3 Tips to Navigate Your Child’s Allergies
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Food is crucial for nutrition.
But it is also a shared social experience that represents our culture, our community, and the way that we celebrate with one another.
We build memories around smells, flavours and textures – cold ice cream on a summer holiday, the blend of jam and cream in a grandma’s beloved Victoria sponge recipe, or the scent of a roast dinner simmering away on a Sunday.
It’s second nature for most of us. But for some children, it can be hugely challenging.
If your child has allergies, this can come with serious anxieties for you and them. Learning to navigate these together can be challenging as you instil caution around eating outside of the home without creating additional stress around food.
With that in mind, these are just three tips to help you handle your child’s food challenges.
Teach your child to advocate for themselves
One of the biggest challenges that can come with a child’s allergies is that even some of the closest adults in their life may not fully understand the severity.
Some may put it down to ‘fussy eating,’ while others may dismiss the dangers of cross-contamination and insist that “a small amount is fine, surely?”
It is important to teach your child how to advocate for themselves in environments where exposure to allergens is a risk. Let them know that it’s ok to ask questions about food preparation, and to be firm about what they can and cannot eat, as well as alerting those around them to the dangers. Teach them that this doesn’t make them ‘difficult,’ but instead is a crucial tool for keeping themselves safe.
Anaphalaxis UK also recommends supervising your child around caregivers for the first few mealtimes so they understand safety routines such as checking food, as well as alerting them to the signs of an allergic reaction and how to act should this occur.
Seek support from fellow sufferers
Managing allergies can feel isolating. Social situations such as family events and meals out can be loaded with risk, and some sufferers may opt to avoid them.
Speaking to others who share your child’s allergy can be a great source of support, as well as a way to learn tips and tricks for management.
They may be able to provide recommendations on the best allergy-free alternatives for staple foods, ways to prevent cross-contamination and even allergy-friendly eateries in your area.
Sites like Meetup can even help you find in-person events to meet other sufferers who can advise you on how to support your child, while there are also a number of online forums where you can get quick advice as issues arise.
Teach food preparation
Your child shouldn’t have to experience anxiety around eating outside of the home.
But one of the things that can help them feel more confident around food is teaching them how to prepare it for themselves.
It’s a great way to educate them about their allergy, for instance teaching them how to interpret labelling. Some food manufacturers are more thorough than others, such as Positive ID Labelling who ensure all products are meticulously labelled with potential allergens.
Food education is healthy for every child, and for children with allergies it can help mitigate the stress and fear around food as they enjoy the process of preparation in a secure environment.
Managing allergies is a lifelong challenge, but with these tips, you can give your child confidence in keeping themselves safe and hopefully support them in enjoying food both as nourishment and a social experience.
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