Sweethearts Candy Blog's

Yesterday was my oldest daughter A's birthday (on the left). She turned 8! Last week, my youngest, Z. turned 5. Yes, February is a big month in our family. Happy Birthday(s) my little ladies!

It got me thinking about how far I've come in terms of understanding nut allergies. I'd heard of them before my daughter's diagnosis, but did not think we were at risk.

It's scary to hear that the child you thought was perfect has a serious medical condition, especially when it relates to a common food that most kids love. It sounds like a joke, actually. Remember that game, "Frogger?." (Now I'm dating myself.) The frog has to dash through a ridiculously busy street without getting squashed. It's harder than it looks.

That's what parenting a child with severe food allergies feels like sometimes. You're constantly dodging through traffic, in my case peanut butter and all its incarnations.

In the 4 years since we learned of our daughter's allergies, a lot of progress has been made, both medically and in society's acceptance of food allergies. That's wonderful. Sadly, more and more children are being diagnosed.

In the midst of the fun and activity, I thought about the other children being born on my daughter's birthday. How many of them would share her allergies? My future hope is that someday there is a cure. My other hope is that food-allergic kids and their families get the support and compassion they need.

In the meantime, you know what? I was always pretty good at "Frogger."

This just in--my husband just brought home the latest issue of Chicago Parent magazine, with my article "Playing Safe: Coping with Food Allergies at Parties and Play Dates." In it, I discuss the ways that food-allergic school age kids can keep safe and have a normal social life. It also gives tips for parents of non-allergic kids on things to know if you're hosting your child's food-allergic classmate.

I'm very excited to see its publication and grateful to Chicago Parent for letting me get this important topic out there. I especially hope it is useful for parents of both allergic kids and non-allergic kids. Let me know what you think.

I also like the short article they teamed it with, in which they talk about Chicago mom Kim Kutz's allergy-free cookbook, "The Welcoming Kitchen: Allergen-Free Recipes for Snacks & Goodies." Her web site is http://www.welcomingkitchen.com/.

A reader recently posted with a question about what type of allergen-free recipes might be OK to bring a bake sale. I have not read Ms. Kutz's book yet, but it seems like a good bet you'd find some good and "safe" recipes there. I'll definitely check it out.

My family plans to move this fall in order to be closer to my husband's (relatively) new job. We are excited about this move and have been planning it for some time, so that's not an issue. I won't bore you with all the horror stories of a buyer's market, but our plan is that our daughter will be in a new school next year.

As our move gets closer, I've started to realize that, just as my daughter has fears about being in a new school environment, so do I. After all, I've ironed out every last detail with regard to food allergy management with so many people: my daughter's school principal, nurse, teachers and even the parents of her friends. But now I'm going to have to start from the beginning.

I'm not going to lie - even for a seasoned "Nut-Free Mom" like me it's kind of scary. Every school has a different policy (more on this in a future blog entry! :)). For food allergy families, school becomes like a box of chocolates: you never know what you're gonna get.

So, I say, Be prepared, not scared. For allergic families, that's as good a motto as any. You need to talk to the school and find out how the district handles food allergies, pronto, so you can prepare your family for a smooth transition.

If your new district does not yet have a formal policy, I suggest printing out the Wilmette Public Schools food allergy policy and sending it to your district's superintendent of schools as well as the principal. This is the policy that was finally adopted by my daughter's current school district after a small group of parents (including yours truly) brought it to their attention. It's a good one!

Other things you can do to prepare:

1. Work with your doctor to prepare an easy-to-follow action plan. Your school is going to want one of these, first and foremost. If there is ever an emergency, your written plan is what people will follow, so make sure it's thorough and clear. FAAN has food allergy action plans you can download and I suggest filling one out with your doctor ASAP. Then, make copies for the nurse, teachers and whoever else may need one. Include your child's photo for easy identification in the event of substitutes or staff changes.

2. Meet with the principal before the first day. A face-to-face meeting is a great idea that will do a lot to a) show administrators you care and b) attach a human face to your child's medical issues. This is a great time to discuss any questions you have about school policy. Principals are busy people so it doesn't hurt to jot down some"talking points" before you meet. I'd schedule this meeting, if possible, before the end of the current school year.

3. Renew prescriptions and make sure you have enough EpiPens for all staff that require them. The school my daughter attends is relatively large, so she has 3 Epis for school: one for the nurse's office, one she carries on her person in a "fanny pack" and one in the cafeteria. That way, no one is racing around looking for one in an emergency.

I'm sure there is more I will think of as I prepare, also, but this is a good start.