I’m jumping the gun a bit as my son is only two, but we’re already thinking ahead to school and what that may look like for him with his food allergies. Having been a teacher before Sully was born, I’ve been privy to the elementary lunchroom scene. As much as we teachers forbid food sharing or touching of others’ plates, it just happens. Never before did I see that as a giant issue, but now that a simple taste of one of his anaphylactic foods could send him to the hospital or worse, I break out in a sweat thinking about him in that lunch environment. The only thing I know to do for him now is to pray for his safety and for wisdom in making school decisions as well as equipping him with the tools to keep himself safe.
One thing we already do is teach him “yes” foods and “no” foods. When asked, Sully can tell you “no no, eggs” and “no no, nuts.” That’s been helpful at home because if I do have a scrambled egg for breakfast and he asks for one, I remind him that it is a “no” food that will hurt his belly but that he gets to say “yes” to his breakfast. It already breaks my heart to tell him that he can’t have something but focusing on the “yes” is a way for us to show him all of the yummy things he does get to eat.
Additionally, we found the Daniel Tiger Has an Allergy book on Amazon, and it is a clear, concise, fun way to talk about what happens when we eat food we are allergic to. There’s an accompanying episode of Daniel Tiger, too, that is available on Amazon Prime or YouTube. The little songs and stories are short and attention grabbing, and I’m praying all of these little things from books and shows stick and are available for his recall later.
Even though his school in the fall won’t require him to bring a lunch, I created a printable for his lunchbox to use in the future. It has three rules for staying safe around food as well as a place to add which foods we say “no” to. If anything, it will serve as a conversation starter for his friends or a reminder for his teachers. You can download the free printable and check out the Daniel Tiger book and episode below!
Daniel Tiger Allergy Poster
Daniel Tiger Has an Allergy Book
Daniel Tiger Has an Allergy Episode: Season 3 Episode 4
