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The Little Lilypad is a lifestyle blog mostly written by a mum to two beautiful, cheeky and entertaining daughters. It is sometimes written by the Man on the Pad or by one of our baby bloggers. Occasionally we accept guest posts too. There is frequently talk of sustainable living, saving money, lifestyle and travel. It is hopefully helpful, sometimes funny and always honest.
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Talking to your child’s teacher about asthma

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We have spoken openly about asthma and the affect it has on us as a family, so we have been working closely with Asthma UK about children starting school and are therefore delighted to share this information on their behalf.
 
You know the location of every spare inhaler within a five-mile radius. You know exactly when the neighbour’s birch trees start releasing their pollen. Even before your child starts to wheeze, you know the signs that their asthma symptoms are getting worse.
 
You are an expert at your child’s asthma – and it still catches you out. So it’s understandable to be nervous at the thought of handing them over to a new teacher on the first day of the school year.
 
Make sure you’re all on the same page
 
Lots of parents tell us that they worry about leaving their child with other people – and it’s a fact that children are much more likely to go to hospital with their asthma in September than in August. But there are things you can do to make sure that you and your child’s school are working together to reduce the risk.
 
Sharing and talking through your child’s asthma action plan with the school is a great start. At a glance, a teacher or classroom assistant can see exactly what they need to do if your child starts feeling worse. And because it’s personalised to your child, you know they’ll get exactly the treatment they’ve been prescribed. If your child doesn’t have one yet, ask your GP or asthma nurse, or download an asthma action plan here. Your GP can help you update the action plan every six months to make sure it includes any new triggers or changes to their medicines.
 
Prepared, not pushy
 
Parents sometimes tell us that they worry about being seen as ‘pushy’ or over-protective if they speak to their child’s teacher about their asthma. But more than a million children in the UK are affected by asthma – so the odds are that there’ll be a couple in your child’s class. A few minutes’ discussion could help your child AND their classmates to stay well, and make sure they don’t miss out.
 
Every child’s asthma is different, but asking a few key questions can help you make sure the school is prepared.
 
 Back2SchoolChecklistFSV2-update-Ellie
 
Keep lines of communication open
 
It’s not just about the start of term, though. Starting the conversation about your child’s asthma now makes it easier to update teachers during the year – for example, if your child is more tired during the day because symptoms have kept them up at night. And teachers can feed back to you too: maybe your child benefits from the warm, humid air of the swimming pool.
 
We’ve collected more back-to-school tips from asthma experts and other parents at www.asthma.org.uk/back-to-school - you can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.
 
And if you’re concerned about  your child’s medicines, feeling under pressure or have a question you’ve always wanted to ask, call the Asthma UK Helpline. Our friendly asthma expert nurses are on the line Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm – just call 0300 222 5800.
 
Thank you Little LilyPad for donating this space to Asthma UK – we wish ALL parents and children a happy and healthy new term.
 

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  1. Kerry Norris

    This is a very helpful post. Some very useful tips especially ensuring everyone is on the same page x

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  2. So important to have your childs teacher on-board, espeically when they are young and nto so able to manage their asthma themselves. Mich x

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  3. Thank you for sharing this useful post. I totally agree, t is important to ensure everyone is on the same page in order to ensure good health and safety.

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  4. What a useful post. I do worry as part of the PTA that sometimes children are entrusted to our care outside of school hours e.g. for a film night or a disco and we're not appraised of all the relevant information.

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  5. It's so important to be bale to speak to your child's teacher isn't it. I'm quite lucky in that none of my children have asthma, but I can imagine what a worry it must be.

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  6. My childhood best friend suffered from asthma and her mother was very vigilant in ensuring she updated the school with any information. It is so important that people inform the schools, excellent post.

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  7. Great tips and always good to open lines of communication with teachers from the start!

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