School Carnival Nightmare

[zarfkitty]

I'm so angry!!!

We went to our daughter's school carnival today. We were having a really great time (face paint, dunking booth, moon walk, etc). I was working her homeroom's booth while she and her dad walked around to enjoy the fair.

All of the sudden, there was a rush of boys and a bunch of white dust where they were waiting in line. One of the homerooms was selling "snow balls" which was about a 1/4 cup of all purpose flour tied in a paper towel "baggie." I didn't know yet that it was flour.

I walked over to the snow ball booth to ask them what they were made of, and they said "Just flour. Nothing dangerous." I let them know that to my family it was actually very dangerous.

I looked around the playground, parking lot, and field. There were expended snow balls all over the place. There was an endless supply of snow balls yet to be sold. I decided we needed to leave right away.

Please tell me I didn't overreact. Unless it rains between now and Monday, I'm even worried about recess on the playground. There was flour EVERYWHERE. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR! Don't people know that wheat is a top 8 allergen let alone a danger to people with celiac? I'm writing a letter as soon as I figure out who is in charge of such decisions!

Thanks. I needed to vent.

[maryjoali]

You're not overreacting! I've never heard of anything so ridiculous!! I'm a teacher and it frustrates me how certain allergens are treated so seriously, but others (like wheat) are treated like no big deal. "It's not like it's going to kill you, like peanuts." (even though I do have an anaphylactoid response). I'd definitely use this as a learning experience for the school..where you're doing the educating! Selling bags of flour...still shaking my head.

I'm so angry!!!

We went to our daughter's school carnival today. We were having a really great time (face paint, dunking booth, moon walk, etc). I was working her homeroom's booth while she and her dad walked around to enjoy the fair.

All of the sudden, there was a rush of boys and a bunch of white dust where they were waiting in line. One of the homerooms was selling "snow balls" which was about a 1/4 cup of all purpose flour tied in a paper towel "baggie." I didn't know yet that it was flour.

I walked over to the snow ball booth to ask them what they were made of, and they said "Just flour. Nothing dangerous." I let them know that to my family it was actually very dangerous.

I looked around the playground, parking lot, and field. There were expended snow balls all over the place. There was an endless supply of snow balls yet to be sold. I decided we needed to leave right away.

Please tell me I didn't overreact. Unless it rains between now and Monday, I'm even worried about recess on the playground. There was flour EVERYWHERE. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR! Don't people know that wheat is a top 8 allergen let alone a danger to people with celiac? I'm writing a letter as soon as I figure out who is in charge of such decisions!

Thanks. I needed to vent.

[home-based-mom]

I agree you did not over-react. You needed to get your family out of there ASAP.

However, people who have no first hand experience with allergies and allergens are only ignorant - not mean or stupid. In there minds, they "have never heard of such a thing."

This is definitely a "teachable moment" and your chance to educate the parents, teachers, and students about the problem. Be sure to take advantage of it before their memory fades!

[vanillazeis]

Oh my goodness!!! People are freaking rediculous. "just flour... nothing dangerous" Yeah... i think i woulda lost it.

[DingoGirl]

This is definitely a "teachable moment" and your chance to educate the parents, teachers, and students about the problem. Be sure to take advantage of it before their memory fades!

Yeah....maybe they could use rice flour, next time...

[JennyC]

I can't believe it. You definitely did not over react. Why don't they smear the school with peanut butter or shell fish next time! Write your letter!

[Ridgewalker]

Jeeez, there's lots of schools that don't even allow peanut products onto school grounds! But it's ok to throw around balls of another Top 8 Allergen-- one that floats in the air like a fog??? I would have freaked right out. You did NOT overreact. I too would be worried about recess on Monday. Will it be all over the play ground equipment???

[2kids4me]

You did NOT overreact!! My daughter had bad glutening from playing in an empty grain bin - much less be surrounded by flour dust!!

If the fair was organized by the school and your daughter is registered as student with celiac - they knowingly placed her health at risk. But more likely it was an ignorance thing - they didnt even think of the issue since it wasnt going to be eaten.

Definitely write a letter with the idea of educating the organizers and helping the understand what inhaling or touching wheat flour can do to a celiac.

I recently had to educate the school about timing of lunches - they moved Friday lunch to 11 am - it is at 12:10 Mon thru Thurs. For my son - it totally screws up timing of insulin and his meal plan.

People not affected by celiac, diabetes or other health conditions simply do not appreciate the complexities of our lives. What they do not know - they cannot understand.

[amybeth]

As a teacher, if this happened in my school, I would freak!

I think you were definitely in the right to make them aware of the problem - but even still they may not realize the seriousness.

Depending on who planned/coordinated the event, I would CC my letter to the principal, the nurse, the PTO/PTA or other parent group, school volunteers and the superintendent --- just a nice informative letter and a request that this not happen in the future.

With the large number of undiagnosed celiacs around, there's a good chance it could have affected many others - not just your family.

Good luck!

[Cheri A]

That's ridiculous! I hope that it rained, and the flour has all been washed away.

I agree that you should use this as a teachable moment to inform them - I'm sure that the organizers just have no idea that wheat is a top-8 allergen.

[zarfkitty]

Update:

My daughter is home sick today (all symptoms point to an upper respiratory infection, except nausea which is definitely from the snow balls) so she didn't have to face the gluten mine field of her school's front yard.

It's also rained really hard all day so it should be safe for her to return to school.

I am going to have my little "teachable moment" as calmy and constructively as I can. I appreciate those who are teachers responding to affirm my instincts! I teach high school myself, but I wasn't in "teacher mode" when I saw my child in danger... I was in angry mother bear mode!

I feel less angry now and relieved that mother nature cooperated with the playground detox of a cold front and thunderstorms!!

-Shannon in Austin TX

[zarfkitty]

Update #2

I wrote an assertive but friendly email to the campus principal. She (luckily) was headed to the PTO board meeting when she read it. The PTO was in charge of the carnival. She said they received my criticism well and, just as everyone predicted, none of them knew that flour could be dangerous.

The PTO is working on solutions for a fun AND safe carnival. They have a whole year to figure it out.

[Nikki'smom]

You did not over react!

Glad you used it as a teachable moment! Good for you! My Jersey attitude would ahve been screaming at every one and my happy butt would ahve marched to talk to the princlipal while hubby to my dd home. LOL So i think you handled it wonderfully!

I hope you DD is feeling better!

[skyepie]

As a celiac, I am horrified by the stupidity of people and their lack of thinking. The scenario described is unbelievable.

However, I have to admit that I completely understand how it can happen....

By posting this, I know I'm opening myself up to extreme critism for my naivety. However, until 5 years ago, I had never heard of celiac, until I met someone who became a close friend and she divulged that info to me. I remember even having her family over (her dd is also celiac) and being a well-meaning friend and cook who had no idea that celiac had to do with anything other than wheat. I cooked homemade eggrolls (my specialty) and she just ate the filling, which I kept some aside from the egg rolls with the skins. It never dawned on me that my soy sauce would be a problem for her. Honestly, until I was diagnosed, I did not know the magnitude to which one had to read labels and be vigilant. Even more horrifying, I get really pissed at people who seem to be clueless. Why wouldn't they be - so many people have never heard of this!

Back to my reason for posting. 10 years ago I taught middle school health. One of my big activities was to make stress balls. How did we do this? We filled balloons with flour and tied them off. My classroom was one big cloud of flour for 3 whole days. Never in my wildest imagination did I even think it would be an issue. I have to also cover myself by saying that our school published a confidential medical concern list, and there weren't mentions of celiac or wheat allergies at that time in my school. I also had to get this activity approved by the building principal and custodians, and have parents AND students sign a behavior slip stating that they would use the stress ball in school for the intended purpose. It clearly outlined the procedure in which we'd be following to make the stress balls, and no one ever commented that it would pose a health risk.

Interesting?

[debmidge]

Aside from the celiac issue, flour is a food product and will attract bugs and rodents ... who thinks these ideas up?