6 Tips for Preparing Your Kids for School
UK schools are in the early days of preparing for the upcoming school year, but teachers aren’t the only ones who get stressed around this time of year. Children who have allergies find that returning to school after the Summer break can be a stressful endeavour.
Meeting new teachers who aren’t aware of their allergies, feeling exposed to new environments, having to be overly aware of their surroundings — just a few things that cause unbearable stress for children with allergies.
With that in mind, here are a few tips that you can use to make the school year easier for your child.
Tip #1 — Talk to Your Child
Some children don’t fully understand what having an allergy means and how it could be detrimental to their health. Make sure that you carefully explain to them everything about their allergies that they should be aware of and that if they feel unwell (or show signs of an allergy outbreak) they should quickly talk to an adult.
If they have a food allergy then it may be worth discussing how to politely decline any food that is offered to them, just as an extra precaution.
Tip #2 — Make Their Allergies Known to the School!
Remember, if your child has an allergic reaction at school then the only people who can help are those around them. Make sure that the school (specifically all of your child’s teachers) knows about the allergies and how to treat an allergic reaction.
Preferably, arrange a face-to-face meeting. Aside from being more personal than a phone call, it’s a great way to have an open discussion.
Tip #3 — Get Some Emergency Medicine
If medication is needed to control your child’s allergy then request an additional prescription from your doctor. You should have allergy medicine at school as well as home to minimise the chance of a life-threatening allergic reaction.
The medication should be labelled, readily available, and all necessary personnel should know where it is stored. Depending on the school your child attends, the best place to store the medicine will differ. For example — if they go to high school and have several teachers in different classrooms, carrying it in their schoolbag would be best.
On the other hand, if a school nurse is available then they should take care of it. Both your child and their teachers should know exactly how to access the medicine in case of an emergency.
Tip #4 — Talk to Other Parents
You might want to consider joining the school’s PTA to get more involved with the school and the policies that are in place.
If there is a sizeable number of children who suffer from allergies, then maybe exploring the benefits of a support group for these children could be beneficial to the school. Similarly, requesting the school to publish and send out an informative letter to parents could be worth looking into.
Tip #5 — Purchase an Allergy Wristband
Lastly, having your child wear an allergy awareness wristband is always a good idea. Should your child experience an allergic reaction and they struggle to communicate properly, simply pointing at the wristband will alert anyone who is nearby that they are suffering from an allergic reaction and that they need help quickly.
Wristbands are very cheap and can be useful for when children are in unfamiliar places, going on a trip with their class, or you can turn it into a fun activity so that your child can learn about their allergy while designing their wristband.
Tip #6 — Create an Allergy Action Plan
Work with your child’s doctor to develop a written Allergy Action Plan. This plan should outline:
- Your child’s specific allergens
- Symptoms to watch for
- Step-by-step instructions for what to do in case of an allergic reaction
- Emergency contact information
Give copies to the school nurse, teachers, and staff. Review and update the plan yearly or when there are changes in your child’s condition or treatment.
Consider role-playing different scenarios with your child to help them feel more confident about handling potential allergy situations at school. Practice what to say if someone offers them food they can’t eat, or how to tell a teacher they’re not feeling well.
Remember, open communication between you, your child, and the school is key to managing allergies effectively. Don’t hesitate to check in regularly with teachers and staff to address any concerns or updates throughout the school year.
Do you have any school allergy tips that you think are worthy of being on the list above? Contact us via Facebook or Twitter and let us know!
Photo Credit: “Fotolia_0117” (CC BY 2.0) by Bildarchiv Universität Bielefeld
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This post was originally published in September 2018. It was last updated in August 2024.
