How to deal w/chocolate allergy at school?

[We Three]

UGH.  

 Amelia is allergic to chocolate...or should I say she "has a sensitivity" in that she gets hives/rash and is itchy everywhere.  It happened the first time she had chocolate, and again recently when we decided to try again and see if she had outgrown it. Awful rash...even on her palms and soles.  

 Her school was told abt the sensitivity, and the teacher did announce it at open house with all the parents present.  Now today, and for the second time this week, there has been chocolate at snack time and she was given goldfish crackers.  I never asked them not to have chocolate, but kinda thought they wouldn't. But Monday was M&M cookies, and today was brownies.  Brownies and juice for 4 year olds at 10am...already I'm wondering wth?

 What should I do? I know it isn't an "allergy" in that she can't get sick or go into anaphylactic shock, but still.  Can I bring something to school and leave it there for her in these events? Like, bring in a cupcake and leave it with the teacher so that she isn't having crackers while all the others are having cake?    I have no way of knowing what snack will be, or when there is a birthday celebration.  

 What do you guys do with regard to school?  I'm beyond upset about this, and there have been ALOT of issues with me and the school already...but this is so unfair to her it's breaking my heart.

[Lolly]

I've taught children with allergies and the parents have generally sent in a supply of safe treats for them to have in school time if the others were having a treat. In my early teaching career it was more common to have sweets/ candy for birthday treats so I made sure I always had a stash of sweets/ candy that the Muslim children I was teaching could eat as the poular sweets generally had pork gelatine.

To be honest though, if she is getting hives/ rash and itching all over I would consider that an allergy - allergic reactions tend to get worse with repeated exposure (school nurse told us that on epi-pen training sessions so apologies if that info is wrong!). You may be able to get them to tell you when the birthdays are in class - they wouldn't have to match names to dates, so you would have some idea that treats are more likely at these times.

Laura

[15milner]

Ditto to what Laura said.  A stash of 'Amelia friendly' snacks. I am shocked though to hear that they are having chocolate and cake as a snack.  If it's a childs birthday here, we send those treats home at the end of the day, rather than having them in class. 

Alex

[RyansMum]

Yes, ask them to no longer give her snacks, you will provide them.

[Shiv52]

Wow!  The school give them chocolate?

M starts bringing a packed lunch in a few weeks and we just got a letter about it and her nursery operates a healthy eating policy so we aren't allowed to send sweets/chocolate/juice/crisps.  They provide a morning snack and it is cereal/toast/pancakes/fruit.   No junk. 

I would send some snacks in that you are happy for her to have and ask them to let you know if they need more.  I do though think it is their responsibility to change their policy in relation to allergies.  A school I worked in ended up being kiwi free as a little boy had a bad reaction to it. 

Was it a special occasion for the chocolate or just normal practice?  I am baffled by that.

[aisling]

That is crazy, what it is birthday party every day at school!?  How do the children have anything to look forward to a treat when everyday is a treat. I would for sure bring our own snack.

[deb]

I feel your pain. I send in a snack with Josie daily still in 4th grade (her lunch isn't till 1PM). And at least once a week I find yet another staff member I have to tell about J's food sensitivities/allergies; today I found another one.

And it does sound like an allergic reaction; hives counts as allergies. May want to also keep Benadryl at the school for her.

BTW, many preschools have "produce-only" snacks; you may want to approach them about something like this, if you think they'd keep an open mind about it. 

[Buntybear]

Hi, I agree that it does sound like an allergy. May be worth getting it checked out? I had a letter from the hospital with instructions what to do with Olly if he has any of the foods that he is allergic to and they have a bottle of his anti histamine. They may take more notice if you take a bottle of medecine to administer if she does have chocolate!

[EllenS]

Hey, my dd has a sensitivity to yellow food coloring - makes her psycho, like scary wild demon-possessed, screaming and flailing.  Only the yellow.  We've told her school and her Sunday school teachers, and they still have lots of junky snacks sometimes, as well as "juice" that is really not. I offered to send a supply of snacks, but they said they would just watch out for it.  Yeah, right.  I do make sure and always send her own cup full of water or watered-down fruit juice.

Dd understands that yellow makes her feel bad, and refuses to eat it.  She's 4.  But she's also into a big "negative" stage right now, and I think she kinda likes having an approved reason to refuse stuff.

I agree with PP's - hives are an allergic reaction, and indeed providing Benadryl with a warning, or a copy of safety procedures in case she starts having an allergic reaction, may make them sit up and take notice.  Allergies can escalate suddenly - dd had penicillin several times with no ill effects before suddenly developing hives all over and her face swollen 2x normal size.  Does she react to nuts also?  Sometimes chocolate is processed on equipment that also processes nuts, and I have heard of cross-reactions.

[~ Vik ~]

Agree with pps about a supply of safe snacks. Dylan has a little basket with various snacks (crackers, rice cakes, biscuits, etc.) and I bake safe muffins, loaves, and cupcakes that the kitchen supervisor keeps in the freezer and defrosts when something similar is being served. There's always fresh fruit and/or veg that's safe for him too. And cake is only on birthdays, with ice cream or pudding as a dessert maybe once every 2 weeks. I also get a weekly menu every Friday for the following week so I can provide alternatives for unsafe meals.

[squeakersmum]

Joining the queue of baffled mamas on the chocolate for snack thing (and even goldfish really) - DS's playschool provides them with a snack mid morning which is milk or water, and a selection of cheese, raisins, apples, bananas and breadsticks so far.

[We Three]

 The brownies today were for a birthday, but the M&M cookies on Monday were just "snack".   I am scared to alientate them any further, as I did voice concerns about Amelia being dye-free.  The teacher sent out a written notice saying "Remember, we are encouraging healthy snacks here at XYZ Nursery School" and included a list of ideas.  On the first birthday celebration, the 2nd day of schhol, the parent brought in Dunkin Donuts.  I totally understand that the dye-free thing is our choice, and the other kids (and parents) shouldn't have to be dye free too.  I did think they'd honor the chocolate thing.

  We had agreed that when it was a birthday, they would let me know, and I would bring something in. That night I made cupcakes and I have 8 of them in my freezer at the ready.  I was furious today when dd told me she had crackers when all the other kids were having brownies.  I asked her what the teachers' said, and she told me they said "Sorry sweetheart, you can't have any of this."    I would have had the effing cupcake there for her.

 With regard to snack, I have a stash in her bookbag that they have been told to get in the event that snack isn't dye-free. I NEVER thought they'd serve chocolate.   So in both of her school days this week she has had to have a different snack than the others. I am really upset about it.

 Millie has no nut allergies, and eatts pb&J  all the time.  They did mention (at school) that any child with an allergy needs a doctors note....and I'm sure our ped would provide one, but would that mean they stop having chocolate at 10am?  I know our decision to be dye free has the same effect, but it isn't that much of a departure for her to have animal crackers when the others are having colored goldfish. But when they are having cupcakes and she is having pretzels? I think that's not ok!!!

 

[We Three]

Posted at  same time as Steffi....I am baffled as well. Especially after the note went out with a LIST of ideas, AND there is a bulletin board up as well. 
 FYI...parents provide snacks. At the first of every month, we bring in one snack, all 17 parents (say, a box of animal crackers) and one jar of juice.  So if one of the parents' bring in Oreos, they will be served, the director told me exactly that. It makes me want to cry.

[Jenn+Ethan+Emily]

So if one of the parents' bring in Oreos, they will be served, the director told me exactly that. It makes me want to cry.

That disgusts me! They should be monitoring what the children eat, not some random parent!

[squeakersmum]

My mum and sister both have a chocolate allergy. My sisters became apparent t around 6 (at least that's when they realised what it was) and by that time the children were a little older and her friends would usually bring something different for her or my mum would give her a treat when she got home. But again that's when they were given at the end of the day.

Posted as you did Anne. I think the school were out of order for not honouring their agreement with you since they made it in the first place.

Healthy eating and 'Fit 4 Life' are big government initiatives over here at the moment and have been for a few years now so most schools will operate a healthy snack only policy.

OMG- (posted at the same time as you again) - That would make me so mad. Don't they - the parents, the school - care what these children are putting into their bodies? How do you even cope with a class of 3/4 year olds who have had brownie as a snack??!?!