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Navigating Pre-school with Dairy Allergy

Date Posted: 23 May 2023

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Navigating preschool life with a child who has dairy allergies can be challenging, but it's definitely manageable!

TLDR:

1. Choose a preschool that can confidently and responsibly handle your child's allergy.
2. Make sure the school staff is well-informed and familiar with the allergy action plan, and trained on how to use an EpiPen.
3. Ensure meals meet your child's dietary needs.
4. Regular communication between parents and teachers is essential to keeping your child safe and comfortable.

Getting Comfortable with the School

Choosing a preschool that could accommodate our child's dairy allergies was our top priority. We found one that provides daily in-house cooked meals. This assurance calmed our nerves, knowing they could cater to her dairy allergy. Additionally, we provided a colored copy of the allergy action plan to the school and ensured an EpiPen always travels with her in her school bag.

We were especially impressed when our daughter’s teacher underwent training on how to administer the EpiPen. It highlighted the school's commitment to ensuring a safe and inclusive environment for our little one.

Day-to-Day Management

The school makes a consistent effort to ensure she doesn't feel excluded while keeping her safe from dairy. When her classmates have birthday cupcakes, we're informed in advance so we can bring a non-dairy cupcake for her. During snack time or picnics, she is seated away from kids who eat dairy, and closer to others with vegan diets, etc.

Despite these precautions, our daughter sometimes experiences minor reactions like rashes around her eyes or mouth. We suspect this might occur due to contact with surfaces that may have traces of dairy. In such instances, the teacher sends us photos of the rashes and seeks our consent before administering antihistamines.

Overall, our experience with the school has been a positive one. We are heartened by the commitment they've demonstrated in providing a safe environment for our little one.

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