9 School Supply Essentials for Kids With Food Allergies
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Do you know about the Food Allergy Made Simple Podcast?
The Food Allergy Made Simple Podcast has several episodes about navigating food allergies at school. Check out this episode with 2 ways to write your school allergy letter so that other parents and classmates know how to keep your child safe at school.
This is a new and interesting take that you’ve never heard before!
Now, lets get to those school supplies for food allergies…
As always, summer has FLOWN by, and here we are looking at fall and school supplies.
I know we don't want to think of school yet, but we all know this has to get done whether we’re in the mood or not. Besides, if we know what we need we can then search for sales in the little bit of summer we have left instead of paying full shot right before school starts.
In past years I’ve scrambled to get everything done because I never kept track of exactly what we needed from year to year. Then I got smart! I took the initiative to create a list of all the things we need to buy before the school year in September, and I thought I would share it with you and make your life easier too.
I recommend ordering these items in advance because some of them may take more time than you think to arrive (i.e. medical bracelet and EpiPen holder).
Let’s get into it:
1. A School Allergy Plan Template
Making sure the teacher is allergy savvy AND knows how to keep your child included is important. If you’re wondering why, check out this podcast called Truth Bomb: Why Educating Teachers about Food Allergies is Crucial.
Book a time to go over food allergy safety with your teacher as early as possible before they’re feeling the back-to-school crunch.
To help you with this meeting and create the BEST allergy plan for your child, use a template so you don’t forget anything important. This template is likely the MOST important school supply there is.
It will save you hours and hours of research and lower the risk of a food allergy reaction at school. GET MORE DETAILS HERE.
2. Fresh Epinephrine Injectors
The new school year means new injectors. You’ll want to make sure the injectors will be good at least until the end of the school year so you don’t have to remember to replace them halfway through the year. Yes, I ask at the pharmacy to see what the expiry dates are and sometimes I go to a different one if they aren’t at least a year. The EpiPen shortages that happened a while back prove that it’s important to keep on top of this so you always have them on hand.
Watch this quick video for examples of these supplies.
3. Epinephrine Holders
My daughter wears a navy uniform so she likes the plain black case that’s available for free on the EpiPen website.
Not everyone wants a carrier that’s plain black though. If your child likes a brighter version, there are some really nice ones on the Allermates website. What I love about Allermate’s epinephrine carriers is that they offer carriers for Auvi-Q (or Allerject) AND EpiPen. They also have room for an ice pack for those warm fall and spring days and a place to put your kiddo’s name and allergies.
4. Medical Alert Bracelet
Because this is what emergency teams look are trained to look for, this is important as a form of communication if your child ever needed medical attention and they couldn’t speak for themselves.
There are so many varieties and versions of these now. From plastic versions that can get wet for the younger kids to the utilitarian versions from Medic Alert to the more beautiful ones for the older kids. Here are some great boys’ and girls options.
I don’t skimp on this bracelet, because my daughter has to wear it all day, every day. I make a big deal about letting her pick one so I know she loves it, and I make sure to buy one that is going to be comfortable. We go with Lauren’s Hope since their stretchy ones are comfy AND cute.
There’s no use in having a medical alert bracelet if kids don’t wear it. Read this post I did for tips for getting your allergy kiddo to wear their alert bracelet.
5. Emergency Action Plan With Updated Pictures.
Don’t forget to print a Food Allergy Emergency Plan (available from your Allergist, or FARE or Food Allergy Canada). Then add an updated picture so it’s current.
Your child changes and gets bigger every year, so it makes sense to update their picture on their emergency plan to make sure it’s as accurate as possible, right? I make mine up with the most recent school photos from the previous year and bring copies with me to my school allergy plan meeting so I can leave them with my teacher and school.
PRO TIP: Emergency Action Plans need to be signed by your Allergist/Doctor, and there may be other forms your school requires (double check with them).
Do this ASAP since getting an appointment right before school can be especially hard!
6. Hand Wipes
Studies show that washing hands with soap and water is THE best way to remove allergens from hands, but unfortunately, this isn’t always possible. The next best way to remove allergens from hands is with wipes. Unfortunately, hand sanitizer is the least effective and not recommended because it doesn’t actually remove allergens from hands or surfaces.
I like to ensure my daughter has a small travel pack of wipes for her lunch box and backpack. I don’t think the brand matters because it’s the actual physical action of wiping that removes the allergens. We like to use travel packs of Wet Wipes, and these are available at Walmart or Amazon.
7. Lunch Box (or two)
If your little one is in half-day preschool or kindergarten, you may not need a lunch box, but otherwise, your child will likely be bringing their lunch and snacks to school so you’ll want a reliable way to carry it while being something that your little loves.
If you have a young child, you may want to grab some stickers to put onto their lunchbox that alert others to their food allergies.
This brings me to my next school supply item…
8. Food Allergy Labels and Name Labels
Labeling your child’s lunch and other school items helps keep them separate and ensures there are no mixups. This can be as simple as marking their items with a Sharpie, or, if you want something a little fancier, these labels from Allermates help show what allergy your child has. You can also get name labels from various vendors. Whatever label you choose, it’s important to label lunch boxes, backpacks, and possibly school supplies too.
9. Other Meds Like Antihistamines (if your child has environmental allergies), or Asthma Inhalers
Yep, these expire too! Make sure you have a fresh bottle for your school this year too.
Food Allergy School Supply Honorable Mentions:
If your child has hand eczema you may want to provide soap and hand lotion too. My daughter brought moisturizing soap for many years! We love Cetaphil face wash in small travel bottles for school. Also, if our child has asthma, don’t forget to update their inhalers.
Conclusion
It’s important to be ready and prepared for an allergy-safe school year with this list of essential food allergy school supplies, but it’s really important to ensure your school understands how to keep your child safe and included too.
Before you go, this blog is a must-read: The Parents Guide to Critical Food Allergy Training at School.
Which one of these supplies surprised you the most? Were you surprised by the emergency plan like I was? Let me know in the comments!
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