<p>The child with the severe allergies should either be taken out of the classroom to eat in a special setting or an adult aid should be provided by the school to stay with the child when any food is consumed. It would be impossible to have the child integrated with others while they eat if allergies are that severe. You cannot rely on other parents to provide the allergy-free environment the child requires.</p>
<p>boysx3: My first question to the parents would be to ask if they could provide suggestions for lunches that would be acceptable. That would give parent’s a better shot at understanding if this seems doable for them or not. While opportunities to socialize are important from what I can remember from what I learned years ago about child development this isn’t all that critical for a two year old. Perhaps I’m missing something but it seems a very different thing not to allow a 2 year old into a program due to special needs than say a 5 year old. If the coop members feel that their kids can deal with the dietary restrictions without causing undue hardship then by all means allow the child to participate. If parents of kids already in the program are unable to find anything that their picky eater will eat, then admitting the child would probably require them to withdraw their kids from the program and that would be what I would call an excessive hardship. It seems to me the families involved need to look at this honestly and they are doing the child a favor by being up front and not putting the child at risk. It seems to me that a child that young with such special needs might do better in smaller program with maybe 3 or 4 kids like an informal play group or a program that was just a couple of hours and didn’t include food. Having been the parent of an extremely picky eater I know there are just a handful of foods that my kid would eat. If I had help finding foods that were acceptable that he could and would eat then I would agree. Since this is a coop program I’m assuming that parents take turns helping out with the program so it does seem reasonable that those that are already in the program have the right to determine if their kids will do okay.</p>
<p>ddahwan and anyone else with experience with these:
Now onto my picky eater and the Panini Grill vs the George Forman Grill. Yesterday I read a bunch of reviews about the Forman Grill. The biggest complaint I saw about the ones with the fixed plates was that they were difficult to clean. The biggest complaint I saw about the ones with the removable dishwasher safe plates was that they didn’t get as hot and therefore didn’t sear the meat or cook as well. At that point I was really confused! Handwashing isn’t a problem but handwashing with difficulty is. The whole reason for buying the grill is for simple good cooking so if it doesn’t come out tasting good then there is no point. This picky eater won’t be eating steaks but would very likely eat chicken and burgers. How does the Panini maker do with these? I hear there is very little counter space in his kitchen so the smaller the better.</p>
<p>I have to tell you that the little panini maker does the trick. I have cooked skirt steak for 4 people on that thing (a day that my big built-in barbecue ran out of gas). You will not find a perfect indoor grill but this one will work also a toaster, sandwich maker and grill. The important thing is that the Teflon coating has held well and I’ve been using it for at least three years (with three teens). I have to be honest with you however and say that I am the one doing all the cleaning.</p>
<p>One more question boysx3: Is the program 1 or 2 days a week or is it 5 days/week. Its much easier to be creative about lunches if it isn’t every day.</p>
<p>Spectrum2: my source is a husband who loves to cook. Sorry that that won’t help you!</p>
<p>At UD waiting for DD to figure out how to unlock her bike ( which she wanted but probably rarely used) and then we will pack up the car. The plan is for her to take our other car here next year since DS will be a college freshman and won’t need it. I will be thrilled to have less rides on the Jersey Turnpike after this!</p>
<p>Speaking of DS, looking forward to plane transportation back and forth to school. Getting very tired of all the driving!</p>
<p>Success! Here she comes with the bike! More another time!</p>
<p>Thanks for all the input on the pre school co=op situation. It’s a five day a week, full time program that offers socialization and day care and the parents are very involved. They are very worried about the child herself having a harmful incident and of course liability issues. </p>
<p>With each of the families sending food for their own child every day, there really is no way for effective oversight or regulation. That’s one reason that all of the families agree to a dairy/pareve lunch regimen (and all ingredients are of course supposed to be hechshered). </p>
<p>They are worried about cross contamination, sharing (yes, learn to share your toys! but don’t give Shayna any of your food! But you can share food with Danny), the girl taking /tasting something she shouldn’t even without it being shared, the girl having a reaction after touching a toy or book previously touched by a child that had an english muffin with peanut butter for breakfast–and the fact that their own children will be often be deprived of their own favorite lunches and snacks.</p>
<p>I think they are asking for more details on the severity of the child’s allergies. I’ve also forwarded the idea of asking for sample lunches and snacks that would be safe so parent members can assess if they feel their children would be able to eat food they like as well.</p>
<p>Part of the problem is that it is a small co-op program and very (relatively) low in cost–generally just a teacher and an assistant, and then parent volunteers on a regular basis. There would not be the possibility of assigning a person to monitor just that child at all times.</p>
<p>I think I was told that it takes a vote of either 2/3 or 3/4 of the members to admit a new member to the co-op.</p>
<p>My guess is that if the vote were today, the decision would be in the negative; but they are trying to be open and inclusive and looking for a way to welcome this child if a way can be found not to have too great an effect on the other young children.</p>
<p>Boysx3,</p>
<p>I’m delurking here, and hope I’m not intruding. I’ve been reading on this thread to get as a sense of what’s coming down the road, but as a preschool special educator turned school administrator, you’re talking about a subject that’s dear to my heart, so I thought I’d jump in. </p>
<p>In the schools where I work, it’s not uncommon for us to get a parent who comes to us and says “How would you handle X?” or “Can you offer Y accommodation?” and hopes for an immediate answer. The question might be about allergies, or about a preschooler with diabetes when we had no nurse, or about a first grader in a wheelchair when our first grade classrooms are on the second floor and we don’t have an elevator. My previous school was a religious private school with a faith based commitment to inclusion, and my current school is public so turning kids away isn’t really an option.</p>
<p>One thing I’ve found is helpful is to acknowledge that while I may not know immediately what the solution will be, I’m committed to finding one, and that while we might not have the same solutions in mind, we (the parent and I) share the same goals – that their child be able to participate fully in the program while staying alive and healthy. </p>
<p>Once we’ve established some trust it’s easier to look for a specific solution. I’d start by getting as much information about the child’s allergies as possible. What exactly do their reactions look like? Are there some foods where the reactions are more severe than others? Are there foods the child could or couldn’t touch? Are there concerns about airborne allergies? I’d also get some information about what the parent is fearing. Are they worried about their child snatching another child’s food, or about them getting crumbs onto their food, or about smeared peanut butter on toys? </p>
<p>Once that’s established, I’d bet you can find a solution. To give you a sense of some things we’ve used at our school:</p>
<p>1) Banning one or two particularly dangerous foods. Nuts are often on this list, particularly nut butter since it smears. My school isn’t vegetarian, but I have plenty of other preschool administrator friends, many of whom work in Jewish schools that have both no meat and no nuts policies, so I know this is reasonable. </p>
<p>2) Having a child eat on a separate surface. We’ve had kids eat at a small table pushed up against the bigger one, so they feel like part of the group, but there’s a clear demarkation. It helps if the little table is a little higher than the big one so food can’t fall onto it, and if it’s deep enough that a toddler can’t reach across it and touch anyone else’s food.</p>
<p>3) “Safe” or “Safer” (defined as food the allergic child couldn’t eat but could safely touch, or food that would lead to Benadryl rather than an epipen), food at snack. Protein isn’t really needed at snack, kids are fine with fruit and rice milk, or rice crackers, or veggies with dip. Maybe the allergic child’s parents could provide a list of “safe” foods and brands, or could even take on the task of buying snacks. This reduces the need for cleaning from 3 opportunities (a.m. snack, lunch. p.m. snack) to one.</p>
<p>4) A lunch time routine that facilitates easy clean up. I feel like having protein at lunch is more important than at snack, so allowing a variety of foods here is important. In addition, most daycares have kids go straight from lunch to cots which should make clean up easier. The routine could have a parent volunteer (since it’s co-op) comes around with wet wipes and catches messy hands and faces before kids get up from the table, and then kids go straight to cots (allergic kid’s cot might need to be stored separately), and teachers wipe tables and sweep the floor (which licensing is undoubtedly making them do anyway) while the kids are asleep, and then kids wash their hands again when they go to the bathroom or get their diapers change upon waking. </p>
<p>5) Gluten free art supplies (parents pay the cost difference, or maybe look for a grant?)</p>
<p>6) Parent volunteers in the classroom or pays for a “shadow” for the first few weeks, until it’s clear that the child knows routines like staying at the table, staying on their cot, etc . . .
Anyway, like I said, sorry to jump in, but thought I’d share some experiences. Good luck!</p>
<p>Wow Curious, great post, no wonder you are an administrator!</p>
<p>Very informative post, Curious, thanks.</p>
<p>Wonderful approach CuriousJane!</p>
<p>Look at this dorm!</p>
<p>[With</a> new luxury dorm, UCF Hillel has evergreen funding - Washington Jewish Week - Online Edition - Rockville, MD](<a href=“http://washingtonjewishweek.com/main.asp?SectionID=133&SubSectionID=273&ArticleID=19355]With”>http://washingtonjewishweek.com/main.asp?SectionID=133&SubSectionID=273&ArticleID=19355)</p>
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<p>What a great concept!</p>
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<p>Rockvillemom great post. Brilliant idea. Win win situation.</p>
<p>Great idea. Looks like a great place to live.</p>
<p>Now that is Sechel…Upscale private dorm that houses primarily jewish kids and profits go to Hillel…</p>
<p>CJ,thanks so much for your post. I am passing it on as soon --you give a lot of valuable insight and workable strategies.</p>
<p>RVM, I read about that dorm. What a great idea! Can I go back to college and live there?</p>
<p>My husband and I both went there and are active alums.(We’re Jewish). Not sure what the tuition is now, but you get 5th year (MA) free, so it can be cost effective. Good luck!</p>
<p>Just popping back in to congratulate the parents of the 2013 grads!! Wahoo!!</p>
<p>Congrats to all!!!</p>
<p>Big brag alert…!!!</p>
<p>I was in Boston for the long weekend to visit my grandson (11 weeks old today!) and I cried when my son blessed him at our Shabbas dinner. It was also my son’s 28th birthday…where did the time go? S2 and S3 flew in from DC as well, so we could also celebrate their graduations together, as well as DIL’s upcoming graduation next week.</p>
<p>I found CC just after S1 had received his ED acceptance to Emory, and how I wish this thread had existed back then! It definitely would have helped with his college search. He wanted a mid-sized, academically challenging school, not in the middle of no where, with a sizeable Jewish population…and at that time our excellent high school did not have a college counselor at all, just a GC who was very good at helping students decide which Ohio public to go to…</p>
<p>RVM, thanks so much for starting this thread!</p>
<p>rockville mom: I want to live there!! What a great idea. Wish the Hillel at UIUC (Illinois) had living quarters for my S.</p>
<p>boysx3: Mazel Tov! Enjoy the nachas all around! </p>
<p>Mazel Tov,etc. to all the 2013 grads. S1 had graduation last night & it was really nicely done. The speeches were short(ish) and the kids were well behaved & respectful of each other. Very enjoyable. Today S1 has all 4 wisdom teeth removed. The irony…</p>
<p>(and also thank you to RVM for starting this thread. I will be much more active here for S2, class of 2015, since he is less focused on a particular major & therefore more open to a wider variety of schools.)</p>