I agree completely.  Although a pre-schooler or even a toddler may
understand about their diet restrictions, its unfair to delegate the
responsibility on to them--there are many social nuances to consider that
could influence the judgement of a young child.   There are several
(non-life threatening) areas in a pre-schoolers life where one can begin to
work on responsibility. I feel that as a parent I need to be vigilent for my
child (anaphylaxis to dairy).


We waited until Josh was older (6?) before we left him alone at a party.
That's not to say that we were in the room making him feel self-conscious,
but we were within ready reach if needed. We always carry a pager in case
of emergencies.