Preparing lunches last night was a refreshing cinch.  My two older kids had a burning desire to pack their own lunches in their new Pottery Barn bento lunchboxes. My kindergartner is very excited about her snack and lunch, and eagerly went to the cookie cutter bin to choose what shape of sandwich she would make herself.

She then chose to smother her two pieces of wheat bread with peanut butter and jelly. My son, being the “big man on campus” with six days of first grade under his belt grew very concerned with Ashley’s choice of peanut butter.

Connor protested saying, “You can’t pack peanut butter, there are kids at school who are allergic to nuts!”

Ah, allergies. Even though my kids don’t suffer from food allergies, they are still keenly aware of the threats looming for those who do.

This is an all too familiar controversy – what should moms pack for their kids who don’t have allergies, even though there are children eating beside them who do?

Last year this issue caught my eye while I was working in my 2-year-old’s classroom. I was preparing the snack station when little *Jane came skipping in. Jane, I know from working the snack station at our co-op preschool, has severe allergies. But to what, I couldn’t remember.

I tried to slyly ask her dad as he approached if she could eat the Honey Maid brand of graham crackers, when 2-year-old Jane in her sweet, preschool voice declared, “I have an EpiPen!”

“What?” I said, kneeling down and trying to decipher what she had said to me in that adorable little intonation.

“I have an EpiPen,” she said, a bit more enunciated with a huge smile.

Her dad gave me the nod that the Honey Maids were OK, and I darted directly to the school’s Wall of Knowledge—the place where each child’s photo and allergen history are listed on a bulletin board—to become more familiar with what child can eat what.

What a huge responsibility!

My son’s preschool is a “nut-free” environment, which means nothing containing nuts will be served nor can be brought in a child’s lunch box. That rules out granola bars, trail mix, almonds and peanut butter in any capacity. It has even become a trend to pack Sunflower Butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch. But there are still some food allergies unique to certain children that we have to work around, like those allergic to eggs, dairy or certain types of fruits and vegetables.

The school really looks out for those children who will become sick, or even worse, might become anaphylactic, by moderating what foods can exist on campus.

On the other end of the spectrum, my elementary-school-aged children attend a school where the children with allergies are expected to be aware of the types of foods that they are allergic to and abide by the rules set forth by their doctors and parents. For birthday snacks, an e-mail goes around to the class making those parents of allergy-prone children aware of what ingredients are going into the birthday treat. Most parents of children with allergies attach a note for the teacher to make her aware that their child may not eat the birthday treat, but will bring a treat of their own from home.

Allergies are on the rise, there’s no dispute there.  According to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, food allergies affect about 6 percent of children under the age of 3. In a 10-year span, from 1997 to 2007, the prevalence of food allergy among children under 18 rose nearly 20 percent. As for peanut allergies, one of the more common, it affects 1.2 percent of all children, about 20 percent of whom outgrow it by age 6. According to the AAAAI, peanut allergies doubled in children from 1997 to 2002.

Schools deal with the allergy issue in many ways. But for parents of children with allergies, it can be a heavy weight to bear, sending your curious first-grader into the world of temptation.

Ashley went to school today with a cupcake-shaped PB&J, but I have to admit, it made me a bit nervous. I know it’s not my responsibility to keep the entire school safe from my daughter’s lunch, especially since sharing food is prohibited. But as a mother, I feel it is my responsibility to help keep any child safe if I am aware of a potential risk.

In talking with some friends whose children suffer from serious food allergies, this lunchtime controversy is a daily struggle. Some recommend having stronger school policies to protect children with allergies. Having teachers certified in how to deal with students with life-threatening allergies; implementing new policies of table wiping, no-sharing rules during lunchtime and possibly consider “nut-free” environments; and educating other children in the class about allergies so they are aware of what makes that child a bit different.

It appears from Connor’s reaction to his sister’s peanut butter sandwich that he might have been informed of this at school. He opted to make his own turkey sandwich.

But it’s a serious issue. Should special arrangements be made in schools for children with allergies? Patch wants to hear from you!