The time is here! My kids go back to school today. When do the kids in your area go back? The new school year, new teachers, and new worries about eating gluten-free safely away from home. I worry every year, but as Jon gets older it becomes less and less my responsibility and more his. How you handle your gluten-free child in school depends a lot on your child’s age.
Elementary School
Meet with your child’s teacher, school nurse, and principal to outline the necessary adherence to the gluten-free diet. Make sure to bring a letter outlining all of the details that you wish to include. Some schools are now providing students with gluten-free lunches as well, so make sure to arrange to speak with whoever is in charge of the lunch program and staff to make sure they understand the consequences of cross-contamination. The other challenge with elementary school-age children is birthday and class parties. Arrange to be notified in advance if there is a scheduled pizza or birthday party so that you can bring in the appropriate gluten-free version of that food for your child. You may consider keeping some pre-made brownies or cupcakes in the nurse’s freezer if that is an option.
Middle & High School
Kids in middle and high school age may not want their parents involved in meeting with the school staff to go over their diet. When Jon was in middle school, I still sent in my letter to make sure the teachers and nurse were aware of his condition in case he accidentally ingested gluten. Jon chose to stick with bringing his lunch from home at this age, so there was no need to meet with the cafeteria staff. High school options vary, but often there are choices that he can safely make without much involvement from an outside source. They will often stock yogurt, milk, chips, fresh fruit, and salads that he can safely eat.
College
Many colleges are able to safely feed those needing a gluten-free diet. I have been impressed with the Miami University of Ohio when Jon visited for hockey camp the past 2 years. For more information on staying gluten-free while going to college, make sure to check out GlutenFreeTravelSite.com, which includes reviews for several colleges.
Helpful Back-to-School links:
- Gluten-free Breakfast Back-to-School
- Packing a gluten-free Lunch Box
- gluten-free School Letter
- Back-to-School with Jules e-Book (free until August 25th)
- NFCA Webinar: Preparing to Educate School Administrators on the Importance of Gluten-Free – August 23, 2012 – make sure to register
Make sure that your child feels comfortable with however you choose to handle eating gluten-free at school. Involve your child in any and all talks and decisions so that he or she doesn’t feel uncomfortable or different from the other kids. There are many kids with special diets in schools these days, so chances are that your child won’t be the only one.
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