How Peanut Allergy Affects My Mornings

Just a few things that I do differently than the average house wife in order to keep my family safe:

Every school day I make up 2 sack lunches. Our school's cafeteria is great and they don't serve actual peanut products, but they don't call the distributors and check on "may contains" or "same facility" issues, so it isn't safe enough for my kids to actually eat anything they fix, but it minimizes the risk for my children to be around it. This morning I made ham sandwiches, lime jello, and green grapes. They are allowed to purchase the milk in the lunch line, and they drink it with their meal.

I always send in a large metal water bottle filled with ice water, because they aren't allowed to drink from the drinking fountains.

As we are preparing to head towards school. When I'm hollering out last minute items to be done - I always have to include the question - are your epi-belts around your waist?

As the rest of the neighborhood sends their children off on the bus, I am loading my children into the mini-van to drive them to school. There is WAY too much food on buses, and not enough adult supervision for my boys to be safe there.

When we arrive at the school, the rest of the parents all pull over in the drop off lane and let their kids hop out. We pull around to the front of the building so that I can go inside. After I have made sure that there are adult playground supervisors there on duty, the boys go off and play with their friends while I head upstairs to the 3rd grade section of the building. I check in with both teachers that teach my children. My first priority is to make sure that both teachers there. If one teacher is gone, I pull that sons' desk down to the other room. That way - both of my children are always in a room with a teacher that knows how to deal with their allergy, and how to administer their epi-pens if necessary. I've had some horrible experiences dealing with substitute teachers - so we just choose not to deal with them any longer. This process is so much easier to handle - since I have twins in the same grade, but different classes. I touch base and make sure there aren't any parties or any other reason that food might come into their class rooms.

Then I head home, and start the rest of my day. Today is laundry - that also has issues to deal with for the kids, always use perfume & die free products and double rinse all loads.

All of the above items that deal with the school is all spelled out in our 504's. (504 is a section of the American's with Disabilities Act) If you have questions concerning getting a 504, or keeping your child safe in school - I suggest visiting http://allergy.hyperboards.com/. Great place filled with resources for keeping us all safe.