I still don't have a fridge - so dinner tonight was rice pasta and a pumpkin sauce. I thought it was pretty tasty, but the girls wouldn't touch it. (they ate pankcakes again!). No pretty pictures tonight.
I wanted to share my experience of our first day of kindergarten.
Prior to our first day....
At the end of the school year prior to Lilly attending kindergarten I met with the principal, vice principal, kindergarten teachers, and nurse. We had an in-depth discussion of Lilly's needs to keep her safe - and a plan to start with.....Or, so I thought.
The week before school
We were on vacation - so we did not receive our class list or teacher. Which to my surprise was a new teacher to accomodate the large kindergarten class. She was the only teacher who had not completed training for using an epi-pen. Could we change her class. Nope. We had to have another meeting the day before class started with everyone, again. Hmmm, nothing like being prepared.
The first day of school
I cried. Not because my baby was going to kindergarten....But, because while we were in the gym listing to pta announcements - and then they told us our children would be going to the cafeteria for a chocolate chip cookie. I wasn't told about this treat in advance. I didn't bring "an alternate" for her. Who would be sitting with her. Would she be at an allergy table? I went and found her in the hall on her way - and we left....I wanted to take her out of school right then and there. I think this is probably why many parents of allergic children home school....
Really - is it crucial to my childs education to feed them junk - to give them a warm and fuzzy feeling about school? Well in our case it caused nothing but anxiety.....
More later on this......
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2 comments:
That experience totally sucks. My son starts kindergarten next year, and I'll be taking notes from your experience. I think that his school is peanut-free, however, so I'm hoping that it's not as awful as I'm dreading.
It is definitely getting better. Although every time I think we're getting a handle on it - I'm surprised with something.
For instance, I thought the school and I agreed that holidays would be celebrated in non-food ways. And, then I get a note home in the folder asking everyone to submit a recipe for Thanksgiving - and make it and bring it in on "feast day".
It sends me through the roof! I explained to the teacher that while an alternate is ok - how would she feel if she was asked to sit in a room with food - and told she was unable to eat it. Consider how she might feel if she was on a diet. Now, consider how a four year old child might feel - knowing that food could cause her great harm. I think the focus in on prevention of reaction and preventing that, but little is thought to the emotional development of the child.
I hope my experience can help you. In the moment - I often can't collect my thoughts - it's often not until much later that I really can figure out what is wrong with the situation.
Kirsten
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