This is one of my two top goals when we develop my 12-year-old daughter’s food allergy 504 plan for school. We work towards prevention of cross-contact with tree nuts and emergency response. Learning never stops for families managing life threatening food allergies and I picked up an awesome tip the other day from Sara C: buy inexpensive Dollar Tree stickers of one theme and use those as your secret code indicating your child’s safe foods–which so often look like everyone else’s food. So, needless to say, I ran out and spent $1.00 and picked up a 300 butterfly sticker set and went to town on my daughter’s lunch. Now, all those sandwiches looking alike (her reusable containers as well) boast a butterfly sticker. Her tween comment to me about this change was, “hum, embarrassing but full of love”.
Pay attention. Schools in my town are over crowded. Students are squeezed in at long tables and those invisible circles of space we all live in are dissolved. Grabbing someone else’s food is common place these days. Now, she has a quick, one glance system to ensure she is eating the right grub.
Playing it cool. Although, I think I need to find animal stickers once we work through this large packet of stickers. I guess butterflies are “so yesterday” for her age group. She is not a boy band fan and asked for the Nevada State Seal for her birthday. Maybe I need to see if there are Nevada State Seal stickers out there?
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One of the hardest things I find about managing both life threatening food allergies and asthma is talking to others. I hate to be the one that might be perceived as demanding, pushing or for asking too much. What I now know, fourteen years later, is that honest, clear information presented with kindness works!..
This is a fantastic idea Caroline! I love hearing from real parents since they often have the best practical ideas for keeping safe in the school.
This was Sara C’s idea! I just never thought of it. I Agree, I love when parents share. It goes to show that we are never masters of our food allergy ships, we are just really at navigating the waters and asking questions.
There is one mom in my son’s class that actually asked what her son could bring for lunch that would be safe to eat next to my son. While the school has him sitting at the end of the table, in his invisible bubble, next to other allergy kids (but with different allergies) it was heart warming to think a non allergy mom would go that extra step.
Her son now has soy butter and jelly sandwiches, instead of peanut butter… And she packs safe (top 8 allergen free) snacks.
This doesn’t mean his guard is down, he’s still Leary of everyone’s foods as his allergies are more than most on his class.
Barbara,
What a great friend! I think kids are very understanding. It is us adults who make things complicated! Thank you for joining the conversation! For me, this is the kind of allergen table I want to see.