A new school year is starting this month. For us, it is usually a stressful time every year because of my daughter’s allergies, asthma, and chronic eczema. A new teacher means we have to go over every detail about her. However, this year looks a little bit different for everyone.
Every parent’s big concern right now is how their kids can go back to school safely during COVID-19. This is an especially hard time for parents that have kids with a chronic condition.
I know Miami-Dade County already announced they will start school online. There are also some private schools that have given parents the option to choose between keeping kids online or sending them to campus for in-person classes.
My kids go to a Catholic school, and they sent us a survey where we could choose between in-person and online. Due to my daughter’s condition, we decided that my son and daughter would stay at home for online learning. But I know that not all parents can do that for their kids, even if they have a chronic condition because many need to go back to work. Luckily, we can work from home.
It does not matter if you decide to keep your kid at home or send them to school. Do not feel guilty about the decision you make. You are a good mom and you are doing what is best for your kid and your family.
If you decide to send your kids to school during this pandemic, I want to share some advice with you. Especially if you have an allergy, asthma, or eczema suffering kid.
Even though evidence suggests that children are less likely to have symptoms or severe consequences from infection, they also appear less likely to become infected or spread the virus.
Hand Hygiene
It is hard to wash your hands frequently with regular soap when you suffer from eczema. To avoid this you can send a gentle soap to your kid’s classroom in a labeled container or maybe send the soap your kid can use for the entire class. We use Dove White and it makes my daughter’s skin less itchy than any other soap.
When it comes to hand sanitizer, I’d recommend not using any. It is better to wash your hands. But if you need to send a hand sanitizer just in case, pick one that is plant-based. There is a really good one from Honest company.
Cloth Face Coverings
Preschool and elementary students can benefit from wearing masks so that they do not touch their mouths or noses a lot. I know it is hard for a kid with eczema to keep a mask on all the time because they will get itchy. However, you can buy those facemasks made with cotton fabric and use some moisturizer on the face before sending them to school. Also, remember to wash them every day with a gentle detergent.
I hope that you have a great 2020-2021 school year. No matter what you decide, you are doing a great job!
Hopefully, by the time my youngest goes to school, we will have a handle on everything with COVID. But she has allergies and eczema. I never thought about how complicated it would be to send her to school. My biggest issue is that her allergy is so uncommon that almost no one even believes me. She’s allergic to sugar and fructose.
Hello Minerva, yes lets hope this pass fast, please feel free to reach me if you need anything. You can follow some really great group in Facebook for allergies and eczema. XOXO