I got this SPAM today and was outraged.
"All of our cards are FREE so stock up on as many as you like!
November is Peanut Butter Lovers Month! Celebrate your passion for
peanuts by sending our cute squirrel to put on a nut-juggling act for
anyone who shares your fondness! This adorable card is the perfect
token of your peanut love."
[url="http://www.greeting-cards.com/pg/p?category=PeanutButterLovers"]http://www.greeting-cards.com/pg/p?category=PeanutButterLovers[/url]
I have already emailed them about how distasteful this is. I encourage others to do the same. They have cards for National Diabetes Month, but are very insensitive to a food that can cause death.
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Mary Kay
Please don't take offense to my disagreeing with you but why is it insensitive for people who are not PA, who love peanut butter to express their love for it? What if it was chocolate lovers month? Is that offensive to people allergic to chocolate? Is the "Got Milk" ad insensitive to those people allergic to milk? My daughter is PA, and I, too, get scared when I hear the word "peanut" because I think about what could happen to her. But you have to remember we are the minority and peanutbutter is perfectly safe and delicious for most people.
I couldn't have said it better myself. I've been jumped on in these threads for having that opinion. But you're right. Most people love peanuts. My son is underweight - the first thing the pediatrician said was high calorie diet, give him peanut butter as much as possible. I had to remind her that he's PA (it's a large practice - she's great really, just forgot). I used to love peanut butter cookies, peanuts at ball games, snickers bars, etc., etc. As I've said before, we are a small minority just as those who are allergic to perfume are a small minority. It is our job to keep our children safe but I don't feel it's right to impose our problem on the rest of the world.
Hi, I received a similar email message awhile ago from my sister. Her kids found a Squirrel peanut butter site and the animation and activities were fun so they wanted to send it to their cousin, my peanut allergic child, Troy. Troy enjoyed the site. I used the opportunity to stress that this substance was something that lots of people liked and could have safely. I told him his aunt and cousins ate it safely and that his dad and I also used to eat it alot because we liked it. I told him that his aunt and I understand that not everyone can have it and know how hard that is because we grew up with a brother, Troy's uncle, who cannot eat it. I do not teach Troy to hate the things he is allergic to or to try to change others opinions of them but I do teach him to absolutely avoid them.
I have to agree with the last couple of posts, again I mean no offence however, I don't think that we should get "upset" over these things. We all know that the very word "peanut" puts the fear of god in us, but for 98% of people, it is simply a comfort food. I have shellfish allergies and do not take offence to this kind of advertizing. For me I would prefer to concentrate on educating people about the dangers of food allergies and peanut allergies in particular. If we get upset over things like this and demand that they "stop" advertizing etc.. we will not, in my personal opinion, be helping our cause at all, rather we "might", and again no offence intended, be viewed as extreme in our demands and it may set us all back in our bid to educate people. Again, this is my personal opinion and this is not a personal attack on anyone.
Regards,
Katiee (Wade's mom)
Mary Kay, no nuts had told me about this in another thread, that it was National Peanut Appreciation Month. I just thought it was some weird American thing (being Canadian and all) and understand that it comes from a country with peanuts as a large cash crop and even lobbyists in your government.
Also, Skippy (I believe owned by Kraft, not clear though) was a sponsor for the wonderful book No Nuts for Me, which I have used to educate my son's school and them, his classmates.
I don't disagree with you posting this, perhaps you should have placed it as a "peeve" under Living with PA. I still think it's a weird American thing though, to name a whole month in honour of the peanut! And, please remember, this comes from someone who has always hated peanut butter, long before PA entered our lives! [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/biggrin.gif[/img]
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[This message has been edited by Cindy Spowart Cook (edited November 08, 2000).]
Mary Kay, this might be a bit off-topic, but when I sent out Hallowe'en cards to other PA children - ecards, there was a game on I picked and I made sure that the little costumed kid was not running around trying to get peanuts in his bag. It wasn't necessarily for my comfort re PA, but I wasn't sure if other PA parents would appreciate their children playing a Hallowe'en game where they were collecting peanuts in the bag; peanut products that they would not be allowed to keep when they did their actual trick or treating. I really believe this all has to do with one's individual comfort zone re peanuts and peanut products.
MKRuby had long ago posted about how she shows her children peanuts in the grocery store each time she shops (I think it was in her post in response to the Comfort Zones thread). Do you know how long it took me to get the courage to do this with my PA son? But, I do now.
I truly feel it has to do with comfort zones and if other people disagree with you, which they will, even other PA parents, then simply accept that it's not something they're concerned or upset about but also recognize your right to be concerned, upset, and e-mail the company that sent you that greeting! Best wishes! [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img]
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i understand why it would bother some people but i agree with the prior posters that the intent isn't to offend and given the small percentage of the population that is allergic compared to something like milk, chocolate, etc. its more likely those ads or campaigns would affect more people.
I try not to alienate my daughter from things like shows, books, etc that mention peanut butter like on Sesame street, arthur, etc.
she knows that lots of people eat, and like it. her best friend loves peanut butter. that s and we teach her thats ok for her friend, peanuts aren't bad, eating them is bad for her.
I wanted to add that I think it's important to see these kinds of ads, it brings up a great oppurtunity to talk to our kids about how "loved" peanut butter is in our society and that it's perfectly normal for some kids to eat it regularly. When I watch shows with my daughter that include kids eating/talking about peanut butter, I think it's great because it shows her that it's ok for some and not her. She's 3 and knows this very well now. She has to know that SHE is allergic and can't eat it, but others can safely. The reason for this is because when she does go to school and sees kids eating this stuff regularly she has to know how to recognise it and stay away from it. It's going to be all around her her whole life. We can't run away from it, we have to confront it head on.
Mom2Mom, you made a good point that several other people posting made that I forgot to make. I also haven't taught my son that "peanuts are the enemy". He knows that he can't eat them because he is allergic to them, but he also knows that everyone else he knows in his life right now, except his computer buddy, can eat them. He will ask me if "so and so" can eat peanuts, etc. and I'm always very clear that most people can eat them. I never steer clear of the children's shows either where they're mentioned. It is simply a fact of life that our children have to deal with. I'm sorry, I just wanted to clarify that although I agree with Mary Kay's right to be upset, I also do let my child understand that peanuts are everywhere and consumed by most everyone. Best wishes! [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img]
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BlueMountain greetings has wacky holiday email cards. My pa son and i were browsing a few days ago and saw a card for Peanut Butter Month. My son decided to send it to everyone in his mail box and we included the message "we hate peanut butter month!" My son thought it was so funny!
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