More People Eating Peanut Butter for Dinner

 

 

Such was the teaser Madeleine Brand used to get her radio listeners interested in her interview with Eric Klinenberg, author of Going Solo, a book about a growing trend of people who prefer to live alone. 

Comments

[Paul]

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[Angelo]

Works for me. They don't let kids bring peanut butter to school anymore...so why not for dinner? By the way, how is it that from the beginning of time until a few years ago, "deadly" peanut allergies were unheard of----and now, at least one or two children in every class at school "can die" from even inhaling the scent of a peanut? What happened? Back in the 70s, when I was in grade school, peanuts and peanut butter sandwiches were everywhere and I don't recall an illness, much less a death.

[Bob C]

Angelo, I couldn't have asked a better question myself. Like you, I grew up in the 70s and pretty much every second kid had a PB or PB&J sandwich in his or her lunch. Not only did nobody drop to the floor in convulsions, but nobody ever heard of anyone who did.

Suddenly, a jar of peanut butter has become more of a pariah in schools than a lit pack of Marlboros. An overreaction if ever there was one. It's far more likely for a kid to be killed by another kid (as we tragically saw yesterday) than by a peanut allergy.

Honestly (and this may be controversial), I think that the public school administrators and teachers unions have gotten out of control with their rather radical political views and the way in which they impose them on our kids. Hate to say it, but although public school was good enough for me - it's not going to be good enough for my 2 girls when they get old enough to go. Too much craziness there - and it really doesn't matter where you live.

[Angelo]

Bob: My 7 year old is in a very highly rated public school system----in first grade----and so far, so good. His teachers have been excellent from what I can tell. The curriculum, so far, does not appear to be agenda driven. The school also seems to be pretty well organized---the Principal is approachable and friendly toward the children, but he seems to run a pretty tight ship at the same time. I share your concerns though. I heard about a 5 year old getting her bagged lunch "inspected" in North Carolina----turkey and cheese sandwich, potato chips, banana and apple juice. She failed the inspection (Actually, her Mom did) and they forced a school lunch on her (interestingly, chicken nuggets). What? Come again? If anything, the lunch that the Mom packed was better than most children AND adults get----the only truly unhealthy thing was the potato chips---and they wree a side dish and a child should be able to enjoy a treat. I was disgusted by the story---but also very concerned that a state can undermine a parent like that. To a five year old, the message was that Mom didn't know as well as the school does, how to raise her. Very upsetting.