MomsTalk: Bullying a 6-year-old

What lessons are being taught to the kids at an Edgewater, Florida elementary school as a group of parents  picket  and protest hand washing and other safety precautions put in place to protect a 6-year-old from exposure to peanuts? What lessons is the little girl learning as her friends and peers picket with their parents to try and force her to be home schooled?

Alison Senold, McLean resident, married, mother of two boys.

I really feel for this little girl and her parents. I worry constantly about my own healthy , non-allergic kids. I can’t imagine how dangerous the world must feel for a family with a child who’s life can be threatened by something she can’t even necessarily see, feel or smell.

I think publicly protesting and suggesting that the child be removed from school was a hurtful, heartless approach. Whether or not one agrees with the premise behind the protests,  I think those families  frustrated by the safety precautions should have found another way to address their concerns.

As it turns out, following the protests the school reviewed the need for having the girl’s classmates rinse their mouths and determined that it was not a necessary precaution. I believe the claims of lost instructional time as a result of the hand washing requirement were probably exaggerated and not being able to bring nuts or nut products to school is really nothing more than an inconvenience.

By the way, I’d LOVE it if someone would force my kids to wash their hands thoroughly twice a day and regularly wipe their desks with Clorox.