Parenting a Child with a Food Allergy

Halloween is a scary time of year for parents of kids with food allergies. I remember my first couple of Halloweens after my daughter was diagnosed food allergies; I was a mess! It seemed easier just to leave the country than to subject my child to so much stuff that she couldn't have.

Here's a real life situation... a regular size milk chocolate bar that we buy for making s'mores (think summer camp outs) is fine, but the miniature versions you find during the holidays contain nuts.

It's not just that a big part of the Halloween celebration includes candy, it's that the candy given out at Halloween often times has different ingredients than what we buy throughout the rest of the year.

I used to assemble a bag filled with "safe" treats, fun stickers, books, crayons and other fun little things. As my daughter got a bit older, after she was done "goin' beggin," we simply swapped out the unsafe candy with the treats I bought. The other kids still enjoy this today because they get to trade in some of the less liked candy that we just don't buy during the rest of the year.

Now, when my children are tired of trick or treating and are satisfied with their trades, we put the remaining candy out to those kids still trick or treating (basically the teens running around the neighborhood). They hit the jackpot when they see a big bucket of treats like Snickers bars!

So, instead of smashing your pumpkins after everyone went in, the teens think you are the coolest house on the block!

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- Lisa

Just a reminder,FAAN has great resources available free of charge to help with getting your child back to school safely.

Definitely check out this site, whether your new to food allergies or have been dealing with them for years!

Parents who have dealt with their child's food allergies during the back-to-school frenzy may know all too well the feeling of being lost in the shuffle. During the weeks before school starts, teachers are incredibly busy readying their classrooms, attending meetings, and getting everything in order. The office staff is busy fielding questions about everything from what time school starts to parents wanting to change their child's teacher. It is little surprise that trying to contact the appropriate staff to discuss your child's food allergies can prove to be a daunting task.

With food allergies being so prevalent among children and with its awareness at an all time high, hopefully most schools have at least a generic food allergy management plan in place. Even so, most parents will want to speak with their child's teacher before the first day of school, just to review their child's specific needs.

It's definitely easier when your child is a returning student. It can still be difficult though to contact your child's teacher and arrange a meeting before the first day of school. One way to effectively contact the teacher without spending hours at the school waiting to see her in person, is to leave a note with the office staff. Ask to make sure your child's teacher receives your note as soon as possible (this is where your reputation comes into play, hopefully from previous encounters the school knows you as a friendly, reasonable parent who is easy to work with).

I keep the note short and simple, and I hand write it on a colorful piece of paper (more likely to catch their attention).

I write something like:

Hi. My child, Mary Smith, is in your 3rd grade class this year. Mary is allergic to tree nuts and eggs for which she has an Epi-Pen available. I would like to meet with you briefly before the first day of school to go over Mary's allergies.

Please call me on my cell phone so we can set up a meeting time.

Thanks!
Ann Marie
(cell phone #)

I find that if you are respectful of their time, most teachers will call you back promptly. And if you know your child's teacher, it never hurts to add that you'd be happy to bring them a Starbuck's. : )

With so many back to school sales, this is a great time to stock up on some tricks for living with food allergies.

Small pencil cases make great Epi-Pen holders. You can find some small enough that they'll fit two Epi-Pens and some single-dose Benadryl packets perfectly, or buy a bigger pouch to fit an inhaler too.

I buy solid color pencil cases (usually soft cloth or neoprene) and in permanent marker or fabric paint, write in big letters Epi-Pens followed by a red cross. The red cross alerts people that the pouch contains medication. I also put in a piece of paper with the important information: child's name, allergies (i.e. anaphylactic reaction to tree nuts), your name and contact phone number.

A pencil case fits easily into a backpack, a shoulder bag or a purse, so it adapts easily to whatever you or your child happen to be carrying at the time. Which helps increase the compliance with having Epi-Pens available at all times. Happy shopping!