Mom Left 'Speechless' After Her 8-Year-Old Daughter Knowingly Exposes A Girl With Allergies To Peanuts
"How can I make her understand what could have happened and that she should never play around with allergies?"
fizkes | Shutterstock A mother was shocked and heartbroken to discover what her 8-year-old daughter was up to at school. Rather than the harmless antics one would expect of third graders, the girl and her friends intentionally endangered one of their classmates during lunch.
The mom was left 'speechless' after her 8-year-old daughter knowingly exposed a girl with allergies to peanuts.
"Lunchtime yesterday, my child decided to follow two other students and stick a peanut in a chicken nugget and give it to a student who has a deadly allergy to peanuts," the mom wrote in a Reddit post.
"THANKFULLY, the little girl is smart and noticed there was something in the nugget and told a teacher," she continued. "But the fact that she did it has my momma heart absolutely broken."
Although the prank didn't end in tragedy, it absolutely could have. Food allergies are incredibly dangerous and not something to mess around with. According to the Mayo Clinic, peanut allergies specifically are one of the most common causes of life-threatening anaphylaxis.
As the mom noted, "What if she didn’t see it and ate the nugget? What if she went into anaphylactic shock and the ambulance didn’t make it on time?" This so-called prank could have ended in the death of an 8-year-old child.
The school gave the students responsible in-school suspension, but the mom does not believe that is enough.
The principal called the mom and claimed that they were "taking this matter very seriously." All of the students involved were given in-school suspension, meaning they would sit with the school resource officer in his office for a couple of days. While the school said they intended to create a "learning opportunity," the mom does not believe the punishment matches the gravity of the situation.
She also does not think her daughter truly understands the severity of her actions. "She swore that she told the other students involved that 'we shouldn’t do that,' but she did it anyway," the mom recalled. "I believe that was her way of trying to pass the blame on someone, so I don’t believe her. She still did it even if she knew it was wrong and could hurt someone."
The mom grounded her daughter and took away her privileges, but is unsure of how to handle the situation going forward. "What else can I do?" she asked fellow Redditors. "How can I make her understand what could have happened and that she should never play around with allergies, no matter how 'funny' it may sound?"
Commenters shared myriad ways for the mom to help her young daughter understand the seriousness of the situation
"Eight is young enough to not understand the consequences," one user pointed out. "I bet she thought the other girl would get a rash or maybe throw up. Something that would have been embarrassing."
To combat this, users advised showing the girl a YouTube video or movie that stresses the dangers of allergies. Specifically, many suggested "My Girl," a 1991 film in which a young boy, played by Macaulay Culkin, dies from an allergic reaction to bee stings.
"I find that people can be more likely to process messages when they're part of a narrative where they've grown to like or identify with characters," one commenter noted.
Other users suggested therapy, though the mom added in an update that her daughter already sees a therapist. "Her therapist was informed and is having a meeting with her today," she wrote.
Whatever the mom decides to do, she must address the situation with her daughter so no one gets hurt in the future. Living with allergies is scary enough, and no kid should fear that their own friends will trigger a potentially deadly reaction.
Erika Ryan is a writer working on her bachelor's degree in Journalism. She is based in Florida and covers relationships, psychology, self-help, and human interest topics.
