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Forum -> Children's Health -> Allergies
Food allergies on the school bus



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amother
Purple


 

Post Mon, Nov 20 2017, 8:36 pm
Moms of preschool kids with food allergies, how do you make sure your kid is not eating something they're not allowed to have while they're riding the bus?

My kid is 3. He has one food allergy. He's had pretty severe reactions from ingesting that food, but does not appear to be very sensitive to trace amounts or cross contamination. It's not a ingredient that's super common in snack foods, but it can show up. The teacher on the bus said she is not able to keep an eye on him unless he's in her seat. This has worked up until now, but recently he began complaining that he wants to sit with friends. Wwyd?
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anonymrs




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Nov 20 2017, 9:48 pm
To be honest, I would not send a 3 year old with food allergies on the bus.
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notshanarishona




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Nov 20 2017, 9:53 pm
There is minimal supervision on a school bus. The teacher is presumably sitting for safety reasons and can't watch everything going on. I would not let 3 yr old ride the bus until he is old enough not to share.
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amother
Black


 

Post Mon, Nov 20 2017, 10:23 pm
OP does your son carry an epipen with him? If yes, is the bus teacher prepared to use it if need be?
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amother
Oak


 

Post Tue, Nov 21 2017, 3:26 pm
Tell your son he has to sit with the teacher, end of story.

Kids with allergies learn that having allergies means you can't always have what you want. If at a birthday party, he just wanted a food he was allergic to just because his friends have it, you wouldn't give in. Same thing here, he needs to sit with the teacher because of his allergies and giving in isn't an option for his own safety. Tell him it won't be forever, but it's necessary for now.

For reference, I have food allergies, so I know what it's like to be that kid sitting at a different table eating carrot sticks while all the other kids are sitting at the main table eating cupcakes. Allergies are hard socially, but safety is never a compromise.

You can try showing him some empathy about the fact that it's hard for him to sit away from his friends, but don't make too big a deal out of it so he won't feel worse.
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pizzapie




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Nov 21 2017, 6:01 pm
That sounds frustrating all around. As an aside, I have never heard of a 3 year old riding the bus.
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amother
Purple


 

Post Tue, Nov 21 2017, 6:38 pm
amother wrote:
Tell your son he has to sit with the teacher, end of story.

Kids with allergies learn that having allergies means you can't always have what you want. If at a birthday party, he just wanted a food he was allergic to just because his friends have it, you wouldn't give in. Same thing here, he needs to sit with the teacher because of his allergies and giving in isn't an option for his own safety. Tell him it won't be forever, but it's necessary for now.

For reference, I have food allergies, so I know what it's like to be that kid sitting at a different table eating carrot sticks while all the other kids are sitting at the main table eating cupcakes. Allergies are hard socially, but safety is never a compromise.

You can try showing him some empathy about the fact that it's hard for him to sit away from his friends, but don't make too big a deal out of it so he won't feel worse.

Thank you. I wasn't sure if I was being overprotective. This is what I will do.
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SYA




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Nov 21 2017, 6:59 pm
My childs preschool (3 years old) has a rule no food on the bus due to allergies. A letter was sent out to all parents this week reminding them that there are kids with severe airborne allergies.

In addition, it is a choking hazard to eat on a bus. If the bus was to make a short stop a child can ch"v choke.
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amother
Purple


 

Post Tue, Nov 21 2017, 7:01 pm
SYA wrote:
My childs preschool (3 years old) has a rule no food on the bus due to allergies. A letter was sent out to all parents this week reminding them that there are kids with severe airborne allergies.

In addition, it is a choking hazard to eat on a bus. If the bus was to make a short stop a child can ch"v choke.

A lot of schools have this rule, not many enforce it unfortunately.
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animeme




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Nov 21 2017, 8:12 pm
amother wrote:
A lot of schools have this rule, not many enforce it unfortunately.


How would it be realistically possible to enforce?
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amother
Cobalt


 

Post Tue, Nov 21 2017, 9:04 pm
My son had a severe food allergy at that age. By 3 he knew not to take food from others. (At 2.5 someone in the shul kiddush gave him a cookie and he refused "I'm not allowed, I'm allergic"). I think at 3 your son is old enough to know he can't have certain foods. It should be an ongoing conversation with your son.

(This wouldn't hold true if his reaction was also to airborne).

Incidentally and off topic, if it is an egg allergy they can now do a blood test to determine of it is to cooked egg or only to raw egg.
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