How To Educate My Daughter's Preschool?

[stolly]

My 2.5 yr old daughter just officially started the gluten free diet yesterday (blood pos, bx inconclusive, now looking to see if she responds to the diet). She goes to preschool/daycare 3 days per week, so I need to review the gluten free diet with them. They usually provide her food, but I figure now I'll send in most of her food, and perhaps let her eat their fruit and yogurt if the labels look ok to me, and if I feel confident that they understand about CC.

Any suggestions on how to educate the staff? Are there any resources or educational information online that I can print and give them with the highlights? How have any of you handled this? Without making the staff think I'm nuts and overreacting, what do I need to tell them about handwashing for the staff, my daughter, and the other kids before/after meals, etc.?

I also know she can't use their playdough, so I'm planning to make a gluten-free version tonight and send it in. What else do I need to do to prepare for her going in to school?

She is a very picky eater, but usually does better at school watching the other kids, so I'm nervous she will want what they have, and the teachers won't know how to best handle the situation.

Thank you!

[home-based-mom]

You should find plenty of food ideas here in the forum, and some more Open Original Shared Link.

You should be able to get more info here.

Hope it goes well for you!

[NewGFMom]

maybe ask them to pull the play dough completely. We had to do that in my preschool son's classroom because it would get all over every toy as the kids moved from station to station after using the playdough.

He's terrible about putting his fingers in his mouth, so he was getting sick every time the play dough came out. They got gluten-free playdough this year and now he's fine.

They was hands before and after every meal and that definitely reduces gluten-y hands on every toy.

[dandelionmom]

I bought a huge tub of gluten-free play doh for my daughter's preschool class. Here's one site:

Open Original Shared Link (but it has a strong odor) and here's another site: Open Original Shared Link (but it is crumbly)

And I read through and printed a bunch of stuff from this site for my daughter's school: Open Original Shared Link

And our school also has the kids wash hands before and after they eat to reduce the gluten on the toys. And I supply all her food (plus a special treat bag that is left at school to cover any unexpected celebrations).

[tgrand]

This is a nice hand out from GIG called Understanding Your Student.

Open Original Shared Link

My daughter is 2 and has been gluten-free since Oct. I have the teachers wash all the kids hands after snack and lunch. Play-Doh has not been a problem yet b/c this particular teacher doesn't like dealing with it, but they may play with it more in the 3 year old class next year. I'm planning to buy gluten-free Play-Doh then, if needed.

Good luck!

My 2.5 yr old daughter just officially started the gluten free diet yesterday (blood pos, bx inconclusive, now looking to see if she responds to the diet). She goes to preschool/daycare 3 days per week, so I need to review the gluten free diet with them. They usually provide her food, but I figure now I'll send in most of her food, and perhaps let her eat their fruit and yogurt if the labels look ok to me, and if I feel confident that they understand about CC.

Any suggestions on how to educate the staff? Are there any resources or educational information online that I can print and give them with the highlights? How have any of you handled this? Without making the staff think I'm nuts and overreacting, what do I need to tell them about handwashing for the staff, my daughter, and the other kids before/after meals, etc.?

I also know she can't use their playdough, so I'm planning to make a gluten-free version tonight and send it in. What else do I need to do to prepare for her going in to school?

She is a very picky eater, but usually does better at school watching the other kids, so I'm nervous she will want what they have, and the teachers won't know how to best handle the situation.

Thank you!