School’s been in session for most of the country for all of three months now. And, an epilepsy conference put on by the Epilepsy Foundation of Michigan I participated in here in Detroit a couple of weeks ago got me thinking, if you–the parent–are the one with seizures, and not your child, how much information do you really owe to your child’s school and/or his teachers?

I’m the parent of a 4-year old. This is our first year in the ‘big leagues’…in other words, a large school with literally hundreds of families. No, Mommy does not drive and yes, Mommy does have occasional episodes and chances are good that at some point during our time at the school, it will happen in front of kids and parents. Our situation is very different from most families.

So, after a bit of advice from doctors, I’ve taken the approach to be as honest as I can be. I informed the administration and my daughter’s teachers about our situation and most were very accepting. I think all of us have learned that if you conceal your condition, if there is an emergency, that’s when those who were never informed tend to slip up. Pens are shoved into mouths to hold down tongues that will never be swallowed, etc. We’ve all heard these stories.

After all, chances are good you are in this for the long haul. In other words, you want to form a good and trusting relationship with your child’s educators. It’s a very good idea to help educate them about epilepsy.