Both my kids (in different grades, state school) came home with an A4 paper notice with bold large letters titled "PEANUT ALLERGY ALERT".

"We have a student in our class that has a peanut allergy" .... "please don't send in peanut items made at factory or be where peanuts are used" blahblahblah. All in a condescending 16 point font, probably printed on the desperately needed paper donations

Its absolute bollocks. How many kids have allergies to plenty of other things? Can i get the school to send out notices saying don't send your kids to school with my list of health related demands?

My kids will be sent in with their favourite peanut butter sarnies for lunch. Tastes good, high in protein lower in carbs and they do not require refrigeration.

But how long before "please" becomes "do" followed by prosecution?

That's been a rule for so long I don't really think about it anymore. From playgroup up to elementary in a variety of schools and countries.

Very common now, so like Weeze I almost expect it. It can be life threatening for those with the allergy. (circa 100 people a year die in the States)

Is it contagious?

Our school has banned all nuts in foods.

Yes, our daycare too. I think they just came to the conclusion that it is easier to just declare the school nut free from the start rather than deal with annoying parents.

As an aside, where did they get the A4 sized paper?

Bloody good question.

I so glad i ignored your PM invites to get together as a fellow Brit here in Arizona.

I actually found A4 in an Office Depot once. The manager had to help me find it and they blew dust off the ream before handing it over, but it was there.

Small price to pay for someone's safety. Lets face it, kids are not the most responsable lot.

I struggle with this one. Part of me wants to do the no-fuss English thing and laugh at people's "allergies". However a serious real allergy can indeed be life-threatening, as you say, as the child goes into shock and stops breathing. I would not want it to be the sandwich that I made for my child, that the allergic child then gets hold of, that causes the death. I can't face the idea of the death of my own child, and causing one is just about as unthinkable.

If you had a child with peanut allergies you would probably think differently. I used to think like you.

How do you plan to explain to your children that their sandwich caused one of their classmates to stop breathing and have to be rushed to hospital? You might also want to brief your lawyer to be prepared for the civil suit from the child's parents.

Is that a really polite set of living room furniture, or a luxury hotel room?

Ham n Cheese. It solves all sandwich related problems

On a different note, remember chocolate spread sandwiches? A mate of mine used to eat them every single day in primary school. I think we must have used the 'you have shit for lunch' joke well over a million times ...

You have an incredibly irresponsible attitude. How many other allergies are life threatening the way a peanut allergy is? If they were, you would certainly be getting a letter about them, too. Your kids can eat all the peanut butter they want away from school.