Trying to get back in my groove...

Work and back to school have been kicking my tushie! Yesterday I was a zombie all afternoon, but a good night's sleep last night has made me feel a ton better.

While checking around on some blogging friends, I found Ann, who today is participating with Thinking Out Loud Thursday and Thankful Thursday. They both sounded like a good idea to me!

What I'm thinking out loud about, as the school year starts for this lunch room employee, is parents actually recognizing the importance of being 100% truthful about food allergies.

I know that sounds sort of odd, but I've encountered a few kids who had allergy alerts on their lunch accounts (which will stop me from selling anything containing the stated allergen to the child), but then removed it at a later date. What's up with that? The only real reason I can think of is that it was a sensitivity, not a true allergy, and the child has matured to the point that they can choose their level of exposure. Unfortunately, most parents want it to be something where they just tell the lunch lady it's all good - there are actually official procedures to change something as serious as a food allergy on a child's account.

I'm so grateful not to deal with any food allergies in my personal life, but it really annoys me that some parents seem to use an 'allergy' as an excuse to monitor their child, when there are truly life-threatening allergies that must be taken seriously. The importance of the correct response to a real allergy is so serious, and I hate seeing it diluted when a parent changes their mind about an allergy periodically. Allergies can be life and death, and that's how we treat them in the kitchen.





And in an interesting twist, today I'm thankful for a job where I feel valued and appreciated. I love the kids I work with daily, and I'm even lucky enough to have great co-workers at both locations where I work. It all makes waking up at 6am til halfway through June a little bit better.