Hanging By a Thread

Leaving Children Behind....in the Lunch Room

Feed Their Minds and Bodies

Here's what I think...All children, no matter race, creed, national origin, address, tax bracket or any other factor should have food to eat. No child should be left behind without a meal to eat at school.

Going hungry teaches desperation, heartbreak, bitterness and misunderstanding. Providing school lunches does not teach laziness, greed or a sense of entitlement; they are not handouts. Food is a basic necessity of life.

Children who are fed learn better, listen better and are happier, more focused and participate in class. Children who go hungry are cranky, listless, tired and poor students.

I'm not a dietician, a physician, a psychologist or a social worker. I'm a mom. This is common sense. Kids should have enough food to eat in the "greatest country in the world."

The Politics of Feeding Kids

Politics should not figure into this issue. Unfortunately, it has to if there is to be money to feed kids who do not have food at home to bring to school for lunch, and who more than likely will go without breakfast and snacks too.

Yes, there are programs for free and subsidized lunches, but there are limits regarding who is eligible for those programs. And in our economically depressed country, often the working poor are suffering greatly in reality, but on paper it appears that they are making the ends meet and therefore, do not qualify for these school lunch programs. Or perhaps these kids qualify for the reduced cost lunch program, but even that is just too much for the family. Or maybe there are language or cultural barriers or misunderstandings or miscommunications that cause kids who would qualify for these programs to never become enrolled and end up going without.

Turning Kids Away

Regardless of the situation of why kids are going hungry at school, the point is it is happening. According to a Star Tribune article, Legal Aid along with four Minneapolis law firms conducted a survey of the 182 school districts in Minnesota regarding school lunch policies and here is some of what they found:

"30 Minnesota school districts have some form of 'turn-away' policy, ranging from allowing the child a limited number of hot meals before stopping, to turning even the youngest grade-schoolers away immediately.

Seven districts stamp children's hands as a deterrent to nonpayment. One district issues a 'red card' after four unpaid lunches, while another issues 'purple tickets' for nonpayers.

One district brings a child into the kitchen where the hot lunch is taken away and exchanged for a bag lunch. Another takes the lunch tray away at the end of the line.

Diplomas are being withheld from some nonpaying high school seniors. Bill collectors are going after some of their parents."

According to a MPR article, about 20% of the school districts in MN have some form of turn-away policy.

The Star Tribune reports that Minneapolis, Anoka-Hennepin, Delano, Robbinsdale and Brainerd do provide hot lunches to their students whether the kids have the money to cover the cost or not while St. Paul offers a sandwich to non-paying kids.

Footing the Bill

There are bills moving through the Minnesota legislature that would expand the budget for free school lunches. According to the MPR article, Minnesota currently provides about 250,000 free lunches per school year. Advocates of this bill would like to increase that number by about 62,000.

This is not the first time such a bill has been introduced, but Jessica Webster of Legal Aid, who has been instrumental in putting together this information, getting the word out and gaining support for this issue, is more optimistic with the increased backing by key people.

Part of the problem is that school district budgets are already strapped. Where will the funds come from for these extra meals? Funding is a major concern for many school administrators and yet children going through the school days without enough food in their bellies should be equally vital concern for these administrators.

The Scoop

Sen. Sean Nienow, ranking minority member on the Senate Education Finance Committee, was quoted in MPR article as saying, "That may be tight, but most of those families probably can pitch in."

While this may be the case some of the time, with some of the families, he who has never been in such a situation does not know how very tight it can be on some days, some weeks or some months! When a parent must decide whether to pay the mortgage/rent or the electricity/gas or buy groceries or buy gas to be able to get to work and there is no wiggle room, that's a difficult, gut-wrenching, heartbreaking decision. We must be able to walk in another's shoes and see how the world looks when it's very dim with nowhere to turn in the immediate future.

And we must take care of our children; the children who will grow up and build and govern and create and have families and teach and guide and take care of each other. We focus on "no child left behind" and work to be sure that each child learns the basics of reading, writing and arithmetic, but what about the basic necessities of being fed enough food and being nourished, body and soul.

I have contacted my school district's superintendant to inquire about the policies in my district. I hope you will do the same. Fortunately, there are some angel donors, teachers, principals, lunch room staff, etc. who take matters into their own hands, regardless of what school policy is and reach out to the children without and provide them with sustenance. And to those kind and generous souls I say thank you. But this is not enough. Minnesota, you can do better! Over and out...

Anna

 

Motherly Advice {Living Fearlessly}

There is nothing to fear but fear itself.

    ~ Franklin D. Roosevelt

I held his arm as he took wobbly, but determined steps. I wondered if this was the right decision. But when I looked into his face, I knew it was.

These weren't his first steps ever, but they were his first steps wearing ice skates. About a month ago, Darling 2, my four year-old son, decided he wanted to play hockey. I offered up every other sport I could think of, but to no avail. {Hockey is rough and expensive and time-consuming, and really not what I'd like him to pursue.} Darling 2 was sure.

So, I registered him for pre-beginner skate lessons. And here we were; him standing in the middle of the rink with a handful of other pre-beginners and me standing behind the glass, praying for the best.

He stood there beaming with determination, enthusiasm and pride. And then he slipped and fell. I braced with a thumbs up and an encouraging smile as he attempted to stand again. He slipped and spun and slipped again, but then he got it and stood up. He turned and looked at me. I watched for crumbling confidence, a changed mind, waves of doubt, but what I saw made my heart swell with love and pride.

Darling 2 was resolute. He knew that learning to skate is the first step to playing hockey. He never faltered in his determination or excitement during that lesson as he followed his teachers' instructions and did what was asked of him no matter how many times he tumbled and slid down to the ice. He always got back up on his own with a smile on his face.

Now, that is living without fear. He was not worried about failing; he was not concerned about what he could not yet do; he did let others sway his opinion. He knew this was the first step to his goal.

For many, it is this fear of failure that holds us back; whether it's in our careers or personal goals or ideas or dreams or relationships. It is fear that holds our hands and whispers words of doubt and self-pity and blame into our ears.

We may call it being cautious or working out a plan or hedging our bets. We may say that once this or that happens, then we'll do it. We may blame it on finances, time or circumstances. But really those are just the seeds that fear has planted; seeds that will never take root or sprout or grow; never to be harvested. Fear knows the power it holds.

Living past fear is going for it regardless of anything else; keeping the goal in sight even when fear tries to block your vision; getting back up every time fear trips you; keeping an open mind even when fear works to distract you with petty snags; and keeping a smile on your face even when fear taunts you.

How many of us can say we live this way? Not many. But what if we all lived this way?

Now, if Darling 2 had come off that ice and told me he was wrong it was not his dream to play hockey and skating was not his thing, I'd still love him and be proud of him for trying. And he may still make this decision after learning to skate and learning the game of hockey, but at least he will have gone out there and given it a shot.

And really it's just as important to realize when something is not right; when something is no longer your goal or that your intended path has veered from this present course. But you won't have been pushed around by fear; you will be plotting your own way. Over and out...

Anna

Some Kids Will; Some Won’t {Be Patient}

Some kids will always win the foot races at recess; some kids will be able to dangle from the bars on the playground, criss-crossing, frontwards, backwards, sideways, upside down and right side up.

Some kids will always have a neat desk, keep their papers in a straight stack and have clean and even fingernails.

Some kids will keep their focus on the teacher, on the task at hand and follow the directions to a T; some kids will never push limits or question authority.

Some kids will do these things, but some won't.

Some kids will never run out of questions; some kids will create, design, formulate, doodle and sketch; some kids will daydream, fail to focus on the lesson and almost never follow all the directions, making up their own directions as they go.

Some kids will have a single focus; some kids will have ever-changing obsessions; some kids will have a handful of enduring passions.

Some kids will frustrate, perplex and even irritate their teachers in their individuality, their strong-willed determination to refuse to march to the beat of the masses.

Some kids will not always be understood by teachers and peers; some kids will always be swimming against the current trying to satisfy their curiosity and sense of adventure and their need to fit in and make it through life.

These kids will be game changers; these kids will strive to improve, cure, alter, overhaul, present us with new frontiers, entertain us in new ways and make us ask more questions and seek further than before and their ideas won't ever stop...unless our conforming society squashes the life out of these young inventors and innovators before they have a chance.

To all the teachers who might not see things in this light, I would ask you to be patient; all the basic, rote learning will come with time; for some kids the order of the letters in the alphabet is not important {and it really isn't if you think about it}; let your curiosity be peaked, you just might be witnessing the development of the next Albert Einstein, Benjamin Franklin, Marie Curie, Mark Zuckerberg, Lady Gaga or William Shakespeare; and forgive them if their lack of focus in the classroom and their penchant for making up their own rules when it comes to assignments and projects. They are just being true to themselves. Be Patient.

This is something I often have to remind myself of when I find interesting contraptions taped to my walls, come across strange mixtures frozen in cups in my freezer and must continually come up with places to store bits of this and that, screws and parts from machines and circuits and batteries that will eventually be a part of a small robot being imagined, designed and built by my Darlings and discover my dining table and the surrounding floor covered in paper, stickers, pens, pencils, markers, glitter glue and pencil sharpener shavings after a book writing and illustrating blitz. Be Patient.

And when I'm in a hurry and already experiencing sensory overload and they are full of queries with answers that require deep thought, advanced degrees, a few Google sessions and some honest "I just don't know, honey" answers; when they make tremendous observations and musings; and they aren't focused on the task at hand which happens to be jumping in and out of the car, running in and out of stores and staying on task! Be Patient.

Be Patient. Over and out...

Anna

5 Things You Need to Know {When Bullying Leads to Suicide}

As parents, we have a lot to juggle every single day, and it's easy to miss little signs that could signal big trouble for our kids. Whether you have a child in elementary school, middle school, high school or college, please take a second to read these 5 warning signs; it could save the life of your child.

5 Things That Might Mean Your Kid Needs Help:

 1. Withdrawal from friends and family;

 2. Lack of interest in things they used to enjoy;

 3. Coming up with excuses to be late or miss school;

 4. Change in performance in school or extracurricular activities; and

 5. Talks about or refers to death or dying.

My thanks to my sister-in-law, Susan Berend, who is the Counselor at Burgess Elementary in Wichita Falls, TX, who contributed these 5 Things You Need to Know today. Not only does Susan deal with bullying issues often in her capacity as school counselor, she has also weathered the crushing blow of suicide in her family.

 In the words of Rachel Ehmke, "I'm fine = I wish I could tell you how I really feel." Talk to your kids and find out how they really feel! Over and out...

 Anna

 

 

Putting a Stop to Bullying: Starting with You & Me

An Opinion Piece

A few weeks ago, after the community was rocked by the suicide of a teen who had become the target of bullies, the local newspaper took a bold stance against bullying. The Sioux City Journal in Sioux City, IA, ran a full page editorial advocating for the community to come together to combat bullying.

While the Journal admits the story of 14 year-old Kenneth Weishuhn is far from unique, it was his senseless death committed by his own hand that prompted them to make this statement. Kenneth had recently told his friends and family that he was gay. Soon after that many classmates at his high school soon began bullying and harassing him mercilessly until Kenneth succumbed to the relentless humiliation and pain of being continually attacked for simply being himself.

The Journal places the blame squarely on the shoulders of the whole community who has stood by and not stepped in to stop the bullying and harassing of the youth who have been targeted. The Journal's editorial board asserts that the community must take a firm stance through its actions and words that bullying will not under any circumstances be tolerated.

Community Action

Sioux City is a tri-state area of hard-working, community-oriented people. I know these people and this city. We lived in Sioux City right after I graduated from law school. I worked in the courts there. We have dear friends there. They are no different than any other community across the country.

I agree with these editors. It is a community issue. The war against bullying must be fought in the trenches, at home, on the street, in school, online and anywhere else that it rears its ugly head.

The state laws governing bullying are notoriously weak and ineffective. The battle will not be won with laws; not in this case.

But the battle can be won by adults and teens standing tall against those who are weak and feel they must act out in hatred, in violence and in depravity to look and feel strong. We can show them a better way of dealing with fear, weakness and misunderstanding. We can show them that everyone matters and our differences can be our strong points.

The Scoop

So, don't sit idly by when you see a youngster acting out in violence, taunts or threats. Do something. Say something. Be the positive change. Get help for the bullied and the bullies. Make a difference.

Kenneth was targeted for being gay, but bullying can happen to any person for any reason. Bullies can even make up a reason for their purposes, just as in the case of Rachel Ehmke {from Monday's post}. And there is not one single reason that makes bullying OK.

This evening I will post 5 Things You Need to Know regarding bullying leading to suicide. Over and out....

Anna

“I’m Fine = I Wish I Could Tell You How I Really Feel” {Bullies Strike Again}

A Heartbreaking Tale

Sometimes I read stories that make me reach back to my own pubescent years to try to understand the young girls who are still so immature in thought and feelings, but are pushing hard on the doors leading to maturity, not yet grasping what that term truly means. Sometimes I can put myself in their places and remember how it felt to be teased or to tease; even if it was only good-natured kidding. Sometimes I can't understand their actions at all.

As a woman and a mom, my heart breaks across two different fault lines when I hear about the bullying of a young girl that was so vicious that she could not see past it and felt that taking her own life was her only option.

I was deeply saddened to hear of the death of 13 year-old Rachel Ehmke in Kasson, MN, on April 29th. According to the articles, Rachel was athletic, outgoing and friendly. All of the stories are accompanied by the school picture of a pretty young teen with a radiant smile and shining eyes. There is not sadness or defeat in that face; not yet.

Rachel's Story

Apparently, the taunting began in the fall; somehow she became the focal point of a group of mean-spirited, hateful, immature female classmates. They called her a slut and a prostitute; she had never even kissed a boy. Rachel and a friend had begun eating their lunches in the locker room to avoid the ridicule in the cafeteria during lunch.

These girls defaced Rachel's locker and textbooks with vulgar words and chewing gum. And most recently, they had sent an anonymous text out to many students saying that Rachel should be made to leave the school, calling for all students to force her out.

It would appear that these girls won. Rachel has left the school...permanently.

So, where were her parents during all of this? Where were the school officials? They were aware of the incidents and the harassment that was taking place, but they thought she was handling it is what they have said.

Punishment, or Lack Thereof

The last incident had warranted school officials to contact law enforcement to investigate the incident. While no charges have been filed, the investigation is still pending.

Interestingly enough, Rachel's father insists they don't want to see these girls charged. He feels that it's enough to have Rachel's death hanging over their heads as they continue on with their own.

I disagree. People like these mean girls don't see things as their fault; they don't feel remorse for their actions; they don't care about others they have deemed less worthy. It's likely that the ringleaders of these mean girls will do the same thing to another girl they deem to be a weak link, whether it's next year, 3 years from now or 7 years from now.

Minnesota has a very weak, unsubstantial anti-bullying law. It doesn't fully address the issue or how to deal with it. Regardless, I don't think there are any anti-bullying laws that will stop this problem. Young teens don't think about whether their actions are within the state law or not. Teens operate on unwritten social laws to determine whether certain actions, hairstyles, clothing, etc is acceptable or not.

Often the teens' actions are covert and not easily traced. The person being bullied is often silent about the harassment in order to avoid being further ostracized. So, even if the laws were stricter and called for reporting every incident, counseling for all parties, etc. it's likely that the school officials would not be made aware of many such incidents.

The Scoop

How do you stop the taunting, the harassment, the pure hatefulness of young, immature teens? Well, I'll tell my thoughts about this subject tomorrow and share how one community is handling it.

For now, I will leave you with this. Rachel left a note for her parents that said "I'm fine = I wish I could tell you how I really feel." Oh, the heartbreak! If you think your child isn't telling you everything about the hurt he or she is feeling and the turmoil swirling around in his or her world, don't let him or her tell you otherwise. You may not get another chance to help your child through this prickly, but relatively short period of time in his or her young life. Over and out...

Anna

Crossing the Line: To Train Up a Child

A Different Point of View

Isn't it funny how time and age and experience change the way we see our favorite books and movies from our childhoods?

The other day some friends and I were discussing reading the Little House on the Prairie series to our own children. The series was a favorite of ours as children and aside from the nostalgia of reading these books there is a different perspective now; that of a parent.

We were musing over how well behaved the children were and how well they listened to their parents and followed directions; carrying out many difficult chores day in and day out; and all with just a few handmade toys and no DVDs. What made these children so hard-working and obedient?

Of course, times have changed...a lot. But for one thing, there was corporal punishment; and the kids knew this and expected it. There was a certain amount of fear mixed with respect when it came to their parents.

Today, as I discussed in yesterday's post, there are many different schools of thought about the best way to discipline and raise a fine, upstanding, well-behaved child. However, there is a point where so-called discipline crosses the line and becomes abuse; even murder. There is a book that has been the cause of concern for parents, social workers and prosecutors in the last several years.

Excuse to Abuse

This book advocates for using spankings on children as young as 6 months old to train them to submit to authority; to essentially break children in the same style that the Amish break their stubborn mules. Michael Pearl self-published his book, To Train Up a Child, and it has become popular in ultra-conservative homes, especially in Christian homeschooling households.

This book, which suggests using a switch for spanking a child in one example, describes how to use a quarter-inch flexible plumbing line for hitting the arms, legs or back and even advocates for periodic fasting for children, has now been linked to the deaths of several children. These children all died at the hands of their parents after being systematically beaten, most with the plumbing tubing mentioned by Pearl, having food withheld from them and subjected to other means of "discipline" supported by Pearl. Pearl's book was found in the homes of each of these children.

When Discipline Becomes Abuse

This is not to say that the book is to blame for these parents lashing out and killing their kids in an attempt to train them to submit to their authority. The parents are to blame. However, these parents had been led to believe that such behavior is acceptable. It is not.

Pearl has said it's not his fault if delusional, mentally ill parents took the wrong idea from his book. I think they understood his general principles and they just took it a step further, which resulted in the death of their children.

I would say it is never, not even once, acceptable to hit your child on the arms, back and legs with a switch, rubber tubing or any other instrument. This is abusive behavior that will only teach your child to fear and hate you.

The parents who followed Pearl's book, albeit extreme cases of following his teachings, were indicted for murder and are serving prison sentences now. Their discipline was most certainly actually physical and mental abuse. Their praying during or in between beatings does not make it alright either.

The Scoop

There is a wide expanse between parents who use spankings as a way to discipline their children and parents who withhold food and use various instruments to hit their children in the name of discipline. If you feel that you need clarification of where the line is drawn between discipline and abuse, see this link to the U.S. Administration for Children and Families.

Abuse in the name of discipline is still abuse. Abuse is a criminal offense. Abuse hurts everyone.

Teaching respect, trust and reason makes for a stronger, kinder, more confident child and adult. Over and out...

Anna

Bad Behavior: Discipline of a Child

Spankings

As a child, I was spanked. In my recollection, it was quite often, as I was a precocious child, and I talked back quite frequently. My brother and I didn't think much of it. All of our friends were spanked too. Generally, it was the mother who took care of routine wrongs, but it was the father who came into the picture when there was major misbehavior or when the mama was done dealing with the kids.

Of course, I grew up in Texas. There, no one is shocked by a parent spanking a child as a part of discipline. In fact, the shocking part is if a kid is not spanked by his parents.

I was recently reminded of this during a trip to Texas. As old friends and I, now all moms, discussed parenting techniques, I realized that the spanking is still alive and well down in Texas.

Differences in Direction

Up in Minnesota, parents must be at the end of their ropes and then some before ever even considering spanking his or her child. A spanking is of last resort only; a move they hope to never have to make. And perhaps would never even consider.

Minnesotans would point to study after study that says that spanking a child could increase aggressive tendencies in children and even as adults. Texans will point out that if you spare the rod, you'll spoil the child.

Now, I realize this may not account for the mindset of every parent in TX or every parent in MN. I'm definitely making generalizations based on my own experience as a child in Texas and a parent in MN. I'm not saying that I think the MN parent is right and the TX parent is wrong, or vice versa; I'm simply pointing out the difference in cultures from south to north.

Passive Discipline

The discipline of a child has become a controversial issue over the years. It wasn't always such a big deal. Even when I was a child, not that many years ago, it was more acceptable for a teacher to spank a child in school. Well, at least at my extremely strict, private, Christian school it was. When I was in kindergarten, I got a spanking for speaking {to the teacher} without raising my hand. {Truly}

But things have changed. There is no corporal punishment at all in public schools now. Positive re-enforcement, re-direction, detention, etc is used instead. Discipline today is rather passive and whether it works better than corporal punishment is debatable. Putting the fear of God into me in kindergarten sure worked for me; I was never in trouble in school ever again. So, when one reads of a kindergartner being cuffed and taken from school to the police station, it makes an impression.

Cuffing a Child

Last week, police in Milledgeville, GA were summoned to an elementary school after a fit-throwing kindergartener could not be contained. The 6 year old girl had been sent to the principal's office after she pushed several classmates and threw items from her teacher's desk.

School personnel struggled to get her to the principal's office and once there she became even more combative throwing furniture, hitting the principal with one piece of projectile furniture; biting the door handle, jumping on a paper shredder and trying to break items on the principal's desk all in an attempt to escape from the office.

When they could not get control of her, the school called the police for help. The school tried to contact the girl's parents, but weren't able to reach them. The police stand by their decision to cuff the girl, saying they tried to calm her down, but could not. And their standard protocol for transporting a person in the backseat of a police cruiser to the police station is to cuff the person, regardless of the age of the person.

Once at the station, the girl was uncuffed, placed in a briefing room and given a drink. They were then able to reach an aunt who agreed to pick up the girl.

The girl was charged with simple assault and criminal damage to property, but won't be prosecuted because she is 6 years old; instead her case will be turned over to social services for any aid she and her family may need. She has also been expelled from school for the rest of the year.

The girl's parents are furious, saying this was a school issue, not a law enforcement issue. They think the principal, counselors and social workers at the school should have dealt with her mood swings.

Now, clearly this is an extreme case of misbehavior; the police do not normally get involved with the misconduct of a 6 year old. However, I am wondering if this was the first outburst of this kind from this girl or if this particular incident just escalated above and beyond all the others. I'm also wondering if the child is suffering from a psychological malady.

The Scoop

Often, I think the issues surrounding discipline are about respect. If a child respects the adult, the child is less likely to misbehave. I'll be the first to admit that I'm no expert about child discipline, but it seems to me that one of the biggest problems with the youth of today is respect for adults.

When we, as adults, see another child misbehaving at the park, at a store, walking down the street, etc. do we say anything or just ignore it? Often, it is ignored. That isn't the way it always was.

I've never been one to bite my tongue and I've been known to say something to the child pushing another child at the park or to the child harassing the geese at the zoo or to the child taunting another child at the mall play area, etc., etc., etc. If it's something that I wouldn't accept from my children, I say something when no one else is. Maybe I shouldn't, but I don't think adults should sit idly by and let kids run amuck bullying other kids and adults alike.

I actually have more to say on this subject; I'll be back tomorrow. Over and out...

Anna

F is for Fear: Bad School Policies Affecting Good Kids {On a Soapbox....on a Tuesday}

School Contraband

I really hate the stories about the students, mostly boys, who once at school discover they have accidently brought a toy gun or small pocket knife in their backpack, book bag, lunch box or coat pocket; who report this to the teacher because the student knows this is contraband that shouldn't be at school; only to be tossed out of school and receive a record of bringing a "weapon" to school and a school suspension.

A boy from Georgia did just this a week or so ago. While in chess club, the 13 year old middle school student, discovered the 1.5 inch knife in the military style bag his aunt bought at a yard sale and gave him as a Christmas gift. The boy, upon discovering this knife, immediately alerted his teacher. His reward for this honest act? A 4-day, in-school suspension.

The Wrong Message

I can't tell you how angry this story and others like it make me. Disciplining an honest, well-meaning child in this way teaches two negative lessons: 1) don't tell the truth and 2) justice is a fraud.

We tell our children to tell the truth; honesty is the best policy. We tell our children that justice will prevail; the innocent will be free and the guilty punished.

And yet, our schools have responded to isolated incidents of evilness with fear. This fear has caused them to write harsh and unfair policies regarding ANY "weapons" brought to school, whether real or perceived, under ANY circumstances.

Lessons Learned

These school policies teach children to hide the truth {and the contraband} should they make such a discovery in their bags or pockets. These policies teach children that mens rea, or intent, doesn't matter, motives are unimportant, they are guilty by association and the school need not have any evidence to present against them to be found guilty of this "crime." These are lessons our students will learn at a young age and take with them all through school and into their adulthood.

We have thrown out the common sense response to the self-reporting of accidently {or unbeknownst to the student, as in this case} bringing a toy weapon or small knife to school. The response in such cases should be kind and appreciative. We should applaud and welcome those who come forward to admit the mistake and turn in the contraband; then remind all the students of the dangers of having any weapons, toy or otherwise, at school for a variety of reasons and tell them to carefully check their bags and remove any such items before coming to school.

The Scoop

Schools, in trying to protect the students, have instead hurt some of the "good" students. These policies are bad. These kinds of stories almost always make the news because they are unjust policies. Why must we punish the truthful, rule-following, upstanding students? The simple answer is Fear.

Fear controls much of how we run our lives. We must overcome fear and recognize the difference between students who are a threat and in need of intervention and students who are well-meaning, good kids, who sometimes make and honest mistake. Over and out...

Anna

EpiPen Access in Schools: Anaphylactic Emergencies and Common Sense

Food Allergies

While my boys don't have any food allergies that I'm aware of, as a mom, I can understand the fear and anxiety that a parent of a child with food allergies must feel when his or her child is in the care of anyone else. I would imagine going to any public location could be dangerous, especially for those with severe allergies to commonly consumed foods like nuts, eggs and dairy products.

The worry of not knowing if a peanut butter and jelly sandwich had been eaten by the former occupant of a picnic table at the park; if the birthday party your child is attending is serving milk to all the kids; or if all the kids in your child's classroom are aware of the severity of the allergy and the dire consequences if the particular food comes in contact with your child could be all-consuming I would imagine. I would think it would be enough to make a parent obsessed with making sure everyone is aware of these allergies.

A food allergy is not to be taken lightly. A child with a severe food allergy could die very quickly if the allergen has any kind of contact with the child and the child does not have immediate access to epinephrine. This very sad truth has recently been in the news.

Ammaria's Tragic Death

Ammaria Johnson, age 7, died at school on her first day back to school in January after the winter break when a classmate, unaware of her allergy, gave Ammaria a peanut to eat while the girls were out on the playground. Shortly thereafter, after noticing hives and having trouble breathing, Ammaria sought help.

The school clinic didn't have an EpiPen on file for Ammaria. An EpiPen, or an Epinephrine auto-injector, quickly and easily is injected into a person suffering from an anaphylactic emergency, thereby reversing the reaction and saving a life. Instead, Ammaria went into cardiac arrest and died before Epinephrine could be administered to her.

EpiPens

EpiPens are by prescription only. Many kids with allergies keep a prescribed EpiPen with their names on them in the nurse's office at school for such emergencies. However, studies have shown that anaphylactic emergencies at school often occur with no prior knowledge of such an allergy.

However, if a child and/or staff member without a prescribed EpiPen on file with the school nurse's office goes into anaphylactic shock, even if there is an EpiPen available for another child, school personnel cannot administer that life-saving medication due to legal issues. More than likely, there was an EpiPen in the very school clinic where Ammaria died.

This and other such tragedies are too much too bear. When there is a life-saving solution available at one's fingertips, one should have access to it. There should be no "red tape" or threat of lawsuit, criminal prosecution or loss of license stopping anyone from administering this life-giving serum.

School Access to Emergency Epinephrine Act

Last November, a bill that would cut through this red tape and give those in need of an EpiPen at school access regardless of whether there was one on file for that particular child was introduced in the U.S. Senate (S. 1884). And in December, this bill was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives (HR. 3627). It has now been referred to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions and House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

The School Access to Emergency Epinephrine Act would allow for schools to maintain a stock of EpiPens and administer such injections, just as they do bandages. The stock of EpiPens would not be prescribed to any particular students, but would instead be at the ready for any child and/or staff who experienced an anaphylactic emergency while at school.

This bill does allow for protection of school personnel from liability in administering such emergency injection. However, it's worth noting that if epinephrine is administered without need, a child would merely experience light-headedness, rapid heart rate and nausea, which would last only 15 minutes or so. Epinephrine is dangerous only to children with congenital heart conditions, which should be noted in school records. On the flip side, a child in need of epinephrine can die without it.

The Scoop

While this act is too late to save Ammaria, it could be instrumental in preventing many other deaths in similar circumstances. Ammaria is certainly not the first child to die at school due to anaphylactic shock, and she won't be the last if this common sense bill doesn't become law.

The saddest part of this story is that Ammaria's death was preventable, but we have become too restrained by the threat of punitive actions if protocol is not followed precisely. When a child's life is in danger, all protocol should go out the window.

If you feel strongly about this bill, please email your U.S. senators and representatives. This is a nonpartisan issue we can all support. Over and out...

Anna