Today I got a call from J.T.’s school nurse. She was letting me know that in art class the students were using egg cartons…and that J.T. was choosing not to participate. After the art teacher checked in with the nurse, the nurse tried telling J.T. that the cartons were safe for him to touch and when he still refused she offered to call me, I think expecting me to say it was OK. Which I immediately said it was not. Egg’s are a life threatening allergy for J.T. and our thinking about them is very black and white. Eggs are unsafe. There is no gray area where J.T. has to make decisions about when or why they “might” be safe. He knows they could make him very sick and not to come into contact with them. Someday he will have to make those decisions for himself, but not in first grade.
The nurse was concerned that J.T. would feel left out if he didn’t participate in the project, he was more concerned that he would get sick if he touched the egg cartons. I was concerned that it was happening at all (since it states in his health plan that all project materials are supposed to be allergen free). But the overwhelming emotion that I felt through all of this was pride. My first grader stood up for himself, and not just to his peers but to his adult teachers. He made it clear that he was uncomfortable and that he was not going to participate in an activity that he felt was harmful to his health. He understands his allergies and the risks involved and that is so important. In the end, he didn’t feel left out or different and he didn’t let his allergies get him down. He had a great day and came home to 2 super proud parents!
adaptingtoallergies 
Way to go JT two proud Grandparents as well!!
I don’t know your son but I have a 3rd grader with multiple food allergies so I completely understand. He should be so proud of himself and as a parent you should take a minute to pat yourself on the back for raising a kid who understands his allergies and is willing to do what it takes to protect himself. Bravo!
Thank you!
Go JT! What a strong little boy 🙂 SO smart!
Thank you! He sure is 🙂
Okay I know I don’t know him (or you, haha) but just reading this I’M beaming like a proud mama!!!! He is sooo smart and you have done an excellent job in training him. I hope you’re just as proud of yourself! It is a bummer that the school was trying to push him to do the craft with the egg carton, but it sounds like it was handled in the best way possible. What a great kid. I know exactly how that is– I won’t touch egg cartons either!
Thank you! And right? Eggs break in the grocery store all the time!!
I am so happy that he felt comfortable to stand up for himself. He knows all to well what it feels like to react to something and was not about to take any chances.
It’s great that he stood up for himself! I have to say, I always sulked when craft time involved things I couldn’t eat (they hardly acknowledged milk problems in the early 2000’s and no one had heard of life threatening allergies back then) like the time we made gingerbread houses, and I only restrained myself from eating because I knew it would get me in trouble with my Mom, not because I was smart enough not to!