What Should I Say To The Teacher?

[Amooliakin]

My daughter Rebecca was diagnosed a month ago - she is 8 years old and in second grade. When we got the diagnosis we were very proactive. Not only did I do research and change the eating habits of the whole family, but I gave information sheets to the teacher, after school staff, school nurse, principal, etc.

Everyone has been very supportive and the teacher especially so. She suggested we bring in gluten-free treats to put in the freezer so my daughter would have something special at school birthday parties. She offered to let me come in and talk to the kids.

But today my daughter told me that they dissected a fish in class and afterwards they all ate a little bit of cooked fish to see what it tasted like. Or maybe it was just a coincidence, but at any rate, the teacher gave her some fish to eat and Rebecca asked if it had any soy sauce or gluten in it. The teacher told her that it was fried in batter, but that she would give Rebecca a piece of the inside of the fish to eat.

I know she meant well and I don't want to jump on her and get her defensive. But I'm not comfortable with this. Rebecca asked me if it was OK and I said it was not. But that was after it happened, and I don't want her to feel that she messed up.

So what suggestions do you have for me to gently tell the teacher (who I like) that this was not OK?

Thanks - Amy

[Nic]

I think you should just explain to her that it is unsafe for your daughter to eat anything that has been cooked with gluten, even if the part she is eating did not "touch" the gluten. Since she has been so supportive it was probably just a lack of fully understanding.

Nicole

[Nikki2003]

I think you should just explain to her that it is unsafe for your daughter to eat anything that has been cooked with gluten, even if the part she is eating did not "touch" the gluten. Since she has been so supportive it was probably just a lack of fully understanding.

Nicole

I would ask that if they do stuff like that at school again that involves food at all to call you first to make sure it is ok. I don't think there would be any problem with that. Just to be safe because as we all know it is hiding just about everywhere.

I hope it all works out.

Celina

[Guest nini]

I too would insist that any time any project is done with food in the future to please check with you first to make sure it's ok, because most people just don't think about it, because they don't have to.

[Amooliakin]

Thanks... I will be talking to the teacher soon and will let you know how it goes.

[Amooliakin]

Well the discussion went fine this morning. I started out telling the teacher that Rebecca LOVED the dissection and talked about it all evening. Then I "casually" mentioned that it was really not OK for her to have tasted the cooked fish. The teacher was apologetic and said she was carful that Rebecca only got the center piece of fish that had not touched any oil or flour. But I explained the cc issues and said that especially now when we were at the beginging of the process we wanted to be super cautious.

Apparently the class was split up into groups and the teacher had no idea that one of the groups would cook their fish. I'm not sure if the science teacher or math teacher or the assistant headed the group that cooked. Perhaps I can find out who it was and just mention to them that if they cook in the future they have to be aware of allergies etc.

I am sure I will be called in the future, or they won't give anything to Rebecca to eat.