Back-to-school season is an exciting time for kids and parents. But when your child has a food allergy, it can also be a time of anxiety and uncertainty. There's a lot to prepare, from filling out the required school forms to ensuring your child knows what to do if they have an allergic reaction. For parents of kids with food allergies, this time of year can be overwhelming to say the least.
To help you make it through the back-to-school season with your sanity intact, we speak with a food allergy expert to provide you with tips for navigating the start of the school year as a parent of children with food allergies.
Navigating the School Year With Food Allergies
Debbie Taback, mother of three and co-founder of Latitude Food Allergy Care
Navigating the beginning of the school year when your child has food allergies can be a roller coaster. There's a lot to think about as a parent — making sure all the teachers are aware of your child's allergy, planning for doctors' appointments throughout the year, and ensuring your child has the right support in place in and out of the classroom.
To help you start the year off on the right foot, we speak with Debbie Taback, mother of three children with food allergies, and co-founder of Latitude Food Allergy Care. Debbie provides three crucial tips for a successful start to the school year.
Build Your Community of Support as a Food Allergy Parent
As a food allergy parent, a lot of your struggles can feel very isolating. A new school year also comes with a lot of responsibilities for you as the parent. Unless you're in a small school with limited staff, the teachers who knew your child's allergies so well last year may no longer be involved in your child's education. And if you're starting at a new school or it's your child's first year, the transition from home to school can be even more jarring.
Building a community of support around your child is crucial, both for your child's safety and for your own sake. Taback advises parents, “Approach the school year with a spirit of teamwork and partnership with your child’s teachers. Ensure that they have reviewed the specifics of your child’s allergies, are prepared to act in an emergency, and encourage dialogue.”
Even if the process is a bit frustrating for you, try to have grace and patience for your child's teachers. As Taback reminds parents, “Food allergies may feel second-nature to you, but your teacher may be new to managing your child’s unique allergies.”
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Evaluate Food Allergies Yearly With Updated Testing
If you're new to the challenge of dealing with food allergies, you might not realize how much intervention it actually requires. “Food allergies, especially in young children, can change over time, meaning a diagnosis from last year may be outdated or overly broad. My sons’ individual diagnoses changed multiple times before they were 6 years old — they both grew into some allergies and out of others,” Taback says.
Not only is it important for the health of your child to ensure their testing is up-to-date, but it also ensures your child is only avoiding foods they're actually allergic to. Taback tells us that at Latitude Food Allergy Care, they often see patients whose testing isn't current, and this leads to them unnecessarily avoiding entire categories of foods.
It's also important to see an allergist, who is your first line of defense, because there are always changes to how allergies are treated, and keeping up with appointments may mean your child has an easier time at school.
Consider Proactive Food Allergy Treatment
While no allergy treatment is one-size-fits-all, it's good for parents to remember that there is treatment available for students of all ages. It's best to be proactive with treatment, instead of assuming your child's current treatment is still the right choice or waiting for things to get better.
Taback recounts her experience with her own children. “Treatment with oral immunotherapy and XOLAIR® was game-changing for my children in elementary school, making each new school year easier — with increasing freedom for all of us. Today, treatment options are available for students of all ages.”
She also tells us that at Latitude Food Allergy, the average patient graduates from treatment in a little over eight months. Proactive treatment can increase the freedom your child has and the freedom you have as a parent.
It might be tempting as a parent to just see how things go, but being proactive can be an absolute game-changer for kids with food allergies. Instead of waiting until you're well into the school year, Taback tells us, “Starting treatment now can mean sitting at any table at lunchtime, riding the school bus, going on fieldtrips and overnights, and celebrating more classmates' birthdays next year!”
What parent doesn't want that for their child?
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Staying Hopeful When Dealing With Food Allergies
When it comes to back-to-school season, it can be exhausting for parents of kids with food allergies, but don't be discouraged. Remember that before you know it, you, your kid, and their teachers will have a consistent routine, and many of the worries you're facing now will be a distant memory.
Each time that you take these crucial steps in preparing your child for a new school year, you're learning, growing, and being the best parent you can be. They may not see it now, but one day, your kids will appreciate all the work you put in to help them have a safe and successful year of school.
The image featured at the top of this post is ©Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock.com