From The Nut-Free Mom Blog Archives: Food Allergies and Letting Go

My kids head back to school next week, so this is our last Friday before the start of the new school year. I've been thinking about those of you sending new students to school this year and remembering what that was like -- vividly.

It can be very stressful to let go of a child and send them off to school, so I wanted to share one of my posts from the blog archives. Click the link to read my post called "Letting Go." I wrote it right before my youngest began kindergarten and my oldest began a new school as a third grader. We had moved, so our old school with our established ways of managing allergies was no longer there for us. Read more here.

Have you ever wanted to tell someone what it's like to be the parent of a child with severe food allergies? I wrote an article for The TODAY Show Moms site that describes this very thing. Please feel free to share this short essay that outlines the pitfalls of being a food allergy parent.

Coming up very soon, I'm excited to share a back-to-school lunch post with you all. I'll have some great lunch resources and ideas, but I'd love to post some of my readers' lunch favorites. This year, I'm on a mission for a better, more interesting and healthy nut-free lunch. If you have any lunch faves you'd like to share, share them in the comments below. I'll share them in an upcoming blog post and on Pinterest. Tell us what it is and what ingredients you use -- give us the details so that others can recreate it.

Here's one resource I'll be listing in my food allergy-friendly lunch post: Candice Foods, a sponsor of this blog. If you are looking for a healthy energy bar without all the sugar and saturated fat, plus a food that's made in a nut-free, gluten-free facility (and free of many top allergens), be sure to check out their website. These bars are so good, you'd never know that they are "free-from" anything. My daughters like to pack a Candice Foods energy bar in their dance bag, as a snack to get them through the day, or as a quick side for lunch. Click the "Candice Foods" button on the right sidebar of my blog to find out more and to get ordering info.

I know that many of you are heading back to school in the next few weeks, so my best wishes to you and be sure to come back to the blog for more resources, articles, and info. Or if you just need to vent!

Thanks to everyone who shares their family favorite nut-free or free-from lunch to be included in an upcoming post and on Pinterest!

Coping with Sending Kids with Food Allergies Back to School: Who Needs a Pep Talk?

Let me start by saying that I think school is a wonderful thing and we've had some excellent experiences at school. School has been a positive experience for us in so many ways. For those of you getting ready to send your kids with severe allergies off to school for the first time, of course you must prepare the school, yourself and your child, but the rewards can be great.

Still, I remember so clearly that anxious feeling I had when sending my child to school for the first time. Kindergarten felt very challenging, maybe because preschool was when we discovered my daughter's allergies following an anaphylactic reaction. I was still learning about allergies when I sent my child off to school, just like many of you.

I feel like all of us need a pep talk right now, even those of us who have been sending kids with food allergies to school for years. Heck, I'd like a pep talk myself. With 8th grade approaching, my family will be dealing with new challenges and new adjustments that come with increasing independence. So even now, I can relate to those of you sending kids to school for the first time. For more about taking that leap of faith at the start of the school year, check out this article. It seemed to strike a chord with many readers.

Here's one positive thing I've observed: Food allergy awareness is at an all-time high in schools. When we began school nine years ago, it was not very well understood and I had to break a lot of new ground when my daughter first became a student. Now, most schools have had allergic students and have created some type of policy. You may need to work with your school to tweak the policy to your satisfaction, but it's highly unlikely that your school has never dealt with allergic students before. Your school district may even have a concrete policy on dealing with food allergy management. If you're not sure, ask them.

These days, kids in your child's classroom will be used to others having food allergies and dietary restrictions. This is positive if you are just sending a child to school. I've found that kids can be excellent advocates for their friends with allergies. This generation will hopefully be more tolerant and accepting.

Additionally, most parents are used to hearing about food restrictions. Do some of them grumble? Are some of them occasionally upset that they can't send peanut butter treats or what have you to a class party? Sure. It does happen but most of the time it's because parents don't understand why or if they do, they are busy and just don't want to be bothered. If you keep your cool and offer to be a resource, that is a big help. Your formal health plan at school can also reflect what is allowed in the classroom, so see this link for details on working with your school.

And here's one thing to keep in mind, a big thing. We may be adept at food allergy management and have it foremost in our minds, but that doesn't mean that other people do. It's probably not going to take one conversation or meeting to achieve perfect understanding between you and the school. If you know that going in and have prepared yourself with a school calendar so that you can check in periodically (especially around party or special event time), you will not feel as blindsided when somebody forgets something or there is a mishap regarding what is allowed in the classroom. Use it as a learning experience and always, always communicate.

Trust your gut. If something is not right, talk to your school about what you can do to make it better. Don't suffer in silence or have your child suffer. It's not worth it and may even endanger their health.

Finally, engage your child in food allergy management. Even little kids can learn to say no politely to an unknown food or food not approved by you. Make sure it's you who approves the food and no one else (remember, others don't have it foremost on their minds like you do). Help your child learn what foods may be risky (desserts, candy, certain snacks, bakery goods, some restaurant foods, etc.) and teach them to say "no, thank you." It will help their confidence and yours if they know what to avoid. For an article on teaching kids to manage nut allergies, click here.

As the school year nears, we will have stress. Take time for yourself and if you've completed all your allergy-related tasks, then know you are doing what you can. Try to relax so that you don't transmit anxiety to your child. Click this link for a parent's/caregiver's guide to managing nut allergies.

Please share with us any tips you have for managing food allergies at school by leaving a comment.  I wish all of us a safe and happy school year!

Note: for medical questions, please ask your doctor. For questions regarding your specific school, please contact them directly.

Food Allergy News: Back to School Prep Can Start Now

I hope you are all enjoying summer as much as I am. Still, it is whizzing by! (Doesn't it always?) I know that many of you are thinking about preparing to send your child with food allergies back to school, so I am sharing a few links to my most popular posts on this subject.

First of all, where do you begin when getting ready for back-to-school with peanut and tree nut allergies? This post gets you started by showing you how/where to begin the discussion with your school.

And check out this link. You'll find a one-stop collection of many back-to-school blog posts including practical advice and tips you can use today.

My e-book shows you how to educate everyone in your circle on managing food allergies--including teachers.

I hope you enjoy every second that summer has to offer. And when you're ready to begin tackling the new school year, I hope these posts help get you on the right track! I've been through it all and I hope my experience can give you some guidance to reduce stress and get your child's school year off on a positive note.

In the News: Food Allergies, Nut Allergies and Summer Travel

 

Earlier this week, CNN.com quoted me and others (like Anaphylaxis Canada) in a story about food allergies, celiac disease and travel. The story focused on international travel and it had some good information. For example, it looks like many European countries are getting on board with accommodating allergies and celiac disease. You can read the full story by clicking this link. Thanks to the author of this story--she has food allergies herself, so she wanted to spread awareness. I appreciate that she included my remark about not letting allergies hold you back. True, some destinations are better than others, but if you're willing to be flexible, travel with food allergies is something you can incorporate into your life with relative ease.

In the spirit of the season, I gathered links to some of blog posts I've written about travel in the summer.

Here are two links about summer travel including some tips on managing allergies at your destination. Click here and here for these articles.

Regarding air travel with nut allergies: I discuss a spring break trip and how we dealt with the airlines. Click here for that story.

If you have not seen AllergyEats, check it out! It is nationwide (U.S. only) free site that provides peer-reviewed food allergy restaurant advice. You can narrow it down by city, state and multiple food allergens. Even if you don't see a review on a restaurant, you will see what is at your destination and can begin researching. I've used this site and it's very helpful.

One thing I strongly suggest is to have access to a kitchen or even a small refrigerator at your destination whenever possible. That way, you can serve your child safe breakfast or lunch without a lot of searching for "something safe" when everybody's stomach is rumbling and the family is starving. The little 'fridge is a big stress-saver.

If you want a quick link to the food allergy policies on airlines, check the right sidebar of my site for a link to Allergic Living magazine's excellent guide.

What works for you when you travel? Share your tips with us.

For more on coping with nut allergies in general, click here.

Nut-Free Summer 2013: A Roundup of Food Allergy Posts for a Fun, Safe Summer

 

Homemade ice cream break with my youngest. See below (and search the blog)
 for nut-free frozen treat recipes.

Summer is in full swing by now. Most of us have kids out of school and things like parties, road trips and seasonal treats like ice cream and barbecues are on the horizon.

I have written quite a bit about summer with food allergies, so I thought I would share some of my favorite and most useful summer blog posts for those who haven't seen them. For those who have, I hope these will serve as helpful reminders.

Going to a summer party or barbecue? Check out these tips.

Are you scheduling a road trip to visit family or friends? Here's some advice on travel with food allergies.

Sending a child to camp or thinking about it? Here is our day camp story, plus a link to the transcript of a talk I co-hosted on The Motherhood dealing with camp, sleepovers and play dates.

Looking for homemade ice cream? Here is a recipe for nut-free, egg-free basic vanilla. Making ice cream and frozen treats is a fun and easy summer project on a rainy day or for “bored” kiddos.

If you’re concerned about nut allergies and sunscreen, here is a popular post discussing some options. The comments box below this post has great suggestions from readers, too.

And for anyone looking for an overall approach to living the nut-free life, check out my e-book guide for parents and caregivers of kids with life-threatening nut allergies. Grandparents, family members and teachers find it helpful, too.  As always, I appreciate the great feedback I've received from readers of my book. Thank you!