Back to school with food allergies
August 25, 2009
Back to school with food allergies can cause parents great emotional stress. Just a few days away from the new school year, allergic children must be prepared to play safe with their food allergies away from home and should play safe with their food allergies.
Going to school for the first time is a very exciting moment in everyone’s life. This occasion is even more special for children with food allergies because it may be their first time away from home or the day-care centre at lunchtime.
A list of steps to follow before going to school for the first time should be discussed with the allergic child. Talk about lunch hour at school: how best to refuse another child's offer to share his meal, what to do in case of an allergic reaction and who to ask for help or any others queries brought from the child during the discussion. The friends should join this conversation and be included in an emergency plan if something happens at school during lunch hour. This way, the child will feel safer in case of a potential attack and the friend more responsible and mature over this situation. In addition, parents should take their children to school and meet all the staff members including principal, teachers, nurses and kitchen attendants to explain the situation, show how to inject adrenaline and take antihistamines and drugs. Parents should provide a detailed allergy list with a description of the child’s allergens, symptoms and reactions, and include their emergency contacts numbers. If during the school year, changes occur in regard to this list, parents should inform the school as soon as possible.
Parents should help their children to make the right decisions and provide them with tools like education to recognize the symptoms and reactions of a food allergy. By opting for sensitive choices like wearing an allergy alert bracelet, using an adrenaline demonstrator or assuring their security during lunchtime hour, they will prepare their children in case an allergic reaction happens in school. They could assist their children with the preparation of a healthy lunch, without any food or snacks that may contain allergens, and make sure they only eat the food from their lunchboxes and do not trade anything else with their friends. Also, parents could provide emergency allergens free snacks for the teachers in case their children cannot be include in a school activity because of their food allergies.
These steps will make the first days in school less stressful for both child and parents. Growing up, the allergic child has to learn to be weary of foods from others, to choose foods without allergens, to prepare his own meals, to recognize the first symptoms of allergy and to inject himself with adrenaline.
Enjoy back-to-school fever, and use this special occasion to set your child on the path towards a safe lifestyle away from home!