L'CHAIM

SUMMERS ARE ENJOYED AT THE FLEISCHMAN RESIDENCE

Helping Children
With Allergies

PHIL JACOBS EDITOR

len Lissie Rothstein
attends parent-
teacher conferences
with her children's
teachers at the beginning of each
year, she'll of course talk about
courses and curriculum and
study habits.
But more than notebooks and
homework, Mrs. Rothstein talks
about allergies, medications and
foods. She makes sure that the
teachers understand that the al-
lergies her five children live with
come to school every day.
Then there's the preparation
at home. Each one of her chil-
dren, ages 6 to 17, knows how to
say "no" to a specific food even if

with full instructions for the
teacher to keep on file.
Dr. Snider also said school-age
children should be made fully
aware of their conditions by their
parents. That's something that
may be incorrectly taken for
granted.
"Most kids are a lot smarter
than we think," said Dr. Snider.
"They can look an adult straight
in the eye and say, 'I'm not al-
lowed to eat that.' Also, kids
seem not to want to cheat on
their food allergies, while adults
will from time to time. Kids are
either used to following the rules
better or they have a greater fear
of what might happen to them."
Dr. Snider is some-
times annoyed when
she learns of a teacher
who makes a child
who has a breathing
condition continue to
run or work out.
"In sports, the old
concept of 'Work it
out,' Do it till it hurts'
and Too bad if you
can't breathe' is ab-
solutely ridiculous,"
she said. "A child
should be made to stop
and not continue if he
is short of breath. This
`no pain, no gain' busi-
ness is absolutely
against the better
health of a child in this
situation. That is nev-
er the right attitude."
Attitude is also im-
portant when it comes
to allergy medications.
Children should not be
made to feel any dif-
ferent if they must use
an inhaler during
it's offered by an adult.
class. Also, according to Mrs.
Mrs. Rothstein has to make Rothstein, children should not
food and allergy awareness a top be made to feel bad or left out if
priority for her children when they cannot join in a playground
they attend school. If she doesn't, game because of an asthmatic
the result could be immediate condition.
illness.
"The main thing with little
"Your school has to be aware children in particular is to teach
that you have these important them that they just can't take
requests," said Ms. Rothstein, food from other people, and that
whose children attend Akiva He- might include something as in-
brew Day School. "But what's nocent as snack time in nursery
even more important is that you school. My 6-year-old Moshe
make sure that the teacher knows how to say, 'No, thank
takes this seriously."
you.' Also, kids with food aller-
With some allergies, there's a gies might also feel a little dif-
risk of a child going into ana- ferent at birthday parties
phylactic shock, swelling, hives, because they cannot eat what
asthma and other conditions.
everyone else can. As a parent,
Pediatrician Janet Snider you have to know where your
agrees with Ms. Rothstein's pro- child is going and what is going
cedure of fully informing both to be served there, so you can
schools and teachers. She adds help your child have fun."
that parents should write a note
Marci Beneson would agree.

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