Let us return once more to the time of burnt-orange and avocado-colored kitchen appliances. It was a time when you considered a friend extremely lucky if he got more than three channels on his family television—a 27-inch screen (with something called a picture tube) embedded in a piece of furniture the size of a small car. Are you with me? Stay together now. There’s a lot to see, but I want you to focus on one thing: that kid in the plaid pants. Yes, the one with the wide shirt collar. Yes, yes, I know that collar resembles the wing of an airplane and a strong wind might be enough to get him airborne. The early 1970s were a time of bold decisions! Bold clothing! Bold color choices! And bold ways to handle food allergies.
That kid I am pointing out to you is having a snack. His snack is a bowl of Trix cereal. But the young man in the plaid pants is lactose intolerant, so instead of milk, he has poured a small amount of fruit punch into the bowl. Yummy. Peanut allergies? It was the 1970s, friends. Peanut butter to us school children then was like texting to a 14 year-old today: the very breath of life!
Indeed, food allergies, and allergies in general, were treated differently when avocado green ruled the suburban kitchen palette. Allergic to bee stings? Forget the EpiPen: it wasn’t available for public use until 1980. You just had to swat away those pesky bees, hope for the best, or run shrieking to the playground aide.
Gluten-free food? Ha! I’ll see your gluten and raise you a taste of paste!
This is not meant to disparage students today who suffer from food allergies, or who require specialized diets. It’s just a glimpse at how life has changed, and hopefully for the better. Who knows how many of my friends might have been better served if parents and teachers had been aware of their food allergies. Maybe Jerry Channing* wouldn’t have been such a monster to everyone and maybe Suzie Brown wouldn’t have harassed me about wearing green on Thursdays if their extreme gastrointestinal discomfort had been soothed by a proper, nut-free diet.
How are food allergies handled at your school? Separate cafeteria tables? No homemade snacks for class birthday parties? Sanitary wipes available throughout the school? Share your experiences, suggestions, and school policies with us.
*Names changed to protect the reputation of childhood bullies.
What I notice most is that the schools are educating the students about those with allergies and making them aware of how to prevent reactions. Many times I will go in a class and a student will let me know about their classmates allergy, the procedures if he has a reaction and what I need to do to prevent a reaction. They also have signs posted on the door of classrooms with students who have allergies like Peanut- Free Zone. I think the awareness overall is greater than back in my day
We are peanut free. Meds are in each classroom. We try to group allergic children together for lunch.
Food allergy is thought to develop more easily in patients with the atopic syndrome, a very common combination of diseases: allergic rhinitis and conjunctivitis, eczema and asthma.[3] The syndrome has a strong inherited component; a family history of allergic diseases can be indicative of the atopic syndrome…
My own, personal webpage
<,http://www.healthmedicinelab.com/sinus-infection-remedies/