Allergy Medi-bands

[WeLoveLilo05]

DD (5) is starting K on Wed. She has a peanut allergy. I am thinking of buying her an allergy mediband (kind of like the Yellow LiveStrong bands) that is red and says peanut allergy on it. Would you do this? What have you done to ensure your child is not given food @ school. I wouldn't be so paranoid, but i had a student teaching experience in which a child with a food allergy was given something by the teacher that she should not have had...luckily I noticed she was given dairy when she could not have it otherwise she may have went into anaphalactic shock.

 

[marlynnp]

I made sure that my child knew not to eat anything that she was given unless it was lunch - all the staff was well aware of how to handle allergies OR it came from the treat box I sent in to school - which was kept in the teacher's closet.

You can't, nor should you, rely on everyone else. You need to teach your child what to do and the easiest way is to never eat anything they don't know is okay.

 

[lukenick1]

I bought my peanut/tree nut allergic son a bracelet to wear the first few months of Kindergarten. Once the staff at the lunch room got to know him he never wore it again. If you teach her to not eat anything without asking an adult to read the ingredients I'm sure she will do fine. My son is very cautious about eating something to the point where most times he will say no thank you. He even questions me sometimes when i give him something. Please just make sure to talk to the teacher about asking the kids to wash hands when they come into the classroom each morning. You wouldn't believe how many kids have peanut butter toast for breakfast and come to school with PB on their hands. I your child is as aware of the dangers of the allergy as you are then you should have no problem. Good luck and try not to worry

 

[WeLoveLilo05]

Thanks, she is very aware and always asks me if she could have things when we are outside our home (our house is peanut free so she takes whatever she wants). But at my aunt's house or mom's she'll always ask. I just get nervous that she might feel peer pressured as this is her 1st time with a group of kids.

Thanks, I think I'll get the bracelet and have her wear it the first month like you said. When filling out her paper work I made notes of it and will talk to her teacher @ orientation on Tuesday. The nurse was supposed to call me, but hasn't yet, which makes me a little nervous, so I guess I will be going to see her on Tuesday as well.

 

[Jen_in_NH]

Just a thought for you - you might want to consider a different style of bracelet. A lot of kids wear that syle of bracelet anyways, not for any particular medical issues. It might not be obvious to people what it is for.

Good luck whichever way you decide. I've been trying to find a medical alert for my son for a year now for diabetes, and I can't find much of anything that fits, and that he can't take off himself. I finally resorted to dog tags on his shoes and backpack

 

[MM27]

Please tell the teacher directly. The nurse in my school is not very good at relaying messages like this to teachers. I had a student one year that had a latex allergy. Not one person told me, including the parents. We were doing an activity in science with balloons and luckily the boy spoke up and told me that he couldn't touch them because of his allergy.

 

[lukenick1]

My sons bracelet was one of those medical alert bracelets that clipped on his wrist. There was an engravable plate on it that said Peanut/Tree nut allergy. Can't remember where i got it but it was ordered online. It was a sports band type. something like this....
http://www.medicalidstore.com/store...lIDSportsBands&Sub=36&isThumbs=Yes&Thumbs=150

 

[marlynnp]

Thanks, she is very aware and always asks me if she could have things when we are outside our home (our house is peanut free so she takes whatever she wants). But at my aunt's house or mom's she'll always ask. I just get nervous that she might feel peer pressured as this is her 1st time with a group of kids.

Thanks, I think I'll get the bracelet and have her wear it the first month like you said. When filling out her paper work I made notes of it and will talk to her teacher @ orientation on Tuesday. The nurse was supposed to call me, but hasn't yet, which makes me a little nervous, so I guess I will be going to see her on Tuesday as well.

Yes, go in to meet the nurse and make sure your nurse is full-time, if not check with the principal as to who else is responsible when the nurse is not there. You should go in to take her meds in and fill out an allergy action plan anyway.

And great job on getting your daughter to be proactive!

Once she has made a few new friends at school you may want to invite them and their parents over for a 'get to know you' and explain your daughter's allergies. By first grade my daughter's two 'bestest' friends were always looking out for her by helping to check labels and they and their parents trained on how to use the epipen. And their parents were comfortable with having my daughter at their house and I was okay letting her go!