Community Magazine September 2019

52 Community Magazine Communication & Preparedness The first step to minimizing back to school stress is communicating with your child’s school beforehand. That means making sure the teachers and staff are aware of your child’s allergies, as well as the protocol that’s set in place in the event of an allergic reaction. It’s also a good time to make and put a plan into place for trip days, and to make sure any snack that’s given is checked with either the nurse or you beforehand. If your child has multiple allergies, it is a good idea to give a list of safe snack options to the teachers, so they can give the list of safe snacks to the parents of fellow students to help minimize the risk of accidental exposure. Paulette suggests to purchase a large container of a safe snack to have in class at all times, in case someone does bring in a snack that is not safe. It’s always a good idea to have backup options readily available. How to Prepare Your Child Just like the school needs to be prepared, so does your child. The first thing you should do is to communicate with your child Frieda Schweky Back to School Allergy Guide with The Nut Job Mom and let them know that you and the school are on the same page, and are working together to keep your child safe. Children want and need to feel safe. They shouldn’t worry that when they go to school, a place where they spend the majority of their time, that they won’t be safe and protected. If you’re a teacher reading this, I urge you to take extra precautions to make sure you keep these kids safe. Please don’t ever single them out or make them feel like they are different. They already know they are different. It’s important for their social/emotional well-being to embrace them and make them feel like every other child, but you can communicate to them that you will take care to be extra safe with them. If you’re having difficulty with a class event or snacks, communicate with the mom. Most of the time, the mom is ready and willing to help out and give the teachers tips. Back to parents: I would take your child to the supermarket and teach them how to read labels. This is a skill they will use forever! If they are of the age where they can read and can be responsible for their own protection from allergens, this is a game changer. This can help your child feel a sense of control. And children with food allergies need to feel like they have some say in the matter. When the time comes to get your food-allergic child ready for school, it is normal to feel nervous or overwhelmed. Whether it is the first time at a new school, or even if your child has been in the same school, there are new teachers and new kids in the class. Newness can be scary, but it doesn’t have to be. It is extremely important to be prepared and have a solid, organized system. The Nut Job Mom, Paulette Cohen, was happy to share some tips, ideas, and information to ease the process along.