G-tubes and kindergarten

[Guest guest]

is starting kindergarten in one week! Very exciting.

In our town, kindergarten is 4 days/week from 9 - 3. This means

that will need to get a significant amount of her nutrition

while there. This is a challenge for her because while she

currently eats 70% of her calories by mouth, it only happens with my

coaxing, cueing, and shenanigans.

SO, we plan to start the year off with a scheduled tube feeding at

the end of the lunch period. This is a big deal for her because

until now, she has only had myself or my husband give her a tube

feeding. Now she will have to stop by the nurses office. Do any

of your children do that?

My concern is that other kids will be going in/out getting their meds

and will see the tube feeding but not necessarily know what it is.

I don't think it is realistic for the nurse to continually explain

it...because, at least in the beginning, she will need to pay

attention to what she is doing w.r.t the tube feeding.

I am concerned about teasing by those kids who don't understand it.

For the kids in her class, I plan to do a little show & tell to

explain it.

Have any of you been through this? Any suggestions? Also how did

you explain the tube to classmates? I have my own ideas but would

love to learn from you what worked and what didn't.

I met with her teacher, principal and counselor today and am left

feeling a little overwhelmed by it all. The more I reflect on our

agreed upon solution (nurse at end of lunch in nurses office) the

more I don't like it.

Thanks for any feedback,

Irene

[Guest guest]

Irene,

just started a new school this week for all hearing impaired

children and he, as well, is going from 9-3 each day and he's only 4-1/2

years old. This was a HUGE concern for me making sure he eats. Well, what

we're doing is that he gets a quick snack when he arrives at school, then a

later mid-morning snack. Lunch is from 12-12:30, then at 1:30 he gets a 4

oz. bolus feed. At 4:00 when he gets home he gets the remaining 4 oz.

bolus. He has no problem in the nurses office getting his bolus. I'm not

sure if other kids have seen him get his bolus, but even so, so far he

hasn't had a problem with kids watching.

Cheryl