How to Cope With a Food Allergy in the Family
Food allergies in children can have a big impact on the whole family. You need to take some important steps to keep your child safe and to keep allergens away from them.
1. Always Check the Labels:
Food shopping can take longer when you have a child with an allergy as you need to check the labels. Even familiar brands need to be checked as recipes can change. You should check the ingredients list carefully for the specific allergen you need to avoid, and make sure you know how to recognise any other names that might be used for it.
2. Be Prepared When You Eat Out:
Many restaurants are very good with food allergies in children, but sometimes you will encounter staff who simply don’t know what is in the food they are serving. The simplest way to enjoy a meal out is usually to choose your destination carefully. Check the menu on the website and get in touch before you visit if you need to check a specific ingredient.
3. Make Sure Your Child Understands:
As your child grows up, it becomes harder to control what he or she is eating. You never know when a friend might offer to share a snack or your teenager might decide to buy something at the corner shop. It is important that your child grows up knowing which foods to avoid so that he or she is able to make the right choices without your guidance.
4. Make Sure Other People Understand:
Schools are usually very good at dealing with food allergies in children, but other people can be less familiar with allergies and may even assume it is just a case of faddy eating. Make sure that grandparents, babysitters, and the parents of your child’s friends understand how serious your child’s allergy is and that they will need medication if they eat the wrong thing.
5. Keep It Out of the House:
Keeping the allergen out of the house is the best way to avoid accidentally triggering a reaction, so food allergies in children will affect the whole family. You and your other children may have to give up on something you enjoy to keep your child safe.
1. Always Check the Labels:
Food shopping can take longer when you have a child with an allergy as you need to check the labels. Even familiar brands need to be checked as recipes can change. You should check the ingredients list carefully for the specific allergen you need to avoid, and make sure you know how to recognise any other names that might be used for it.
2. Be Prepared When You Eat Out:
Many restaurants are very good with food allergies in children, but sometimes you will encounter staff who simply don’t know what is in the food they are serving. The simplest way to enjoy a meal out is usually to choose your destination carefully. Check the menu on the website and get in touch before you visit if you need to check a specific ingredient.
3. Make Sure Your Child Understands:
As your child grows up, it becomes harder to control what he or she is eating. You never know when a friend might offer to share a snack or your teenager might decide to buy something at the corner shop. It is important that your child grows up knowing which foods to avoid so that he or she is able to make the right choices without your guidance.
4. Make Sure Other People Understand:
Schools are usually very good at dealing with food allergies in children, but other people can be less familiar with allergies and may even assume it is just a case of faddy eating. Make sure that grandparents, babysitters, and the parents of your child’s friends understand how serious your child’s allergy is and that they will need medication if they eat the wrong thing.
5. Keep It Out of the House:
Keeping the allergen out of the house is the best way to avoid accidentally triggering a reaction, so food allergies in children will affect the whole family. You and your other children may have to give up on something you enjoy to keep your child safe.