STARTING KINDERGARTEN NEED HELP

Jill - posted on 08/10/2010

my son will be starting kindergarten in a couple weeks... he is allergic to milk, eggs, treenuts and peanuts, he is also allergic to touch .... i had to meet with the principal, nurse, guidance and his teacher to talk to them about him... we had to make a game plan in case of emergency... we also have a peanut free table but not an egg,treenut, or milk free table.... which i don;t want him segregated anyway... i have asked for the cafeteria to take extra precaution when wiping the table because of cross contamination .. i have also asked that he be seated on an end so that the chances of someone touching him are 50% less. my son is his own advocate and will not eat anything that does not come from my house or that i have not prepared so that is a battle that i don;t have to have... his allergies are life threatening and he knows what happens when he ingests the foods he cannot have so that is a plus... i also trust that God will protect my little man through all this because he is a God's child first and then he is mine

Denise - posted on 02/18/2010

by law the school has to provide a safe environment for your daughter. They should provide a peanut free table at the least if not an allergy table...I do believe your daughter qualifies for a 504 plan which can be obtained through the school's special education department. They will fight you on this, so you need to be strong and stand your ground and get the media and/a lawyer if necessary.

MALIAKA - posted on 02/15/2010

My son is 4 yrs old & has a food allergy to oats. Also we do not eat beef or pork. . .if given 2 bites of a ham sandwich is he horrible sick.
At a young age I started verbally stating to him you are allergic to oats & oatmeal. . .if you eat this it will make you sick. Did the same thing in regards to the beef & pork. . .If you eat this it will make you sick. While doing so I would show him foods that contained oats, beef & pork. I still remind him if you think its contains oats, beef or pork & an adult gives it to you do not eat & remind them you are not suppose to have. He is very responsible when it comes to this & does not have a problem saying I can not eat this because Im allergic/it will make me sick.
I love my sons allergist!!!! They control his croupe, asthma, sinus & allergies, and food allergies. Last yr he started preschool at the age of 3 the 1st day I school I passed out information on what foods contain oats to the class room teacher, nurse & dietary staff. The allergist did an allergy test. The allergy test told us he was allergic to guinea pigs. Guess what they had a guinea pig in the class room. . .he was allowed to visit & play once a day only for a lil awhile. We found out that his reaction is no longer a severe life threatening reaction to the oats. There is still a reaction & he stays away from them. Severe reaction to dust mites. . .they lay their blankets on the floor at nap time. First day of school he told the teacher & teacher aid about his food restrictions.
Last yr I was so worried because his school is a healthy eating school & now days everything has oats, oat fiber & oat flour. Also being so young with the older children in his class. His school is a grammar school which does ages not grades. . .so the were/are 3-5y olds. For ex. they serve the children sun chips which contains oats so on those days he would bring in doritios (thinks another type of doritios). In the middle of the last school year the school went from a non serving pork school to a serving pork school & did not inform the teachers or parents. They merged with another school & added new dietary staff. I just happened to glance at a school menu. This yr has been a much smoother yr!!!
My sons dad & brother are allergic to peanuts & have severe reactions. I only give my son peanut products when with me just in case. His school is a peanut restricted school & the children are not allowed to bring any peanut products to school.
Last yr a child in my sons class had a severe allergic reaction to milk. . .could not even smell without getting sick. He sat at a desk by himself in the cafeteria with the other children instead of at the table. He brought his food from home so my son did not have a problem bringing his. Both boys were aware of each others food restrictions so it made my sons 1st year of school a lil easier. This yr they are in different classes.
All the children with allergic reactions have a medical plan in the nurses office.
Im praying your daughter will outgrow these allergic reactions sooner than later!!! Also have her Dr. write a letter that it is medically needed for her to sit by herself during meal times.

Dawn - posted on 02/10/2010

1. Take a deep breath, it will be OK. 2. Make sure that you have everything documented for the school nurse, and go meet her with your daughter. Make sure she knows when to call you and when to treat any symptoms. 3. Practice saying no with her, a little bit at a time. ie... You are eating together and you say, "Would you like to trade." Teach her to say "No, I don't trade food." Leave it at that and don't stress her out about it. Just slowly work the vocabulary in for her to protect herself. 4. Remember that sometimes minimal exposure is a good thing (like allergy shots). By having some exposure in school she may actually start to out grow some of them.
My son has gone from getting hives from being in the same room with mayonaise (or any other food made with eggs) to being able to eat a cupcake with a benedryl tablet. He also takes zyrtec at night and claretin in the morning, every day. His school nurse keeps his inhaler and extra benedryl. She used to keep his steroid cream, but now we only use it at home. 5. Teachers make mistakes, so do substitutes, forgive them now, it is just easier.

Monica - posted on 02/02/2010

all this info has been helpful to me as i have a 4 yr old who starts kindergarten this summer. i just wanted to mention the ALLERGY ALERT bracelets/labels. there are many websites that sell them. i use a yellow allergy alert label for my 2 yr old who has many food allergies, and use them from his lunch pack to his shirts. i agree with sadia as far as just talking/teaching your child from early on about their allergies. they get it. my 4 yr old has had a super good attitude about how he can't have what his friends eat.
i do plan on checking on him every now and then when he starts school. good luck to you. :)

Sadia - posted on 02/01/2010

Hi, my daughter just started Kindergarten and she and one other child are the only children allergic in her class. They both sit together. My daughter is allergic to milk, soy, egg, chicken, wheat. I pack her lunch everyday and have told her teacher so they are aware not to give her anything except the lunch she brings from home.

ALso keep telling your daughter you will be amazed at her ability to understand and not go for foods that she can't have.

I have also noticed that children with allergies for a certain food do not reach for that particular food anyways but that's just my observation and every child is different.

But the key is to talk to teachers in her school and tell them to talk to other children so they are aware also and of course your daughter too.

Susan - posted on 01/30/2010

my daughter has multiple food allergies (peanut, tree nut, all legumes, soy, sesame, chickpeas, and egg) and she started full time preschool this year. It's a nut free school but her other allergies do come into the room. I pack her a lunch each day-the teachers are aware of her allergies. I check snack each morning and if it's not safe for her she eats something from her "safe bin" filled with stuff I've brought in for her. Since your daughter is contact allergic-it will be more challenging but my daughter is well educated about her allergies and advocates for herself. I would not want my daughter to sit alone during lunch-it just exacerbates the "I"m different" issue. Could you ask her what she's comfortable with? Does she think she can sit with other kids eating things she's allergic to and feel safe? Alexa would NEVER sit next to a kid with peanut butter-she'd be too afraid-but she will sit next to someone eating hummus etc. She knows not to touch or eat anything anyone gives her. You mention that you could bring her home for lunch-could you go and sit with her at lunch? Or be in the cafeteria so you can observe? Perhaps after a few months of this you'll feel safe leaving her? Hope this helped a little. Good luck.

Laura - posted on 01/28/2010

I have a 9 year old with food allergies. I have talked to her teacher, the principal and the lunch room attendants about it so they are all aware of the situation. Now, at our school they have tables set aside just for the children with allergies. So none of them are off by themselves but they are all eating at a allergy free table.. But as long as the adults in the school are aware of it then she should be fine. Good luck. My 3rd child also has allergies so I am about to start the whole process all over again. But now adays, schools are so aware of it that it is easier to deal with.

Meg - posted on 01/21/2010

My boys new they were allergic and made it know when they were young. I never worried cause they would tell everyone. They didnt eat anything but the lunch I made for them. The teacher and class mates were told also. They eat lunch with the rest of the class.

What if she ate in the nurses office???