The number of children with food allergies in the United States tallied up to 4,000,000  in 2014 . Of kids with food allergies, around 1,548,000 suffered histories with severe reactions, and about 1,216,000 had multiple food sensitivities. There’s no way to prevent food allergies from manifesting themselves in children’s bodies. However, they can be separated from problem foods.

Let’s look into three tips for keeping your food-allergy-ridden child as safe as possible at school.

Contact School Authorities

Principals are often held responsible for negative occurrences that happen directly under their supervision or indirectly, whether they’re present or not. As such, school officials are motivated to prevent severe food allergy flare-ups. Besides, principals and most other authorities are trained in preventing food allergies from occurring at school, appropriately equipping them for mitigating or entirely halting food sensitivity flares. It’s also recommended to contact your child’s teacher(s) to ensure they’re aware, as well.

Outline a List of Safe Snacks

It seems like kids are hungry all the time, as if they’re miniature bottomless pits. Because they usually only get one meal a day outside of early-morning breakfast, kids gobble down snacks as often as possible at school. To prevent your child eating something inappropriate, make a list of parent- and doctor-approved “safe snacks” for them to have outside of regular meals.

Educate Your Child

Most parents would be willing to bet that children don’t want to learn about the biological mechanics of food allergies — and that’s fine. However, all children with food allergies should be educated on the basics of food allergies. If Little Johnny’s allergic to peanuts, make him ware that he could still get sick if he ate food that came out of the same kitchen as those peanuts. When children understand negative consequences, they’re less likely to engage in them, especially those as potentially life-threatening as food allergies.

Final thoughts

Many parents find themselves exhibiting “helicopter parent” behavior, as accidents are far less likely to occur during direct parental supervision. However, it’s impossible to closely monitor children everywhere, especially because they’re required to complete schooling. Implement these three tips into your child’s school routine and research reputable sources online for more valuable tips.

To make an appointment to see one of our physicians for ongoing concerns about peanut or any other type of food allergy, click HERE for our contact information.