5 tips to ensure you are allergy ready!

With schools across the UK preparing to open their doors on a new school year, going back into the classroom can be a very stressful time for children with allergies.

Staying prepared is crucial to ensuring the safety of allergic children in the classroom. The risks of an allergic reaction can be greatly increased at school as it is much harder to control exposure to allergens.

We've pulled together 5 top tips to help you to get allergy ready for the return to school:

1 | Educate the school

Request an appointment with the school. Sitting down to discuss the nature of your child's allergies and the requirements surrounding them, with all the necessary school staff, is the best way to make sure everyone is well informed.

Having a face to face meeting provides the perfect platform for an open discussion regarding the school's allergy policies and your child's emergency care plan.

2 | Prepare your child

Ensure your child understands what to do and who to speak to at school if they need help.

Teach them to politely say 'no, thank you' if a school friend offers to share their food and explain the reasons why. For more information take a look at our Peanut Patrol blog.

3 | Emergency medication

If your child requires allergy medication, speak to your doctor about having a backup prescription for school and make sure that everything is clearly labelled and in date.

Make sure the school has access to and know how to administer the necessary medicines in case of an emergency. Discuss with the teacher the best place to store your child's medication - in their bag, a safe place in the classroom or with the school nurse - and make sure your child knows where it is to be kept.

4 | Speak to other parents

Ask the school to send an informative letter or email to the other parents. 

Get involved with PTA meetings and open up a friendly discussion about allergy requirements and school policy. If there are other parents with allergic children, why not start a school allergy support group?

5 | Allergy alert wristbands

Wearing an allergy alert wristband provides added peace of mind and helps to inform caregivers of your child's condition, should they find themselves in a situation where they are unable to communicate.

Easily identifiable, allergy wristbands can be particularly useful for school trips where there may be staff or parents in attendance who may not be fully aware of your child's allergies.

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