Back To School with Feeding Eden

This is a BIG Back To School year for our family: My children are starting a new school this fall. For Eden, in addition to making friends, meeting teachers, and navigating unfamiliar schedules and locales -- he will have to learn how to manage new food allergy safety routines within the routine of his school day. It won't be an entirely new ball game, but one with different rules. For example: Our old school was "peanut and nut aware" and our current school is "peanut and sesame aware" but nuts are eaten freely. In our old school Eden navigated a cafeteria filled with allergens (dairy, legumes, soy, fish, etc.) but this year his classmates bring lunch and eat in the classroom. These seemingly small differences offer fresh challenges but also opportunities for social equalizers.

Some of my own Back To School food allergy preparations and tips are cited in this article on NBC News:

Allergy anxiety: For some parents, new school year brings new fear

(and no, I don't agree with every viewpoint in the piece so feel free to comment here after reading.)