Balloons and allergies?

[IsabellaB]

Hi

I have just got back from dropping my son at preschool where they were drawing balloons for his graduation party as "we are not allowed to use real ones as someone might be allergic to them" I asked if they knew someone was allergic and they said no ( I am on the comittee so it was not a we can't tell you because of confidentiality answer)

I have just tried googling to find out what law etc but have failed, but I am now wondering if this applies to childminding and if so, are there any other things I have to avoid

I also think they may have over reacted/misinterpreted something

[Mouse]

Blimey, if we banned everything that children "might" be allergic to, we'd all be sitting in empty rooms! I could understand it if there was a child who did have a latex allergy, but to ban ballons on the off chance does seem a bit excessive.

I'd ask how they know that no children are allergic to paper and crayons

I know people can have a latex allergy, but I'd have thought that would have shown up in a pre-school child by that age. I bet there aren't many who have never touched a balloon. In my mind, it's one of those "health & safety" rules gone mad. We use balloons here & I'll carry on doing do. My concern is that they're not a choking hazzard, rather than an allergy risk.

[IsabellaB]

I assumed it was for choking aswell, worryingly they looked confused when I mentioned that risk!

[JCrakers]

It's health and safety gone mad....What fun are drawn balloons?

I was speaking to a friend who works at sure start. They arent allowed to have dolls bottles to play with the dolls as "It's not right to bottle feed"


I thought...Whats next...some strap on boobs for the kids to feed the dolls?

Becky x

[Mouse]

I was speaking to a friend who works at sure start. They arent allowed to have dolls bottles to play with the dolls as "It's not right to bottle feed"


Becky x

Who on earth thinks up these things??

I did bf all of my children, but I would never dream of telling anyone it's wrong to bottle feed

[Helen79]

I was speaking to a friend who works at sure start. They arent allowed to have dolls bottles to play with the dolls as "It's not right to bottle feed"

I agree with this and don't have doll's bottles here. We spoon feed them with baby food instead & my kids do pretend to breastfeed them.

You can buy strap on boobs for your bf'ing doll

If I had some spare pennies I'd love a MamAmor doll

[Helen79]

Forgot to say that we use balloons here too and would only stop if a child had a known allergy.
we have a few of these to stop the balloons popping and there's less chance of choking. They can play ball inside without smashing my tv too

[grindal]

Maybe they could draw some party food too

And then all sit safely on the floor for the rest of the morning

[onceinabluemoon]

We dont have balloons here because of the risk of a child biting them and choking to death. One of my mothers friends did as a child so maybe its a more real risk to me than others IYSWIM

I dont have anybody here who has a known nut allergy but dont allow nuts to be brought in either as not all allergies are diagnosed and I think its more important to be sensible than face a child dying of shock...

The thing with allergies is a person can eat/drink/touch something for years and suddenly POW they're allergic. The trainers are supposed to tell you this in Paeds first aid training.

I am allergic to latex and didn't know it until I was 40 and at university. The tutor asked us if we were allergic to latex (for gloves) and I asked how would I know, he cheekily winked and said 'oh you'd know' and suddenly a lot of things made sense... luckily its a not a severe allergy (it also explained my allergy to plasters). Latex allergy and kiwi fruit allergy are also linked so if you have a child allergic to kiwi be careful around latex...

Sorry I sound a bit like a school teacher...

[LChurch]

I can see both sides to this. My lo is battling with exzema which is flared up by fruit and antibiotics and other stuff which we haven't quite worked out yet. But if no one has an allergy to balloons then I can't see what the problem is giving them a balloon to go home with, the only thing about paper ones are that they will be kept forever! Like another poster said allergies can appear at any stage, my lo never used to have a problem with fruit except tomatoes but now it is all fruit. I am going to slowly reintroduce fruit again once this latest flare up has passed by. I used to get cross about not being able to put peanut butter in my big ones sandwich as he was dairy intollerant and was able to eat peanut butter with no problem and it gave him some calcium that he couldn't have in the milk products so it is a difficult one.

[helendee]

Please tell me you are joking that doll's feeding bottles are not allowed? Don't tell me that the 'breast is best' nazis are brain washing our under twos now, what ever happened to personal choice?!!

[Helen79]

Don't tell me that the 'breast is best' nazis are brain washing our under twos now, what ever happened to personal choice?!!

I want to promote bf'ing as a choice, some children think that the only way to feed a baby is with a bottle as many children have never seen or heard of bf'ing.
I don't want to say that bottle feeding is wrong, just don't want to normalise it for young children. Children grow up with very little exposure to breastfeeding where as they get so much more exposure to bottle feeding, seeing it at toddler groups, on tv, every doll comes with a bottle, every sign for a baby has a bottle next to it, in the supermarket ilse etc.

I mixed fed my children and am not a bf'ing nazi, I just think more could be done to re-address the balance of promoting breastfeeding as the norm to children who have no exposure or knowledge of it. Breastfeeding rates in this country are truly rubbish and the brainwashing that bottle feeding is normal starts at a very young age.
The sure start centre is trying to address this, it's not as though they're banning bottle fed babies, just choosing to not have bottles for the dolls.

I choose not to have bottles in my setting for dolls (obviously i bottle feed mindees) and we talk about bf'ing as well as bottle feeding.

[Mouse]

I want to promote bf'ing as a choice, some children think that the only way to feed a baby is with a bottle as many children have never seen or heard of bf'ing.
I don't want to say that bottle feeding is wrong, just don't want to normalise it for young children. Children grow up with very little exposure to breastfeeding where as they get so much more exposure to bottle feeding, seeing it at toddler groups, on tv, every doll comes with a bottle, every sign for a baby has a bottle next to it, in the supermarket ilse etc.

I mixed fed my children and am not a bf'ing nazi, I just think more could be done to re-address the balance of promoting breastfeeding as the norm to children who have no exposure or knowledge of it. Breastfeeding rates in this country are truly rubbish and the brainwashing that bottle feeding is normal starts at a very young age.
The sure start centre is trying to address this, it's not as though they're banning bottle fed babies, just choosing to not have bottles for the dolls.

I choose not to have bottles in my setting for dolls (obviously i bottle feed mindees) and we talk about bf'ing as well as bottle feeding.

How does this work with boys who will never be able to breastfeed? Do you stress how feeding can only be done by the mother, so they can have no part of it? My children (boys) used to pretend to bf their dollies, but they knew that they wouldn't ever be able to do that really and would have to feed a baby with a bottle. Do you find that children are turning away from the idea that bottle feeding is 'normal' and how does this impact if they have parents who bottle feed?

I'm all for promoting breastfeeding, but feel there should be a balance. There are so many women who cannot breastfeed for one reason or another and I think it's sad that they're made to feel as if they're doing something "wrong" when they chose to bottle feed.

[helendee]

I wasn't calling you a breast nazi personally but I disagree with the banning of one thing in order to promote an alternative as being superior.

Personally I don't see why children should be the slightest bit bothered about which method is used to feed babies, by the time they are grown adults I am sure that many factors will be taken into account as to whether they will breast or bottle feed their own babies and I doubt that exposure to dolls' feeding bottles or simulator breast feeding dolls will influence them in any way.

Just a personal opinion

[Mouse]

I dont have anybody here who has a known nut allergy but dont allow nuts to be brought in either as not all allergies are diagnosed and I think its more important to be sensible than face a child dying of shock...

:

Do you also ban strawberries, seafood, dairy products, egg, wheat, pets etc etc just in case you have a child with an allergy to them? All can be the cause of deadly allergies.

[onceinabluemoon]

Do you also ban strawberries, seafood, dairy products, egg, wheat, pets etc etc just in case you have a child with an allergy to them? All can be the cause of deadly allergies.

Sorry as I know it's not the answer you were looking for, but yes as we have a child here with a strawberry allergy and another with a dairy allergy we are very careful with those too. We also have a child allergic to plasters, and another who cannot have pork...

I have multiple allergies too so maybe we err a little more of the side of caution than childminders who have absolutely no allergies (or no experience of having a child with allergies - not saying that you are either one btw).

Maybe it's just because I have lived it day in and day out all of my life, it makes you wary...

Each to their own and I'm not saying either way is right or wrong, just we choose to be more careful. x

[blue bear]

I have a latex type 1 allergy and react to balloons, shoes, carpets, vinyl glue, home brand nappies, tomatoes, bananas, balloons....... Well the list goes on and on

Unless they are going to ban all things latex then what is the point banning balloons, over the top in my mind.

[Mouse]

Sorry as I know it's not the answer you were looking for, but yes as we have a child here with a strawberry allergy and another with a dairy allergy we are very careful with those too. We also have a child allergic to plasters, and another who cannot have pork...

I have multiple allergies too so maybe we err a little more of the side of caution than childminders who have absolutely no allergies (or no experience of having a child with allergies - not saying that you are either one btw).

Maybe it's just because I have lived it day in and day out all of my life, it makes you wary...

Each to their own and I'm not saying either way is right or wrong, just we choose to be more careful. x

My question wasn't meant as a critisism at all, I'm genuinely interested and you obviously have reasons for doing what you do, rather than someone just following the latest trend! I just wondered, as there are so many things that children could be allergic to, how you decide what to restrict in your house. Is it just food, or do you consider latex etc. Do parents follow a similar thing, or are children exposed to the risks when not with you? (that is, for children with no history of allergies) Personally, I don't give babies strawberries, peanut butter or egg unless i know they have already had them at home. I don't know how I came up with the list, it's just what I have always done!

[loupo]

That's very sad. My 9-year-old daughter has a confirmed peanut and cashew nut allergy and we always carry an epipen. She had a confirmed egg and milk allergy in the past but thankfully outgrew them. Our daughter had her peanut reaction when she was only 8-months-old (after following a weaning guide suggesting that peanut butter would be great for weaning unless you have food allergies in the family - we have none) Sadly recently she has developed a latex allergy which we discovered when she started swimming lessons and came home with swollen eyes from wearing goggles. As parents we obviously saw the reaction and talked to the school and asked that she didn't wear goggles, we provided a silicone swimming hat and asked for her to avoid balloons, gloves etc. The thing about allergies it that a child has to be sensitised before they react (please feel free to correct me anyone here but this is my understanding) so a child's first exposure to a dangerous allergen will give them some form of reaction such as sickness or swelling. It is the second exposure which is dangerous. My feeling as a parent of a child with severe allergies is that parents should be fully involved if there are allergies and that if there is a danger to a child in the class they should be able to watch and observe but not touch and understand that it won't hurt them to watch and to talk through with them the fact that they have to be cautious with this particular material. We have a vegetarian childmindee at the moment and I draw big parallels between my daughter's allergy and our vegetarian childmindee. I explain that my daughter has to avoid certain things just as she does but that it's fine to watch and to understand. It's such a shame to protect children to such a degree as they can't be protected to that extent forever. Indeed with a latex allergy the children who suffer from it can still enjoy the balloon experience if they wear gloves or use sticks to bat the balloon. It seems insane to exclude everyone and those with the allergies need to learn to live with them.

Sorry, rant over, I'm no doctor and have no medical knowledge behind me. I'd be glad of any feedback/input from those who do have as my daughter suffers from this but I hate to think of the world shaping themselves around allergies when she has to learn to live with them. When our daughter is invited to parties I never tell people about her allergies in advance because I don't want them to shape the parties around her and don't want her not invited! On the day I go in and chat to the parents and ask if I can peek at the packagings then I discuss with my daughter about what is or isn't safe for her to eat/touch. When she was younger I asked the party hosts to put the more risky foods into a party bag for her and explain that she could have them with Mum later so that I was prepared with an epipen if she may have an attack. If the food was off-limits in our own time I'd replace it with something better. It's all common-sense.

[mushpea]

It's health and safety gone mad....What fun are drawn balloons?

I was speaking to a friend who works at sure start. They arent allowed to have dolls bottles to play with the dolls as "It's not right to bottle feed"


I thought...Whats next...some strap on boobs for the kids to feed the dolls?

Becky x

surly this is not inclusive practise!? I couldnt breast feed my daughter as there wasnt enough milk for her and with my son I choose to bottle feed as I couldnt put him and myslef through all that hassle again.