Back-to-School with Food Allergies

Today's the day!
The kids have gone back to school.

And now is a great time to start thinking about how to handle food allergies at your child's school. Whether you're planning classroom parties or thinking about sending birthday treats this year - if there is a child with food allergies in your child's classroom it's a good idea to do some research so you can include all the kids.

If you're looking for a safe snack option for the entire classroom I suggest bookmarking the Safe Snack Guide. This guide is a catalog of common snacks including pretzels, chips, popcorn, candy, cookies, crackers, and more. It is updated each month and will provide users with information about which snacks are free of peanuts, tree nuts, and eggs.

This is a great tool for schools, sports teams, PTAs, and more.

If you are a parent with a child who has food allergies, FARE has published an updated Emergency Action Plan for parents to "provide a plan of action and authorize others to administer medications should their child suffer an allergic reaction." The form is filled out by parents and the child's doctor and can be given to teachers, staff, coaches, scout troop leader, daycare, and more.

If you're a teacher and you have students with food allergies, you can print out signs to hang in your classroom so that the other students and/or parents are aware of the food allergies.

If you are part of the school's PTO/PTA ask for input from the parents of kids with food allergies - we are always willing to help out when it comes to planning safe and fun events where NO child is excluded because of food. 

Keeping kids with food allergies safe starts at home with the parents but when our kids are at school we rely on the faculty, staff, and even other students to do everything they can to keep our children safe. It really does take a village to keep our kids safe and allergy-free.

So if your child comes home this week or next and says they have a classmate with food allergies, don't bemoan the fact that PB&Js aren't allowed at lunch or that you can't send in homemade or store-bought cupcakes for little Timmy's birthday.

Instead, look at this as a teaching and learning experience for you and your child. Reach out to the parent of the child with food allergies and see what IS safe for snacks and treats. Ask what you can do to help plan classroom parties. Teach your child what food allergies are and how they can help keep their friend safe. Check the Safe Snack Guide for ideas on treats that are safe for kids with peanut, tree nut, and/or egg allergies.

And remember - exclude the food NOT the child.