REMEMBER TO INHALE AND EXHALE ALLERGY MUMS

Summer School Holidays As An Allergy Mum

My favourite time of year is the start of the summer school holidays here in Australia. The reason I love this period of time has nothing to do with the festive season approaching with presents, yummy food and social gatherings or the fact that I’ve always preferred the hot weather of an Australian Summer compared to the cold chill of Winter against my cheeks.  

It's Time To Inhale And Exhale As An Allergy Mum

I love the summer school holidays because it's a long stretch of time when the kids are in my care, and I feel at peace within myself.  As an allergy parent, it’s the time of year that I feel my body beginning to inhale and exhale freely and effortlessly every moment of every day because my allergy child is back in my care.  Allergy parents might understand the mantra of inhale…exhale…inhale…exhale. Sometimes we inhale and we simply forget to exhale due to the everyday stress of living in this allergy nightmare. We are continually holding our breath as we wait and watch with anticipation that everything will be OK for our allergy kids.   

I’m Back To Feeling In Control Of My Allergy Kids' Safety

During this period of time, from the end of term 4 until the beginning of the new school year, I don’t have a constant battle going on in my head, an ache in my heart and a knot in my stomach. My allergy child is in my care, and I’m responsible for their safety at every moment of every day. I know where they are and what they’re doing. I know where we’re going, plan food appropriately for each day, and always have all the allergy medication in my handbag and child carries his medicine ba. I’m back to feeling in control of my allergy kids' safety, and that’s a comforting way to live.  Nobody is more prepared and dedicated to my allergy kids' safety than me, the allergy mum.

I Hold My Breath, Hoping The School Day Passes Without Incident

As a parent of a child with multiple food allergies, it’s an anxious feeling you experience when you leave your allergy child in someone else care and school is no exception. Every day, you hold your breath, hoping that the school day passes without incident and that no dreaded phone call from the school is received. It’s constantly asking yourself, “Have I done enough and communicated enough to keep my allergy child safe when in the care of someone else?”. 

Allergy Kids Carry A Responsibility Far Beyond Their Years

The school environment can be challenging for any child as they navigate new teachers each year, changing friendships, understanding their strengths and weaknesses, and continually developing social skills appropriate for their age. Children with food allergies have the extra burden of this invisible disability to carry around each day. They need to learn how to keep themselves safe, assess who they can trust, conduct quick risk assessments in their head, and speak up when they feel in danger to their peers or teachers, which takes courage. In some cases, the allergy child is responsible for carrying their life-saving medication whilst at school. These allergy kids have to carry a responsibility far beyond their years. The days of a carefree childhood for allergy kids is basically non-existent.

Nobody Will Be As Qualified Or Invested In The Allergy Child’s Safety As Their Parents

It’s equally challenging for the allergy parents who must pass over the responsibility of managing their child's allergy to the school. Of course, nobody will be as qualified or invested in the allergy child’s safety as their parents. However, considering how long our allergy child will be in the school's care, we hope the school is a close second. We are required to trust that the school has done the appropriate level of allergy and anaphylaxis training, continually evaluate any risks for allergy children at the school and implement changes when risks are identified. Sometimes, this trust is broken, and it is extremely hard to win back. 

Allergy Children Deserve To Feel Safe At School All Year Round 

The right attitude and leadership from the school's senior leaders will provide a firm foundation for building a safe school environment for all the allergy children in attendance.  If the senior leaders of a school fail to obtain a thorough understanding of the seriousness of allergies, they cannot set a high standard for allergy management at the school, and a weak foundation is set. When this happens, cracks will appear in the schools' allergy management, and unfortunately, it’s the vulnerable allergy kids who will be put in dangerous and sometimes life-threatening situations. Allergy children deserve to feel safe at school all year round. 

Have I Communicated Enough About My Child's Allergies With The School?

The beginning of a new school year will come around quickly, and I’ll take a deep breath as I drop my allergy child off at school for their first day back. I know I’ll hold my breath all year round, wait, watch, and question myself. Have I communicated enough about my child's allergies with the school? Have I done everything possible to ensure my allergy kids will be safe? Has the school implemented adequate allergy and anaphylaxis policies, procedures and risk management processes? Will his teachers and close friends be his advocates, guardians, and protectors regarding food allergy issues in my absence? Will my child speak up at school when they feel in danger? Can I trust the teachers to be experienced enough to remember my child’s allergies and manage a classroom of students with the long list of responsibilities teachers already carry daily? I know that a tiny mistake can happen, and the consequences can be dire. I hope that if a small mistake happens at school, my child’s allergy medication is available immediately and the staff follow the allergy and anaphylaxis action plan.

The Stress And Anxiety I’ve Held All Year Round Starts To Leave My Body.

At the end of the next year, when my allergy child has finished another school year, I know my entire body will slowly start to exhale as the stress and anxiety I’ve consciously and unconsciously held all year round starts to leave my body. It will take about a week or two to feel back to my usual self and slowly unravel the knot in my stomach. It’s the same process each year, and I’m becoming familiar with how it works now. 

I’d love to hear some tips from allergy parents on how you cope with sending your allergy child to school each  year. Do you find it gets easier over time, or does every school year leave you feeling stressed and anxious?