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Gluten Free Preschool Teacher

iamsarar

By iamsarar
in Coping with Celiac Disease

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iamsarar Rookie
iamsarar
Posted

Hello, New here and I love that there is a place to go and have others to talk to. I am newly diagnosed.

What I am looking for are ideas for my classroom. I am a preschool teacher working with ages 3 to 5. I am trying to keep the gluten in my classroom from getting to me. Everywhere you look in my classroom you will find gluten, things like playdough, pancake making day, oatmeal sensory table, Snack time and even our paint has gluten in it. Any ideas or suggestions on how to keep from CC the children's things with mine? I do have gloves I can wear. I have someone else in the school make my playdough for the children. One day I had set down my morning snack and realized the dust from the oatmeal table had gotten all over my food and had to through it away. Are there any moms out there that have a few tricks you use to keep your children safe that would work in my classroom........thank you for your time :)

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2Boys4Me Enthusiast
2Boys4Me
Posted

Any possibility of turning it into a rice table, rather than oatmeal?

iamsarar Rookie
iamsarar
Posted
  • Author

Any possibility of turning it into a rice table, rather than oatmeal?

That is a great idea, Thank you!

bridgetm Enthusiast
bridgetm
Posted

Is there any possibility of getting an aide or a student teacher who can help out with those activities or at least the prep? I understand it may be difficult to make happen, but it would help you in so many ways; having someone to mix your playdough was a good first step to that.

The only other thing that comes to my mind is wash your hands frequently and be sure not to touch your mouth/eyes and avoid eating in the classroom when possible.

bridgetm Enthusiast
bridgetm
Posted

P.S. I could never do your job; I can only imagine how much more difficult it would be to throw in a gluten problem. Good luck!

Strawberry-Jam Enthusiast
Strawberry-Jam
Posted

You can do what you can to cut down the gluten... rice table, like someone said, and making gluten-free play-doh--it's totally possible! Also, I don't know if you're in charge of snacks or not, but having snacks gluten-free more often than not--idk, apples and cheese and stuff. Maybe looking into different kinds of paint as well?

Obviously you're not going to be able to get rid of ALL the gluten, but if you cut down as much of it as possible, it won't be as overwhelming to try to avoid it.

weluvgators Explorer
weluvgators
Posted

Are there any moms out there that have a few tricks you use to keep your children safe that would work in my classroom

Make the classroom gluten free! :) That is what our children require to be safe at school, and it is being done. We provide gluten free dough and clay. We double checked the paint, and it was good. Discount School Supply has options for gluten free art and craft supplies. They used rice and beans at the sensory table for our preschooler. Glues have been a bit harder, so our girls use only their own supplies for art class now.

If the class is going to eat gluten, they leave the classroom and eat in the cafeteria (that one was harder, but it was finally done . . . and her chronic, painful symptoms vanished!) Our oldest child removed herself from the cafeteria and gymnasium for after lunch recess earlier this year, and her symptoms vanished! The one that still eats in the cafeteria, continues to struggle more when in school.

If your kids are eating snacks in the classroom, who is supplying them? That may make it more difficult. We do use HEPA filters in the classrooms to help with air quality. Also good hand washing for them *after* eating should help you out too.

Good luck! I wish that you were our preschool teacher!! :)

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iamsarar Rookie
iamsarar
Posted
  • Author

Make the classroom gluten free! :) That is what our children require to be safe at school, and it is being done. We provide gluten free dough and clay. We double checked the paint, and it was good. Discount School Supply has options for gluten free art and craft supplies. They used rice and beans at the sensory table for our preschooler. Glues have been a bit harder, so our girls use only their own supplies for art class now.

If the class is going to eat gluten, they leave the classroom and eat in the cafeteria (that one was harder, but it was finally done . . . and her chronic, painful symptoms vanished!) Our oldest child removed herself from the cafeteria and gymnasium for after lunch recess earlier this year, and her symptoms vanished! The one that still eats in the cafeteria, continues to struggle more when in school.

If your kids are eating snacks in the classroom, who is supplying them? That may make it more difficult. We do use HEPA filters in the classrooms to help with air quality. Also good hand washing for them *after* eating should help you out too.

Good luck! I wish that you were our preschool teacher!! :)

Thank you for your suggestions! I do order from Discount School Supply. I will to see what they have. The school supplies the snack unless there is a child with an allergy then their parent supply it. It is a private school so it is a little easier to control things. I did find a recipe for gluten-free play dough. Going to try that. I put beans in the sensory table today and had a co worker take the oatmeal out for me. Other then that I wear gloves and wash a lot. I really appreciate the suggestions. I knew mom's were the people to ask! :)

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