The letter itself seems wonderful. If I were you, I would have liked to have had input into the food list (I just re-did our schools). But other than that...FABULOUS!

I'm just hoping that when it comes time for my PA son to go to school that he has a teaching staff like this! Wow, wonderful.
It looks like they did consult someone who was a parent of a PA kid. Maybe with so many in the school they chose someone whose kids had been there awhile to help draft the letter.
Amy

Hi CJ's mommy.
I think that you need to spend some time helping him to better understand his allergy. Many times, children are afraid of what they do not understand.
I would try and get a copy of alexander the elephant (a FAAN video)or view a show that talks about food allergies. My son is now 9 and I'm trying to remember which shows had food allergy topics...Maybe arthur (Binky goes nuts??) I think foodallergy.org also has activities and information for kids.
I would also point out to him that he has not had a reaction because you, his father and he have done a great job managing his allergy.
Empower him to understand label reading, give him information on how to stay safe....a little at a time. Let him get involved in food choices.
I would also try and show him that hospitals are not bad places. They are a place where there are lots of good, smart people who can help you if you are sick.
You could also seek guidance from your allergist if you have a good rapport/relationship with him/her.
Hang in there. THere are other threads that talk about how others have gotten through this with their children.

Hi Erin - I don't think you can change the topic heading. You might think about just re-posting, so more people will join in.
Unfortunately, I don't have any deep insight. My son has gone through periods of fearfulness, and I've tried to just keep being matter-of-fact and reassuring.
I try to think of dealing with PA as the same as teaching them to buckle their seat belt, or wear a bicycle helmet. It's something that is absolutely necessary and non-negotiable, but I also don't dwell on the negative consequences of not doing it.
But if you get closer to kindergarten and he is still fearful, you might consider finding a family therapist to help out. Kindergarten is scary enough with PA on top of it, so I wouldn't hesitate to get some help dealing with the emotional side of things!

There's no way but through with this one.
I would get an Epi-Pen trainer and leave it out, letting him know it does not have a needle and that he can play with it. I would show him how to do it. He WILL play with it and it will help.
I would also encourage him to talk to someone who's gone through the experience of an Epi-Pen. If you post your email, I would ask my 12 year old son to email him.
My son went to the hospital when we was about 5 and he was very traumatized by it. The hospital was very busy and they didn't have the right size IV - they ended up sticking him several times (plus, of course, he had to have an Epi-Pen before we got there). Afterwards, he was very fearful of hospitals and shots because of the botched IV. It took a long time for him to get over it. We encouraged him to work it out through play and that helped. However, he was still afraid.
Several years later, when he was about 9, he had a reaction and we had to give him a shot. He literally cried and screamed before I gave it, and then, afterwards, stopped crying like a faucet and said "That was it?" I started laughing. All that fear and anxiety and he really didn't even feel it go in. I remind him of that experience every so often so he doesn't worry about giving himself the shot if he needs to.
Experience is the best cure, but of course you don't want that for your son if you can avoid it. However, don't pussyfoot around the need for the shot and the temporary (emphasized!) pain. Kids aren't dumb. They're far more afraid of the unknown than the known.