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August 25, 2005

Are my kids "normal"? Please don't do that to your child.

Ok, sometimes I see articles on child food allergies and think, "this is great, more public exposure to the issue is a good thing." Then I read further and see things like this...

"It does take extra planing and work, but result is she can go and live like a normal person."

UGH.

This article when on to say how the school was helpful in managing her child’s food allergy but when parent complained too much about the rigidity of the plan, they moved the child to a private school.

I think sometimes us parents of a kid with a food allergy simply screw it up for ourselves. If we go in like a bull in a china shop and make demands on schools and other parents (most of whom will never quite “get it”), then bad things happen. The worst thing that can happen is our child is no longer viewed as “normal”. Things like banning a food from the school or even the classroom can backfire and give you a false sense of security.

Here’s some unsolicited advice for parents whose child with a food allergy are entering school for the first time… don’t be one of those over-the-edge parents (like we once were). Find a parent (or 2 or 3) in the school whose child has been there for several years. Find out what works and what doesn’t in terms of communication and implementation of the food allergy management plan. You can also email us anytime, we’re glad to help.

Posted by David at August 25, 2005 9:35 AM