Keeping Your Allergy-Prone Child Safe at Preschool

Concerned about your allergy-prone preschooler having a reaction while they’re at school? Your little one can have a safe and fun preschool experience, even if they have an allergy! Here are some tips for how to protect your allergy-prone child while they’re at school.

Make sure the preschool has your child’s allergy info on file.

Be sure to read and fill out any paperwork your pre-school gives you pertaining to your child’s allergies and the school’s allergy policies. This way, the childcare facility has your child’s allergies as well as the appropriate treatment on file.

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Label your child’s lunch.

Make sure you attach a tag to your child’s lunch bag with your child’s name and their allergies clearly labeled. It would be a good idea to have your doctor’s name and phone number and your name and phone number on the card as well.

Teach your child to talk about their allergies.

If your child is old enough to articulate what they are allergic to, encourage them to talk about their allergies with their teacher before snack or lunch time. You could also give them an allergy bracelet to wear.

Include meds for emergencies.

Just in case of an emergency, pack your child’s medicine and/or epi-pen in their bag as well. Most preschools have Benadryl on hand and are very careful with allergies, but if your child requires a stronger dose of medicine it’s best to include it just in case your child accidentally ingests something their body cannot have.

You may worry about sending your allergy-prone child to preschool, for fear they will come into contact with their allergen. But if the preschool has your child’s allergies on file and you include some additional written instructions in their lunch/snack as well, your child should be able to enjoy pre-school reaction-free!