The Lunch Tray Blog

[hezzier]

Huffington Post picked up her latest article involving a "cupcake dad"


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bettina-elias-siegel/treats-at-school-_b_1294349.html

[CMdeux]

GOSH, how I love Bettina.   

[GingerPye]

Did you notice the other news story right above that: "Isolating a Child With Disabilities Can Do Life-Long Damage"

[twinturbo]

Her writing and arguments are so solid. Nostalgia is a terrific topic to cover in huffpo, too.

[CMdeux]

Did you notice the other news story right above that: "Isolating a Child With Disabilities Can Do Life-Long Damage"

I had to search for it, but yes...


Isolating a child with disabilities can do life-long damage

I'm not sure that I (entirely, anyway) agree with that when it comes to LTFA... just because of safety, I mean.  I agree with what she's saying.  I'm just not willing to concede that ANY price is worth paying to "pass" (as 'normal') and live in the so-called "real" world.  That's ultimately the basis for the "real world" arguments against accommodation, when you get right down to it.

THAT, I don't and cannot agree with-- not only for LTFA but for any other disability.

This one was equally hard to read:
My child's dream: to have friends
 

It started with a British study -- aptly named Does Every Child Matter? Researchers followed children with disabilities and their families through interviews and observation for 32 months. One of the key findings was that parents face huge pressure to 'make their child normal' and when they aren't successful, the child and family are excluded -- from friendships, at school and in the community. The biggest barrier to participating in sports or community activities was not access or transportation, but attitudes. Children participated in segregated community programs, researchers found, because they had no other choice. At school, they were segregated because of the requirement to be 'able' and to develop typically, and because special-ed policies have placed the 'problem' of disability within the child, instead of within the disabling environment, the scientists said.

There are so many echos of that in my own child's life.  It's really sad how much LTFA limits what most kids take for granted.  I truly don't think that many parents can understand what is so painful about being the ONLY kid who never gets invited to birthday parties, the only one left out of sleepovers, the only one that doesn't go to camp, etc. etc.  It makes every other social norm "unnatural" as a result.   

[nameless]

"I have yet to hear of a child going into anaphylaxis shock due to a nut-filled treat." says the cupcake dad. Anyone want to post the In Memory thread as a reply?

Adrienne

[socks on a rooster]

I thought Bettina was spot on.  Dad is clueless because he doesn't have to be aware of every food item that his kids' inhale, ingest, or absorb through their skin. Most parents have NO CLUE what food/candy is served their children at school and elsewhere.

[ajasfolks2]

    DOUBLE WOOT!!   

[ajasfolks2]

Huffington Post

Huffington Post on Food in Schools

[ajasfolks2]

The Lunch Tray’s Food-in-the-Classroom Manifesto

by Bettina Elias Siegel on April 25, 2012

http://www.thelunchtray.com/the-lunch-trays-food-in-the-classroom-manifesto/

[lakeswimr]

The Lunch Tray’s Food-in-the-Classroom Manifesto

by Bettina Elias Siegel on April 25, 2012

http://www.thelunchtray.com/the-lunch-trays-food-in-the-classroom-manifesto/

I love this and totally agree with her manifesto!

[twinturbo]

I'm surpised she didn't add dental problems to the list. Cola, cake and hard candy in those amounts at that frequency without brushing does atrocious damage to teeth, especially when it starts that early on adult teeth.

[hezzier]

She's got some teacher responses in her blog today.

[Bettina at The Lunch Tray]

Hey all: 

I meant to come over here to post my "manifesto" because it's you, the allergy moms, who got me to refocus my thinking on this issue.  It's not just sweets and junk, it's ALL food.  So I'm glad to see someone beat me to it and just wanted to thank you, as always, for the suppor!

Bettina

[twinturbo]

Oh, I'm actually with you on food in the curriculum even if my kids didn't anaphylax. I mean, technically speaking, they can drink Coke but it's insane that it's being handed out like that. I feel like it's cheapening education. In many instances I'm stricter on educational discipline than inclusion.
You know what horrifies me? "Mining" chocolate chip cookies as a geology lesson. I have this image of other classrooms around the world using rocks, minerals, microscopes compared to an American class chomping Chips Ahoy. facepalm.

So, yes, I obviously must negotiate the dangers and catastrophic health risks of anaphylaxis but even "safe" foods -- do not want. Bring on the computers, microscopes, books.