School might be one of your hardest challenges. From
birthdays to the cafeteria, there is a school challenge around every corner!
Here are some tips to help you get through the school year with food allergies.
On the first day of school,
ask your teacher if you can send a memo home to all the parents. In
the memo, tell the parents that your child has a food allergy and can't eat
treats that are brought in to school. Request that the parents
call you when they are planning to send in goodies so you can send your
child to school with something similar that is non-allergenic.
Educate your teachers as
well as your nurse on what type of allergy or intolerance your child has,
what the symptoms are and what to do if your child displays any of these
symptoms. Have an emergency plan in case your child ingests a food he
or she cannot have.
Click
here
for tips on a peanut free classroom.
These tips may also help you with other food allergies.
If your child has an Epipen,
make sure you have an extra one for the school clinic. Be sure the
nurse is familiar with the Epipen and help her instruct the teachers and
staff how to use it.
Give a list of "hidden
ingredients" to your teachers and nurse. If your child eats something
by accident, the teacher can check for possible reactions.
Keep a shoebox in your
child's room with safe, non-perishable treats in it. Unfortunately,
there will be many times treats are brought to your child's class without
any prior notice to you. The shoebox will be something your teacher
can go to so your child won't be the only one without something special.
When party time comes,
volunteer to make something sweet and special. This way you know
exactly what went in to the food, and your child won't be singled out by
having to eat something different.
Beware of
cross-contamination in the food line at school. If your child has a
serious food allergy, pack lunches rather than buy.
On Halloween, have a bag of
candy your child can eat. Let the child trick or treat like all the
other kids, but when you get home replace the allergen candy with the safe
candy. If there are few candies your child can have, let the child
pick out a toy the day before Halloween and put it away. After
trick or treating, let the child exchange his candy for the toy.
Make sure your
cafeteria has utensils, plates and tables that
cannot be cross-contaminated with the allergen.
