birthdays, etc, or your idea of a pre-approved brand listing for party days?

Sure would simplify things, even if people grumbled about it....

Good luck!

You're right, they should have a list. I would have been furious about the $100 fruit arrangement, but then, I would never have purchased something like that for a preschool party. Since they didn't give you a list of what is and isnt' allowed, I think that they should reimburse you for the fruit.

My sons' former elementary school no longer allows food of any kind for birthday celebrations. The birthday is recognized by the teacher with a birthday greeting and paper "crown." The child is presented with a birthday pencil by the principal. I was unhappy with the rule at first, but in retrospect it solved a lot of problems and made it much easier for the teachers. I know some people with life threatening allergies and although I feel bad for you with your Edible Arrangement (I love those) the administration really can't take any chances. I am also a lawyer, as is my husband, and if they had allowed the treat and in the rare situation someone had a life threatening reaction to it the school could have been liable.