Back to School Food Allergy Solutions

Parenting

Navigating Food Allergies this School Year

GUEST POST

by Rani Maskatia, MD, Medical Director

Latitude Food Allergy Care

As students head back to school, those with food allergies face a unique set of challenges. In this story Dr. Maskatia, MD, Food Allergies Board-certified pediatric and adult allergist and immunologist, and Medical Director with Latitude Food Allergy Care, provides important things to know for families with students of all ages, ranging from preschool to college, who are returning to school with food allergies this fall.

Readers Note: This guest post is for informational purposes only and it is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice.

Tips to Support Kids As They Grow

Reducing the risk of exposure to allergy triggers is often easier said than done. What can families do to help their children prepare for the uncertainties that come with the school environment? Read on to learn about what different things a parent and/or student do, based on the child's age group, whether they are preschool or elementary school age; middle or high school age; or college or university age.

Preschool and Elementary School Ages

The focus for the youngest age groups is reducing external risks and building an environment that keeps children as safe as possible through awareness, communication, and clear emergency action plans. 

Communicate with the teachers, principal and other staff who will be with your child during the school day. Let them know what are the triggers, symptoms and emergency actions for your child’s specific food allergies. Submit requests for reasonable accommodations in writing. Ask questions about the school’s policies for students with food allergies. Remember that it’s a partnership, and everyone wants to create a safe environment for every child. 

Importantly, an emergency action plan should be in place starting at the start of another schoolyear. Providing this plan and updating school forms each year is a critical part of managing food allergies. If you need updated testing, physician signed forms, or an updated prescription for epinephrine, keep in mind that back-to-school time is a busy time for any medical office. FARE's Food Allergy Anaphylaxis Emergency Care Plan outlines recommended treatment in case of an allergic reaction. The Dept. of Education also lists modifications schools can be required to provide to students with food allergies. 

Middle and High School Students

Tweens and teens who may have been living with food allergies since childhood, are now old enough to begin to advocate for their own needs. Some schools may still require paperwork and a written emergency action plan. Ideally students are beginning to manage their own self-care, including self-carrying EpiPens at all times. 

Parents can empower their children at this stage of life to recognize the signs of a reaction, understand the difference between self-carrying and self-administering of epinephrine, and plan ways to stay as safe as possible in unpredictable environments. Encourage your son or daughter to ask questions, read labels, and avoid peer pressure when it comes to anything they will eat or drink.

College and University Ages

When going away to college, parents can talk through lifestyle scenarios that differ from living at home including life with roommates, eating in a cafeteria setting, going in parties, and potentially, drinking alcohol, etc. At this stage, self-care and self-advocacy may already be second nature for incoming college and university students with food allergies, but the typical daily routines and group environments will be new. 

A few things to remember: 

1. EpiPen prescription renewals are the student’s responsibility when he or she turns 18 years old. If they’re going away to college, they should bring more than one set so there is always a backup in their dorm room, know where to get refills, and where to get an appointment with a doctor if an emergency arises while away from home. Students should also know which medical services exist on and around campus (a good tip for college students in general). If necessary, they'll need to plan for getting refills with your home care team while classes are on break or if they will be going to a university abroad program.

2. Communication with peers and restaurants on campus is the student’s responsibility. So is filling out medical forms and making appointments (unless they’ve provided health proxies). If any of these things are new to your college student, help walk them through different scenarios and what-ifs, so they can mentally prepare for their new life on campus. 

3. As always, remember it's wise for the student to have two Epinephrine autoinjectors on hand at all times (even parties), and to consistently check ingredients whenver they eat or drink.

Conclusion

At any stage of “back to school," testing and treatment can reduce the burdens on students as well as parents. Since food allergies can develop and change at any time, periodic testing with an allergist is critical throughout childhood. Any transition to a new school offers an ideal time to make sure your child’s food allergies haven’t changed since the previous test, and to ensure that they are not unnecessarily avoiding foods that they’re no longer allergic to. In the long-term, treatment with oral immunotherapy (OIT) and XOLAIR (omalizumab) are options for patients of any age to provide an extra layer of protection to go back to school with much less worry for everyone.

About Latitude Food Allergy Care 

Latitude Food Allergy Care, founded in 2018 by mom Kimberly Yates, is comprised of a network of clinics providing testing and treatment, including oral immunotherapy (OIT), to help families with children of any age who are coping with food allergies to live more freely. Latitude has four clinics in the San Francisco Bay Area, a clinic in New York City, and a clinic in Brooklyn. Latitude is affiliated with UCSF Benioff Children’s Physicians and Weill-Cornell Medicine and partners with Columbia University Medical Center and Sean N. Parker Center for Allergy and Asthma Research at Stanford University. For more information, visit Latitudefoodallergycare.com and follow Latitude @LatitudeFoodAllergyCare on Instagram, Facebook and Linkedin.

My Penguin Friend Family Movie Review

Movies

by Janis Brett Elspas, Editor

Mommy Blog Expert

New Family Movie Now in Theaters

MBE screened the film in advance for this review, Post contains affiliate links

A beautiful new summer family drama called My Penguin Friend (2024, Rated PG) which the whole family will enjoy, opens in theaters this weekend. It's a story touching on concepts such as family, resilience, friendship, nature and wildlife conservation. Brought to the big screen by Roadside Attractions, this is a picture that is based on an amazing but true story about a penguin living in the wild who bonds with a man who is suffering after a great family tragedy. 

COMING to DIGITAL Oct 1, 2024

Inspired by a True Story

My Penguin Friend is inspired by the true and amazing journey of a very special wild penquin which begins back in May 2011 in the beachside village of Ilha Grande near Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 

A Brazilian fisherman who is a sad and lonely father in the role of real-life João Pereira De Souza (portrayed in the movie by internationally-known actor Jean Reno) discovers a Magellanic penguin stranded on the beach near where he lives, the victim of an oil spill that has left the penguin soaked with thick, toxic oil residue. Without a second thought the man rescues the bird with the intention of caring for it, then returning it to the wild once the penguin is able to swim uninhibited again. 

In the movie retelling, João brings the penguin home and into his house to wash and clean off the bird's sticky feathers. At first his wife Maria (played by Oscar nominee Adriana Barraza) will have none of it, but luckily she finally relents and is no long bothered by having to share her home with her husband's new friend, a wild penguin.

The fisherman slowly nurses the sea creature back to health, with the two bonding during the healing process. When a neighborhood child sees João with the penquin for the first time, she excitedly points to itand says DinDim (pronounced Jin-Jin) which is actually the mispronounciation of pinquim, the Portuguese word for penguin. Though never intended to become a permanent pet, the name DinDim sticks with all the people in the seaside village.

When the penguin is physically fully recovered, João tries to do the right thing to return DinDim to the wild. But, everytime he takes the penguin out in his boat to release him, the bird keeps swimming back to the fisherman's beach. Day after day the penguin continues to hang around and the fisherman builds a penguin house for his long-term visitor. Then one day, the man discovers that DinDim is gone. While he misses the penguin's companionship, he is also glad that the bird has finally returned to his natural home in the sea. Many months pass by until the penguin suddenly returns to João's beach house, the process repeats itself each year.

Over time, by chance, DinDim is tagged with a GPS device by field scientists. Using the tracking device, these biologists who are studying the enmasse migration each fall of this species of Magellan penguin from Chile, Argentina and the Falkland Islands, prove that these small little penguins, like DinDim, have the mind-blowing ability to be able to travel as much as 4,000 miles on each migration trip along coastal South America.

  

The Making Of My Penguin Friend

Shot on location in Brazil and Argentina, the cinematography is breathtaking, both of the scenery and the wildlife. Ten penguins from the Ubatuba Aquarium in Brazil, a rescue facility caring for injured penguins unable to survive in the wild, were trained for various DinDim scenes you'll see in the movie. 

Scene after scene, often told from the non-human POV, the filmmakers strived for realism. That level of commitment really shows in their minimal usage of CGI and animation. In fact, 3D was reserved just for the scenes too dangerous for the penguin actors and for the ones that would be difficult or impossible to shoot. After seeing this movie myself, I doubt the audience will even notice because the transitions between the real and unreal are truly seamless.

On the music, David Schurmann, the director, notes, “I wanted sensitive, emotional music that draws you into the heart of the beauty and the danger, and composer Fernando Velazquez gave us something very special. His music touches your soul." I could not agree more with Schurmann's assessment, the music was so expressive, soulful, heartfelt and well-matched to what was going on in each scene.

About My Penguin Friend

Learn more about My Penguin Friend, where it's showing and booking tickets by visiting the movie's official website. Also, check out the Roadside Attractions studio site as well as follow them @RoadsideAttractionsFilms on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

Bedside Charging Organizer Perch for Students

Technology 

by Gabrielle, College Student and

Mommy Blog Expert Intern

Essential Student Tool for New School Year

I don’t think I'm alone with both high school and fellow college students in regularly working on class assignments and projects from my bed or reclining while scrolling through emails or texts on my phone. Likewise, I doubt I'm the only girl or guy in my generation who finds myself faced with that irritating low battery alert, forcing me to begrudgingly interrupt my workflow or recreational time in search of a pesky, out of reach outlet to power up my phone and other devices.

 

MBE partnered with Squirrel for this story, post contains affiliate links

Introducing the Squirrel

I’m a student, I get it. I know how challenging it can be to claw my way back to motivation in instances like these when you run out of power. In fact, that and all the clutter on the bed can drive a person nuts. The aptly-named Squirrel, invented by Steve Luhrs (a Dad first, Founder second), circumvents these issues. This sleek charger which doubles as a bedside perch is constructed of 100% recycled post-consumer plastic, embodying the Squirrel brand's commitment to sustainability. The handy easily transportable shelf fits between a mattress and box spring, sporting a thin, yet surprisingly strong and sturdy board and quality metallic-feeling poles that hold up its frame. 

Pictured below: That's our adorable new puppy who loves chasing squirrels, "helping" me with the Squirrel unboxing and review. 

Bedside Storage, Charging Station All-in-One

True to its namesake the Squirrel, who in nature always likes to have his nuts and nesting materials well-organized and easily accessible, all in one convenient place, this dual bedside organizer and charging station sports an assortment of five different sized plastic storage compartment cubbies. 

The smaller ones are just right for pencils, drawing tablet pens, wireless earbuds, keys and whatever else you'd like to have at your finger tips. The medium sized nooks are capable of supporting a full-size water bottle, drinks and snacks -- a must when you're in the middle of an intense study session or just chatting with friends or having some non-stop fun online. The unique, flatter compartments are spacious enough to hold things upright, like folders, a Kindle e-reader, an iPad or SurfacePro, and for animation and design students like me, a personal drawing tablet and stylus. 

Its front is equipped with dual charging ports (USB - A and C applicable), to which I can easily charge my phone using my own charging cable as well as another device simultaneously. Hidden in the back compactly stored, you'll find a generously elongated 9 foot black cord plug which thankfully is capable of reaching even the more awkwardly placed electric outlets in most bedrooms and dorm rooms. To make this your own, reflecting your unique personality, there's plenty of space on the front of the perch to add things such as the stickers, like I have in the picture below, or to glue on your choice of other decorative items. 

Simple to Setup and Use

Squirrel installation is relatively straight forward, quick to setup and easy to use. Opening the modern, lightweight recycled box packaging, you'll see two QR codes, the left for a virtual PDF of the setup instructions and the right to access the brand's website. The former displays extremely clear cut, helpful visuals alongside the instructions for no-nonsense assembly. 

To set up next to your bed, simply slip the two sturdy poles into the displayed piece, slide the flat board onto the poles’ end and insert that portion between your mattress and box spring, plug in its super long electric cord and your own personal cable and it’s ready to go. 

Keep in mind that the Squirrel charging capability does need to have its own cable plugged in to actively charge your devices. If your nearest outlet is behind your bed, the device's cord may be in the way. Yet, I have found these details to not necessarily be a deal breaker. The ample included power cord is already thankfully long enough to simply drape it off the edge of a bed. 

It can be so annoying when you're in mid project or have to awkwardly maneuver yourself into uncomfortable positions just to be able to keep devices alive during both school work and recreation time. Right? 

The fact that I no longer need to get up from my bed and interrupt my creative workflow more than outweighs minor worries. While its cord tends to stick out when in use, that does not outweigh the relief of knowing I won't be constantly concerned that my devices will run out of power. 

For certain, Squirrel is a product I have definitely benefited from and have enjoyed using. I look forward to having my new study buddy Squirrel beside me for the fall semester and beyond. When I'm at home, whether I'm doing homework or class projects, having some fun smartphone fun online or just enjoying snacks and a drink from the cubbies, I'll never have to fear my devices giving out on me at the worst times from now on.

More About The Squirrel

The eco-friendly Squirrel, is constructed of 100% recycled plastic and is available in your choice of colors on Amazon including Black (as featured in this review) Grey, Blue, Light Blue, Pink and Red. Whatever color you choose to match your room's vibes, this functional perch will help you cut down on bedside clutter while keeping your devices fully charged and is perfect to use as a floating night table organizer and charger for small spaces, students at home, and college dorm rooms. 

When you order direct from the brand's Amazon Store, satisfaction is quaranteed and returns are free. There is no cost for shipping if you're an Amazon Prime member. If you're not yet a member yet, you can still get free shipping on this item, by signing up for a FREE 30 Day Trial to Amazon Prime now.

Squirrel is not just for high school and college students. Tweens, adults, parents, and grandparents will also appreciate the many benefits of this innovative bedside storage caddy equipped with two USB - C and A charging ports to charge two devices at once. This would make a great gift for yourself or the student in your life. It also makes a thoughtful present for a child who has gone off to college and is living on campus, it can be shipped directly to the student.

Disclosure: Mommy Blog Expert participates in the Amazon affiliate program and I receive a small bit of compensation, at no extra cost to you, when you click on one of the links in this post and make a purchase.