Sending your child to school

[admin]

Some of us have children that haven't gone to school yet.  Others remember the first days of school. All that went into educating the school, nurse and teacher even before your child stepped foot onto the school grounds.  Ultimately we want our children to be prepared and educated but they need others around them that are knowledgable in how to help in any situation so our kids feel safe and we can relax (some). Please share your advice so others can benefit from it. 

[admin]

Here are some things I do before sending JoJo and Nick off to school the first day.  Read my blog Back to School:
http://www.parentingdiabetickids.com/back-to-school.html

[Julie J3]

We aren't even a month into school yet and there is something annoying me a bit. I understand that the schools are SUPER cautious about the H1N1 virus and have the kids washing their hands before they get into the classroom but here's my gripe...I do love the school nurse at the school but when my son's insulin/BS aren't reacting the way she thinks they should (like he got his lunchtime shot, but his BS actually went up a little not down) she instantly asks me if maybe he's "coming down" with something. He has allergies so we have been managing those and his medicine does make his BS rise a bit but one day she actually had me come get him because he "didn't look right." BS was in range, no fever, cough, sore throat...nothing...just a general assessment that he didn't look right. He actually told me he felt fine, but "the nurse said I had to go home." I'm all for being cautious but he's just like any other kid...he's going to get a cold and we are going to manage it like any other kid. Just because he sneezes doesn't mean he's getting the flu just because he's diabetic!!!

[Gina26]

Hi,
    I am a mother of one.  My son has type 1 diabetes. We have been struggling through this for almost two years now.  It's gotten better, but we are still running into problems.  We found out that my son had diabetes the beginning of May so the last month of school he couldn't attend (not that I wanted him to) but come that fall I wanted to put him in so that he would be like everyone else around him.  Having the same experiences that the other children had and so on.  So I met with the school got a 504 plan.  The public school don't like to be liable for a special needs child.  (The one my son attends anyway.)  If the school nurse is out sick that call me a hundred times a day even though I'm there at breakfast and lunch to give him his insulin.  They too find reasons it seems to send him home.  He coughs, sneezes, or even looks pale they think he's coming down with something too and he needs sent home.  The kid next to him could be vomitting and my child can look pale and my child will get sent home first.  I have trouble with my son's carb intake getting counted correctly at school and that throws his insluin off so that his blood sugar may run high or very low.  The teacher said that my son spends most of his time in the hallway walking and drinking water to lower his blood sugar and it's causing him to fall behind in his study's.  Why wasn't I informed of this before?  I didn't know that he wasn't in class or that he spent his day in the hallway.  And get this if my son's sugar was to drop and he need his emergency pen if the school nurse wasn't there then they would have to have a volunteer give it.  No, one is held responisble.  If no volunteer then he would have to wait on the ambulance.  I home schooled him last year and he is attending a public school this year but, weighing the pros and cons I think for my family homeschooling is the better option.  I do like our public school system but, it's not for my son...After he has completed this year I will start homeschooling him once again so that we can learn at the times that are best for him.  I do agree with the 24/7 being onguard with the watching and nursing of my childs needs but in all honesty I think that I would have a a better peace of mind knowing that he is okay 24/7 and in my care!

[admin]

Here you find the following school information:

•Diabetes Supplies for School
•School Resources
•504 F.A.Q.s
•Sample 504 plans

http://www.type1parents.org/index.php?page=81