Top quality food allergy T.shirts? Don’t feel pressured to make every teaching moment a game, either! Since kids are basically little sponges, one of the best ways to teach your child about food allergies is to model the behaviors yourself. Announce out loud whenever you’re checking food labels, packing up medicine or performing other routine allergy management tasks. As much as you can, take the extra time to include your little one, even at a young age, so that they understand what to do and can feel more in control. Although navigating a food allergy is never easy, you can take heart in the fact that many kids’ food allergies are temporary. As many as 80% of all children who are allergic to milk, egg, soy or wheat will outgrow the allergy, often by the age of 5. Allergies to peanuts, tree nuts, fish and shellfish, however, are more frequently lifelong.
It is crucial to find places to eat, with trusted adults who understand and take responsibility. The T.Shirts always start subtle conversations, often without the child noticing. This is where the Allergy T. Shirt was so useful. QUIETLY SHOUTING and making ALL AWARE! Taking a positive view of the condition the BOOTNAUT ALLERGY T.SHIRT became a favourite resource. It helps us negotiate the challenges of living with food allergies and promotes vigilance.Unsatisfied with the range of options available, we decided to produce a sustainable T.Shirt that said it all. The Allergy Logo is on the back which helps ‘quietly shout’ for others to BE AWARE without the child feeling different. We created the design to be fun and cool to wear.
No matter their age, encourage your child to ask questions of their doctor so they can begin to have that direct doctor/patient relationship that they will need as they grow and learn and become more independent. Here are some great additional tips from FARE about how to talk to your child in an age-appropriate way about their medical diagnosis. Mistakes will happen. That is life, for everyone. However, for a child with food allergies, the consequences of an honest mistake can be very scary. Talking through a food allergy emergency is so important, and there are ways to do it for all developmental levels. See additional information on allergy alert shirts for your child.
Not all symptoms are visible or easy for a child to describe, so when a child feels symptoms coming on, they might say things like “My tongue feels fat,” “This food is too spicy,” or “My throat itches.” Young children might put their hands in their mouths, pull or scratch at their tongues, or have trouble speaking. Sometimes, children who have experienced reactions in the past may try to hide a future reaction, out of embarrassment or fear. But since a quick response is crucial, it’s important to teach them to always tell an adult the moment they feel that something isn’t right.
Allergy management and emergency preparation can contribute to worry and anxiety during normal times, let alone during a pandemic. COVID-19 has required extensive changes to daily family life and led to uncertainty about the future. It is natural for these changes and uncertainties to impact stress levels about food allergies and asthma, too. You may be noticing that the allergy-related situations you worry about have changed. In our clinical work, families have expressed anxiety about a number of issues. Concerns include finding allergy-friendly foods due to limited availability, trying out new brands during this time, and the desire to avoid shopping at multiple stores. See additional information on this website.