Food Allergy Presentation at School

I would make available to every child in the classroom a list of what your child can NOT have, if you are very concerned put your phone and email on the bottom. It helps those of us with children lucky enough to not have allergies. A list at the bottom of appropriate treats would be great too! For privacy reasons the school can not provide this but YOU can.

My son's class had a child last year. His allergy list was a mile long. I planned the Halloween party. I had the list but in the end it was easier for me to call the mom and guarantee that everything I was organizing was safe.

Again when it was my son's birthday I called the mom just to make sure. My son actually said to me that Daniel thanked him for bringing something that was safe for him to eat because he rarely got to participate in the birthday treats.

Most parents want to do the right thing but for those of us inexperienced in what is right and wrong the easier you make it for us the more we can include your child in our plans.

Good luck!
P.

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As a parent, I would like to be told what to do and what to avoid. For example, I've provided room parents with lists of peanut-free candy at Halloween time. [as an RP coordinator - luckily we personally don't have food allergies although my nieces do, and many friends' kids.] I've also found it helpful to be given shopping sources - for example, one year we had peanut, milk and I think egg allergies in our classroom, so it was useful to find out about the Enjoy Life line of treats. I appreciate specific information like that, or finding out that Whole Foods has a concierge who will personally help you locate products to avoid specific allergens.

In your presentation, I think you should focus on winning others over by asking for their help and by telling them exactly what steps they can take. I just erased a whole paragraph about a family thing that happened this summer, but I'll just say in brief: 'don't scold!' :-) Not that you would, but it can be a volatile subject for some people. (And food and the sharing of food has deep symbolic and cultural resonance for most people.)

Good luck! I hope it goes well.

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These are all great thoughts!

I just want to say huge kudos to you for presenting this to parents at your school. Food allergies are just a reality of kids these days, and until there is a "cure" to bring down the epidemic rates, it's an issue for ALL parents to be knowlegeable.

Parents of kids without allergies need to be specifically challenged to set a great example for their kids by responding with compassion and with the appropriate level of seriousness to the allergies...and not a self centered response (such as "Why does my child have to suffer?!"). Most parents are great...but it only takes one bad apple to create a dangerous situation both physically and/or (often overlooked) emotionally.

It's difficult for mom's of kids with allergies to ALWAYS be the squeaky wheel and it's wonderful that you are providing them with that kind of support.

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I am a parent who has a son entering Kindergarten next week and I have been fortunate not to have any food allergies in my family.
Having no experience, I would want to know:
1. The severity of the allergy (or levels of severity). Is a child only allergice to something when he/she eats it or if she touches it or if they are in the same room as it.
2. What type of reaction does the child have? Minor or severe? Is an epi-pen needed. Is it life threatening for the child.
3. Are there certain foods/snacks that you would like kept out of the classroom? I know that I would have no problem as a parent doing this. However, if you could supply a list of alternative snack/lunch ideas, that would be helpful.
4. Emphasize to parents/teachers/students the importance of not sharing food with other kids.

Good luck with your presentation!

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as a parent of a child who had severe allergies i would want THEM to know about anaphelactic (sp?) shock, and the importance of things like NO NUTS in the school and why. Also of special importance, TEACH YOUR KIDS TO ASK THE PARENT OF A CHILD BEFORE GIVING ANY CHILD FOOD! It goes w/o saying I would think, but so many times I've found my son chewing on something one of his friends gave him at the park and I'd have to dive to get it out of his mouth! There are kids that just being in the same room w/peanuts can stop breathing. People don't know this. I think some parents just have no idea : )

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people are NOT aware of cross contamination issues. I would really drive that one home.

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Be ready for the following question:

"So, why does my kid have to make a ton of changes to what he/she eats? Why can't your kid just eat in another part of the building or just deal with it?"

Trust me, this is definitely not something *I* would ask but you may be faced with such questions. There may be people who are upset because they have to make a bunch of accommodations, when they really don't understand the issue in the first place. While I really hope people could be polite and understanding, this might not always be the case. Be prepared with some gentle and understanding 'stock answers' just in case people start griping and complaining about the changes they will have to make.

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I would want to know if there would be a seperate lunch area or table set for children who bring foods that others are allergic to.

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As the mom of an allergic little kiddo (2 yo girl with BAD peanut and lesser milk, egg, and fish allergies) who plans to send her kids to a private catholic school -- I love mom Tammy D's list :) In addition, I believe it important to point out that some allergens can be hidden -- i.e. all bakery cakes, cookies and cupcakes, etc. are considered automatically peanut and tree nut contaminated because they generally do not take cross-contamination precautions (there is one bakery in Evanston but their cakes cost a small fortune). Some bakeries will print the warning (either or Jewel or Dominick's does but not both -- forget which one) and there ARE kids who react to trace amounts of the stuff...does not have to even be a whole peanut. It would be important to make sure the parents of the other kids are knowledgable about the type (allergens) and degree (severity) of the allergic kids in their children's classrooms so everyone is safe. Also, whole homemade treats are nice (and yummy) they are not great for food allergen kids -- an example is homemade chocolate chip cookies -- Tollhouse morsels have a peanut warning. Good luck and we hope the schools we check out are as proactive as you are being! If you have any food allergy questions, feel free to send me a message. We switched to a peanut/tree nut/chocolate free daycare for our little ones but are switching to an au pair in September in part because we think the allergic one needs someone dedicated to her needs re: food until she is school aged (she is 2).

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Unfortunately my daughter is one with lots of allergies- What I would love for other parents to know is what I go through when she has a moderate to severe reaction. Most people only think there is hives and breathing difficulties when you have a reaction since that is what is most commonly discussed. I know I did not know there was more until I went to school to become an EMT and even then you do not often see much more than the above.

My daughter will have a meltdown that many think is a temper tantrum- she will drop to the floor unable to move and scream in pain. Her eyes and nose will swell and look like she is tired. She will sometimes lose control of her bowels and have diarrhea and sometimes reflux and vomit on the person standing in front of her with no warning. Excruciating body pain and headaches. She will sometimes start to shake and her blood pressure and body temp will drop dramatically and go into shock. She will lose the ability to talk clearly for days after episodes of shock and her body will still be trying to get back to normal.

I would want to parents to know that the reactions are not just a short term thing... give a shot and all is better! To let them know that it lingers.

I could go on and on about what I have learned about my daughter and how it has changed our lives but I am sure you are pretty aware of allergies!

I do want to thank you for taking this on! I think it is wonderful to have someone want to put the health and safety of our kids first and educate others so everyone can have a happy and healthy school experience! I hope that your presentation goes well and I look forward to hearing about it! Again, thank you for doing this!
Blessings to you and yours!

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I used to teach and what you may also want to tell the parents is to talk to their children about not sharing their snacks or lunch and why it's important not too.

Also depending what the schools policy is on sending birthday treats, encourage parents to send non-food items like pencils or stickers.

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