Episode 1.6 Food Allergies Bite - The Middle School Mind

On this podcast episode, Son talks how having food allergies can be challenging for kids. We talk about his food allergies to certain tree nuts and certain seeds like sesame and sunflower seeds.

On this podcast for kids, we talk about what food allergies are, how he manages his food allergies at school, how he keeps himself safe with his Epipen and that one time he was Epipenned years ago at daycare.

Finally, we play a quick multiple choice game about food allergies.

In this episode, we talk about:

1. What is a food allergy?

There are the “Big 8” allergens that companies in the US must report on in food labels. Milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat and soybeans.

Graphic highlights the top 8 major food allergens that US companies must report on in food labels — Image courtesy of the FDA.

2. We go off on a tangent and talk about Soy Butter (we buy Wowbutter at home) versus Peanut Butter sandwiches.

Image of soy and peanut butter containers which may present challenges for kids with food allergies — Battle of the butters – soy vs peanut. Image courtesy of Food Network.

3. Son talks about his food allergies to tree nuts and certain seeds (sesame seeds and sunflower seeds).

4. We talk about managing food allergies when he was in grammar school and challenges sitting at the “peanut-free table“.

Image of a peanut-free table that some schools have - this may offer kids with food allergies a safer option but may also lead to feeling ostracized from their classmates — Image courtesy of the Chicago Tribune.

5. We go off on another tangent reminiscing about Beyblades and its popularity when Son and his friends were in 1st and 2nd grade.

Beyblades was a big thing for Son and his friends in 1st and 2nd grade. Image courtesy of TimRylands.com.

6. We get back on track to talk about how managing food allergies works now in Middle School and how the lunch staff does not have the right training to communicate to kids with allergies.

Image of a school cafeteria - many food service workers may need additional training to understand food allergies and how to help kids with various allergies — The lunch staff at schools may not have adequate information for each of the entrees to communicate potential allergen to students. Image courtesy of the NY Daily News.

7. Son talks about when to use an Epipen, how to use an Epipen and what do do after using an Epipen.

Epipens are an important part of Son’s care plan and can also cost a lot of money. Here are some resources to help you get Epipens at a reduced cost.

8. We talk about that horrible experience at daycare when Son was 3 when he was given hummus and had to be Epipenned.

Son was served Hummus at his daycare during snack time. He had to be EpiPenned after he had an allergic reaction to the tahini (sesame paste) in hummus. The daycare staff was not properly trained to know the allergens and the action plan with Epipens when a child has an allergic reaction. Image courtesy of Sabra.

9. We play a quick game. Four multiple choices about allergens in every day foods. Here’s where we got a lot of the great information used in our game.

Please note, we are not physicians or properly trained to dispense medical advice. If you have questions about food allergies, please consult a medical professional for advice. For additional information available online, the Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE) has amazing content.

https://www.foodallergy.org/

Thanks to all of our listeners. We appreciate your support!

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If you want to listen to more episodes talking about life in school, take a listen to our episode on The School Resource Officer and all the information they have to keep kids safe on-line and in real life!

Special Thanks

MyInstants.com “ding” and “buzzer” sound effects used during our Game or No Game segment
“One Day Soon” by Smith the Mister is the opening and ending song for The Middle School Mind podcast

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2.12 The Goodbye Episode – The Middle School Mind

As the saying goes, all good things must come to an end. After months of deliberation and soul-searching Father and Son publish their last and final episode of The Middle School Mind podcast. After nearly 18 months and over 35+ episodes, on this episode: We say goodbye to our listeners We talk about what's next for Son We hear from some of our past guests Of course we get a little silly And we play one last game So sit back, relax, grab the Kleenex and stick around for our very special goodbye episode. We think kid's voices are under represented in the podcast space. Even though we are leaving, we encourage you to visit Kids Listen. This organization is a grassroots organization of advocates for high-quality audio content for children. The Middle School Mind is a proud member of Kids Listen and, with our show ending, we encourage kids and families to find other interesting and engaging podcasts for kids. Through this adventure, we connected with the creator of Sound Carrot. This website was founded by a father/daughter team with the goal to help younger listeners find amazing children's podcasts. We hope this resource helps parents and kids find other kid's voices that you want to listen to and hear more from. We also believe that kids can create their own podcasts! Last summer we launched a three-part series encouraging kids to make their own kids' podcasts. You can find the episodes here: 1.20 Make Your Own Kid Podcast 1 1.21 Make Your Own Kid Podcast 2 1.22 Make Your Own Kid Podcast 3 Thank you to The Middle School Mind listeners and even our future listeners. We enjoyed making these episodes together and sharing them with you. This time was special for us and we will look back at this show as an amazing point in time where we talked about what was on Son's mind or relevant pop culture during this time. If you loved listening to the show and want to connect with us, e-mail us at: middleschoolmind.podcast@gmail.com. We are happy to connect if you want to talk about creating your own podcast for your child or, potentially, if you are interested in having your middle schooler take over The Middle School Mind, let's chat. We always knew that The Middle School Mind was going to last at most, 3 years, with Son and I. But amazing shows like Star Trek had Star Trek: The Next Generation and Saved By The Bell had Saved By The Bell: The New Class introduced a new cast of characters while providing new stories and fresh perspectives. It would be amazing to have a Mother/Daughter voice leading the show or a parent/child from a different part of the country or even a completely different country! It's the unique perspectives that help us all learn and appreciate each other. Enjoy The Goodbye Episode and thank you for being part of our show. Sincerely, Father & Son — Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/themiddleschoolmind/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/themiddleschoolmind/support