Peanut Allergy and School Lunch: Practical Preparation for Talking to Teachers

How do you give teachers an allergen sheet they can understand?

Keep the sheet for teachers to one page, with large text and short bullet points. On the first line, write your child's name, class, and the food they are allergic to: peanut. On the second line, write "cannot eat, cannot touch": peanut, peanut butter, snacks containing peanut, sweets, and sauces. On the third line, write "places peanut may hide": baked goods, mixed nuts, some snacks, and sauces in dishes.

Then explain what "cross-contact" means: if someone touches peanut and then touches your child's food, utensils or desk, it can still cause a problem. So ask teachers to watch out for shared utensils, shared food, and craft materials (such as peanut shells or peanut butter jars). Finally, leave phone numbers for the parent and another person who picks up the child, so they can be reached at any time.

Which steps must be clear in the emergency plan?

The emergency plan should be simple enough for a teacher to follow. Write clearly which signs mean your child needs immediate action, such as hives on the skin, swollen lips, vomiting, coughing, wheezing, a hoarse voice, saying their throat feels tight, or dizziness. If these happen, the first step is to contact the parent straight away and call the emergency number, and at the same time use the emergency medicine according to the plan the doctor has set for your child in advance.

If the doctor has prescribed an adrenaline auto-injector for your child, write clearly where it is kept, who is responsible for it, and whether the teacher knows how to use it. You can ask the teacher to read the instructions for the auto-injector in advance, but do not write specific medicine names or doses. Also write this: after using the emergency medicine, the child must go to hospital even if they seem to improve, because the reaction can come back.

What do teachers need to know day to day?

Teachers do not need to remember every medical detail, but they do need to know a few key things. First, your child must not eat any food that has not been checked by a parent, including snacks shared by classmates, birthday cake and holiday sweets. Second, at lunch and snack time, have your child sit in a fixed place, wipe the desk clean with a damp cloth, and wash hands before eating.

Third, if the class has craft, planting or cooking activities, tell parents the list of materials in advance, and avoid peanut shells, peanut butter and similar items. Fourth, when your child says they "feel unwell", do not wait — observe and act according to the emergency plan first. Fifth, before a change of teacher, a substitute teacher, or a spring outing, parents should take the initiative to talk again to make sure the information has been passed on.

How can a child learn to speak up about their allergy?

Children express themselves differently at different ages. At kindergarten age, it mainly relies on teachers reminding them; parents can teach the child one sentence: "I can't eat peanut — it makes me ill." In the lower primary years, teach the child to say, when refusing food offered by others: "Thank you, I'm allergic to peanut, I can't eat it." And to know to ask a teacher for help.

Older children can practise a fuller explanation: "I'm allergic to peanut. If I feel unwell, please help me find a teacher. My emergency medicine is in ×× place." Parents can role-play at home so the child practises refusing, asking for help, and describing symptoms clearly. Also tell your child: do not hide the allergy because you are worried about causing trouble or being laughed at by classmates.

When should you see a doctor?

If your child has swollen lips or eyelids, hives all over the body, vomiting, abdominal pain, coughing, wheezing, a hoarse voice, says their throat feels tight, feels dizzy, or seems low in energy after eating peanut, seek medical care immediately or call the emergency number. These may be signs of anaphylaxis — do not wait and watch at home.

Also, if your child has had any suspected allergic reaction at school, even if they improved quickly, it is recommended to see a doctor as soon as possible to assess the cause of the reaction and the follow-up plan. If your child's peanut allergy diagnosis is uncertain, or has never been assessed by a doctor for severity, they should also see a doctor, who will decide which tests are needed and what emergency preparation is required.

This article is for general information only and is not medical advice. Please follow your doctor's instructions.