Allergy Support 2016

Thank you to all the families that I have had the privilege to meet this year. It has been an exciting year with the launch of our workshop "Introduction to Managing Food Allergies" and the opportunity to provide individual counselling support for families dealing with food allergies.

Our Facebook group - Allergy Fun - Support continues to provide valued support for many of us on a regular basis. Thank you to everyone who has had input through your comments and other articles you have shared. It is terrific to have such a caring and understanding community that can readily share are joys and our heartaches.

Our book Allergy Fun continues to help teach and support our kids with food allergies. If you haven't got a copy of this yet, why not put it on your to do list for 2017. Your kids will be engaged and encouraged knowing that they are not alone.

Into the future, we hope to expand our reach through webinars and online counselling. Living in a major city is of great assistance to us as an allergy family, but I know that many people would love to have more support and have felt restricted by geographical limits. To stay in touch, sign up to receive our emails or LIKE and FOLLOW our Facebook page Allergy Fun.

We will be taking a bit of a break over Christmas but will return 20th January, 2017 with lots of energy and ideas ready to share. Take care over the Christmas season, and may you find ways to safely celebrate with family and friends, and truly treasure the gift of life we have been given.

Introduction to Managing Food Allergies

It has been a privilege to finish off 2016 by presenting our workshop "Introduction to Managing Food Allergies" to a number of parents and educators in the local community and in our local schools. I have met with parents who fear that a school or kinder would be unable to keep their child safe from life threatening food allergies. I have met educators who have to manage multiple food allergies in multiple children, some of whom are touch sensitive. I have also met professional staff who have such a desire to care for and nurture children, that it simply warms my heart. Yes, the incidence of food allergies appears to be on the rise, but the awareness and willingness of the community to learn and support those with food allergies is also on the rise.

"Introduction to Managing Food Allergies" is a way for parents and educators to look beyond the diagnosis of food allergies and find practical solutions to everyday situations. We have covered a lot of topics, but here is a summary of what you can learn in one of our sessions.
 
Concerning allergies, we covered:
- the difference between allergies and intolerances
- medication and how to carry it
- Action plans and other helpful forms
- cross contamination and how to check for hidden ingredients

Concerning kinder/childcare/school, we covered:
- effective anaphylaxis management policies
- analysis of risk management and procedures


Concerning the allergic child, we covered:
- how to teach our children and their friends about allergies
- how to promote resilience and confidence


And last but not least, we looked at self-care and how to successfully manage food allergies in children, every day of every week of every year. The response from attendees has been overwhelmingly positive, even from those who have been managing food allergies for years already.

If you would like to book a session for your community or would like to know when our next session is being run, please send me an email at allergyfun@outlook.com or use the contact form on this page.

Navigating Birthday Parties

Birthday Parties and the thought of upcoming Christmas parties used to be a source of great stress for us with a child with multiple food allergies. Our son was diagnosed at 9 months of age, of being at risk of anaphylaxis to 8 out of the top 9 food allergens. It basically meant he was (and more or less still is) only allowed to eat food that we have prepared for him. Although a plate of potato crisps might be safe for him, the risk of cross contamination from other hands and foods is too high. Whenever we received a party invitation, I felt the stress and anxiety rise within me. While most people are happy to be included in the party list, I felt relief when our son didn't come running to me with a precious slip of colourful paper.
 

Looking back, I think we attended far too many birthday parties and caused unnecessary stress on ourselves. I didn't want to miss out, nor did I want my kids to miss out. But I am also realising that our society wants to celebrate more extravagantly each year, and this extravagance feeds itself in a viscous cycle. Birthday parties look more and more like weddings, with themes and colour schemes. What are we celebrating anyway? The child or the party centre, the cake, or the fancy plates?

Birthday Parties are one aspect of life - not the be all and end all. There are some parties that are just too risky - due to the food available, due to the type of party, due to the people attending the party (sad, but true). On the other hand, there are some parties that can be manageable. If they have to miss a party, life will go on. Don't be afraid of saying NO to a party invite. If you're new to the allergy game, or new to the party scene, then start small. Each successful event will give you confidence for the next one. Overly stressful parties will give you wisdom and experience for the next invitation.

It's helpful to understand what aspects are causing the stress, and in this way work out if things can be managed safely, whether this is an issue that will pass, or whether the situation is worth the level of risk.

THE SAFE FOOD
Things that added to that stress was that EVERYTHING had to be home made in the early days since his allergies were too many to count. As he's gotten older, we have found a number of store bought snacks that he can take to parties. Provided I have a home made cupcake in the freezer, and can manage to put together a lunch for the lunch time parties, the rest is easy. We keep a pantry stocked with small packets of potato crisps/popcorn, small packets of lollies, individually wrapped dried fruit and small packets of chocolate. I have found decorating the cupcakes very simple by using premade fondant icing. Another alternative for cupcakes is simply to squash a few of his favourite lollies on top (Mentos, gummy bears, snakes... not all at once though). I usually pack some fresh fruit too of course to have some balance of healthy in there.

THE ENVIRONMENT/PEOPLE
Only you can make this judegement call. For us, a smaller party is better. If there are so many people there, I often think our presence is not going to make much difference to things and we will either attend for a short period only, or keep my children home. If you think about the stress load of a large party - I can handle a lot of stress for a short period. However, a party that goes for hours where I need to be in arm's reach of my two children might not be so enjoyable or manageable.

THE AGE OF THE CHILDREN

As our son has gotten older and understands more about his allergies, birthday parties are getting easier. He knows not to touch other food. He knows we always bring our own food. He knows he can sing the song, but can't touch the cake. As he's gotten older, he does ask to try things a bit more. He will ask if he can have the Frozen Fanta/Coke. He will ask if he can try any of the lollies in the lolly bag. Our general rule is if it doesn't have an, ingredient list, it is a NO. Even if he has eaten it before - no label, means it's NOT SAFE to eat. I have begun approaching some establishments to find out more information about certain foods, but I make careful choices based on the likelihood of cross contamination. Nothing would spoil a party like having to call an ambulance - so we balance out the risk, and choose to be very very safe. This means he might not get to eat all he wants, but he will be able to enjoy the time with his friends.

FEELING DIFFERENT
If your child has food allergies, they are different. Our children need to learn that they are different, but that they are also very similar in other ways. This is a page out of our book Allergy Fun. Teaching our children about their specific allergies is so important. Helping them understand the situation and the risks, helps them to accept their differences. Although we talk a lot about allergies in our family, we also talk a lot about... Pokemon and Monster Trucks (at the moment). We also spend a lot of time talking about other important aspects of life like kindness, generosity, honesty, joy... you get the idea. As parents, we need to be wise and sensitive about how many parties we attend where our children really are different. I don't feel it is fair on a child to feel they are the odd one out every weekend, let alone several times in one weekend. Limit the number of parties, depending on how your child copes with feeling different, and add in other events (like plays in the park, swims at the pool, rides on the bike etc) to show them just how great their life is.

Here are some more helpful tips:
- We always bring our own food and drink. We don't try to make it super healthy, but we do try and have a bit of a mix to even out the sugar overlad. It's not fair to expect your child to eat carrot sticks when everyone else is eating chocolate.
- I always have a few extra treats in my bag.
- Bring wipes and extra wipes - be generous in handing these around
- Our son has to sit when eating - no running around

If you have found these tips helpful, there will be even more practical information shared on how to manage food allergies in our workshop being hosted by Upwey South Primary School, on 10th Nov. Click here to find out more details.

Multicultural Allergy Awareness

Multicultural Allergy awareness is crucial for the lives of our little ones. Here is a message from one of our Allergy Mums - PLEASE share this message for others to read on Facebook, Pinterest... anywhere and everywhere you can.

This is just a request to spread the word about anaphylaxis (life threatening allergies). Yesterday my 2 year old son was in hospital for an anaphylactic reaction after another mum gave him a biscuit. I needed to administer his epipen and call an ambulance as his legs stopped working, he vomited and developed hives. The epipen did it's job as he could still breath.

The other mum didn't speak English so there was a language barrier there. I was sitting right there when I saw her offer it to him. I said 'no thanks, he has allergies'. It turns out she had already offered him one and he took it and ate it (he's 2) but I didn't see because his back was towards me; I was responding to the second offer....

I'm not blaming that other mum as the onus was on me to keep an eye on him - I guess I dropped the ball there.

I would encourage people to spread the word, especially to translate this to their non English speaking family and friends. It's a huge cultural thing to share food and it's an easy and generous thing to do without knowing about anaphylaxis.

I know allergies are on the rise and that some people may find other kids/people with allergies an inconvenience to their lunchbox and eating experience. I have attached a picture of this inconvenience, who also happens to be the light of my life.

Share toys, not food.

Thanks,

Allergy mum

Allergy Education Presentations

If you are looking for presentations suitable for a school environment, here are a few I have found.

ALLERGY PRESENTATIONS

All of them are informative, but I think my favourite would be from FAACT, since they have tailored them for different age groups.

I hope you find these helpful - LIKE our Facebook page to keep up to date with everything.

How to make a report after an allergic reaction

Here is a great flow chart of what to do and how to report an allergic reaction to prepackaged food or to food prepared from a food service provider. This is most relevant for Australia.

FLOW CHART from allergyfacts.org.au

If you would like to receive helpful information like this that makes life as an allergy parent better, Subscribe to Allergy Fun or LIKE us on Facebook.

Food Allergy Video - most suitable for 10 to 14 year olds.

Here is a fantastic new video that is perfect for showing to children with allergies, their friends and classmates.

It covers crucial issues in a tactful, thoughtful and insightful manner.

Topics include:
- Epipens and emergency medications
- Educating your friends about your food allergies
- Going out to eat with friends
- Sharing food at school
- Cross contamination of food
- THE DREADED KISS!!!!

All done in a manner that isn't scary, but gives real understanding into the life of a teen with food allergies.

Please SHARE this video with your family, your school and your community, made by

Allergy free and Non food ideas for Easter Egg Hunts

Easter is coming up... and what is normally a time for celebration and a bit of fun, becomes a time when allergy parents have to put on their thinking hats, pre-empt situations at school, at church, and even at the shops. How you choose to celebrate, or not celebrate will make a difference to your child, and your family. The way you explain things to your child will also make a difference to how they view their food allergies.

Allergy Education

Last year, I did an Easter egg hunt at my in-laws, with little clues for where to find the next egg. I filled plastic eggs with small lollies, snacks and little chicks, and of course ended with the finale egg. My 3 year old actually remembers it from last year and has been asking when we can do it again. The best part of last year for my older son was the food trials we had to do leading up to Easter. Every day, he ate increasing amounts of a large Easter Egg, to ensure that Easter Sunday would not end up in hospital. We can sometimes find a very bright side to allergies ;-)

Easter Egg hunts can be fraught with danger if other children are involved. On some occasions when other children are searching for normal chocolate eggs, I've filled plastic eggs with special treats or stickers, and put say a name sticker or some other special sticker on them. (This also allows me to know the eggs have not been open by someone else and act like a safety seal). Then I tell my child they are only allowed to pick up their special eggs with their sticker, since the other ones would make them sick. At a young age, I would walk with them, and direct them to the right locations, so they don't accidentally pick up the wrong eggs. I would point out the wrong egg occasionally, and explain, oh, that egg is for other children, let's keep looking for your eggs. It can still be fun for them... but it really depends how big and controlled it is. If there are too many people, I would probably not choose not to attend that Easter Egg hunt. If it's just a few friends, then it is more manageable.

Non-Food Easter Egg Hunt

Organising a non-food Easter Egg hunt would be a great way to educate others about how to include, and not exclude, children with food allergies. Here are some great ideas for an Easter Egg hunt, that don't involve food at all - Non-food Easter Egg Hunt. I love the puzzle pieces one... but imagine what would happen if you didn't manage to find all the pieces!?


And what about Glow in the Dark Easter eggs?? Simple, but clever! 

Allergy Friendly Easter Eggs

Here's another idea for making Easter Egg icypoles. Cute!

And one last one... Rainbow Jelly eggs anyone?

It seems alternatives to the traditional chocolate Easter Egg hunt are only limited by your imagination, and perhaps personal energy levels.

Have a safe Easter everyone, and don't forget to look for the real meaning behind Easter.

Allergy Education - when to start

When dealing with young children with food allergies, we need to educate the adults who are around them, but we also need to educate our young children. At what age should we start teaching our kids about their allergies? Do we want them to feel different?

We have two boys with multiple food allergies, now 3 and 6 years old. Do we want them to feel different? No, but the truth is, they are different. Pretending that they are not, is a recipe for disaster, especially when dealing with anaphylaxis. However, teaching them about their food allergies need to be done in a balanced and an age appropriate manner.

If you are unsure about where to start, or what would be appropriate to teach your child, here are some guidelines we have used. Keep in mind, that every child is different, and the age and stage will vary with the individual.

The age at which you choose to introduce them to their Epipen, and other medications is up to you. The age at which you choose to teach them that their allergies not only make them sick, but can be deadly is a very personal decision. I have not included these aspects in this diagram because I do not feel comfortable suggesting an age for this. Our oldest son practiced using an expired Epipen at the age of 3. He was able to understand a lot of his medical needs at a very young age. At the age of 6, he now knows that his allergies can be deadly. We discussed this by reading an article about a boy who was of a similar age who died from undeclared dairy in a coconut product. I will save those details for another post.

If you are hoping that your child grows out of their allergies by the time they reach school, that is completely natural. But allergy education needs to start as early as possible to make it a way of life, and not an imposed restriction that your child comes to resent. If your child no longer has food allergies when they are at school, you will have prepared them to be the most understanding friend to another child with food allergies. Wouldn't that be great?


Our child is not "the allergy kid". Our child is Matthew, a boy who loves the trampoline; a boy who loves Pokemon and bike riding; a boy who has allergies to milk, eggs and nuts but loves eating chicken, tomatoes and fresh peas.

If you'd like know more ways to educate your child in a balanced and age appropriate way, please check out our book Allergy Fun.

How can allergies be fun?!

I have been asked a few times, "Why call your book Allergy Fun? Allergies are NOT fun!"

It is true, the title Allergy Fun may strike some people as odd, given the potentially deadly nature of multiple, serious food allergies. However, as the parent of two children with multiple allergies, I believe it is important to make sure that children can still be children, despite the extra challenges they may face. I believe it is important to ensure our children do not frame their whole existence around allergies. Young children with severe food allergies certainly have many restrictions to learn and understand, but within these boundaries there can be an abundance of freedom, fun and adventure.

How do we have fun?

STEP 1: Take away the focus from food, and especially the foods that are of a concern to you. Children need to learn what they cannot eat, but more importantly, what food can we eat? What foods make us strong? What foods make us grow bigger? What foods help our brains and our body? What foods do we love to eat?

STEP 2: Find activities that don't revolve around restricted foods. With two boys, we spend many many hours at parks and playgrounds. We go there to PLAY, not eat. We meet friends to play, not just eat. Other non-food activities include: swimming pool, museums, galleries, bush walking, tree climbing, bike rides, and other sports.

Fruit picking could be another option for some - my boys love cherry picking, strawberry picking... find the season that suits you, find the fruits that suit you, and have FUN!

We have recently passed our food challenge for rainbow trout (fish), so my aim is to head to a local trout farm during the summer, catch some trout and cook it up! Heck, we might even try and eat it sashimi style?!

STEP 3: Always bring your emergency medication. We are there to have fun, but we always need to bring our emergency medication... just in case. It's an important lesson for kids to learn too :-)

To find out more ways to educate your child about their food allergies, click here.

My Kids Food Allergies Foundation - Review of Allergy Fun photobook

 My Kids Food Allergies' website has great resources for allergy education, including great print outs, recipes, games and more. 

They have also just published a very comprehensive review of Allergy Fun - check out what they thought of our book and please feel free to SHARE the link. 

http://mykidsfoodallergies.com/allergy-fun-photobook-is-up…/

Thanks My Kids Food Allergies for the great work you do to help the allergy community. 

Order Now, or simply find out more.

 

Starting School - questions to raise concerning food allergies.

As parents of a child with multiple food anaphylaxis, everything we do has to be done with extra care and extra preparation. When our son started to attend childcare, there was already a lot of meetings and paperwork that needed to be organised in preparation. However, when starting big boy's school, the scene is quite different in a number of ways.

At childcare, all the food was provided by the official cook. NO FOOD was allowed into any of the rooms. The Epipen we provided was moved from inside to outside, whenever the children went to play outdoors. If our boy moved rooms at the end of the day, his medications moved with him. The teacher/child ratios are such that no child is ever out of sight for any length of time. When I look back at this, it seems so cocooned... just the way I like it! And, I might say, for good reason. The children are so young, and although allergy education was emphasized, their level of understanding and level of self control is pretty much limited.

At school, children bring their own food. Food can be eaten in the classroom, under supervision, or it can be eaten outside (with significantly less supervision). School has multiple teachers, in multiple rooms, over a much larger campus. The age gap amongst the children is much greater , so there is more potential for bullying and intimidation.

It makes so much sense when we feel our anxiety levels rise. There is good reason. So here are some points to consider when getting ready to start school.

Action Plans, Medicine packs, Emergency Procedures, Staff Training, Lunchtimes, School Layout, Yard Duty, Crafts, Treats, Labels, Allergy Education... and of course Bullying!

• Anaphylaxis Action Plan - We fill ours out at the start of every school year. I print them out myself, fill all the details in, and bring it in to my GP to sign. At home, I scan them and print off multiple copies. One for the individual teacher, one for the first aid room, one for his medicine bag, one for myself...

• Asthma Action Plan - If your child suffers from asthma, then the Asthma Action Plan is equally as important. Check with your school which Asthma plans they use, since they seem to vary slightly.

• Medication - Our medications include: Epipen (with good expiry), Ventolin, spacer plus mask (if needed), small bottle of antihistimine with plastic spoon.These medications need to be stored in an unlocked area that can be accessed readily.

• Emergency management - What happens if the child becomes sick in the playground. What staff are around? Do they carry phones? What happens if the child becomes sick in a classroom? If an allergic reaction is obvious, then it is likely that appropriate procedures are followed. What if a child simply has a sore tummy? Or vomits for no reason? Normally, a child is escorted by another child to the sick bay. This is simply not appropriate for a child who may suffer anaphylaxis or an asthma attack along the way.

• Staff training - check that all staff have or will undergo Anaphylaxis First Aid training. Emphasize that First Aid training is for emergencies, and while it is vital, prevention is also paramount. Will all staff be able to recognise your allergic child? What happens when substitute teachers are used - who will make them aware of your allergic child? What experience does the school have with anaphylaxis and other allergies? I like to take a look at their first aid room and talk to whoever is in charge of it.

•  Lunchtimes/mealtimes - Does the school have a food policy of no sharing? Where do the children eat? Are they supervised? Does your child need to sit in a specific spot? Is there a handwashing policy BEFORE and AFTER eating?

• School Layout - this affects how many Epipens you feel is necessary. Not many schools will allow a young child to carry their own medications. There can be concern that it gets misplaced/damaged, or that it is accidentally activated. If the school is large, there may need to be more Epipens placed strategically around the grounds. Discuss how this can be managed and accessed in an emergency.

• Yard Duty - with multiple food allergies, we simply stated that our son is not to pick up rubbish under any circumstances. He doesn't do cleaning if food is involved at all.

• Craft - allergens can be hiding anywhere when it comes to schools. Kids with Food Allergies provides a helpful list of products and activities to be aware of. For us, we decided the classroom is not to use any recycled food containers or boxes. It will always be difficult to monitor the use of every product, in every situation. Older children especially, will be asked to complete projects at home that will then be displayed in a school for others to see. Explaining this to teachers is important, but teaching our child not to touch these displays is really important too.

• Treats - we supply a selection of sealed treats for our son, for situations where others have brought a cake to share for a birthday, or any other situation deemed appropriate by the teacher. I try and encourage the teacher to choose non-food related rewards like stickers or extra games/computer time, but unfortunately so much of our culture and society revolves around food, it is near impossible to avoid when dealing with over 20 children and their families.

• Labels - everything at school needs to be labelled, but perhaps consider making up stickers with an Allergy Alert. I put them on lunch containers, so that anybody walking past will see it, and be on alert. 

•  Bullying - the dreaded question. How does the school view food threats made towards an allergic child? What would be the process? Our school was adamant that this sort of behaviour had never happened before. Believe it or not, it's been nearly 2 years, and we actually have never had an issue. The general attitude and behaviour at our school means the children are always reminded to be caring, to be kind and to be respectful towards each other. However, the school can't control every child that enters it's gate, so it is worth understanding what the procedures are should the situation arise.

• Extra clothes - any small accident can mean a child needs a new set of clothes. If someone bumps into them and spills their food, this can be a cause for concern. I packed a spare set of clothes in a plastic bag with their name on it. This could be left with the class room teacher for the whole term. Our school has extra sets of clothes already, so this wasn't needed.

Allergy Education - books are a great way to educate your own child as well as their class. Read them at home, and bring them into school so that other kids can read them and grow in their understanding. Here is my top pick (the more books the better):

• Allergy Fun - Growing up with multiple food allergies

Here are some more helpful links:
Ascia Anaphylaxis Resources 

We made our allergy labels using Bright Star Kids

Teaching young children about their allergies - Allergy Fun Page 2

This is a continuation on our last post Teaching young children about their allergies, based on page 1 of Allergy Fun

Meet Matthew from Allergy Fun - he can't have cow's milk. He has soy milk to make him grow bigger. His brother has rice milk. What kind of milk do you have? 

These are the types of conversations that can help a child with allergies feel like they are not the odd one out, but that we have somethings in common with some people, and some things in common with others. Everyone is unique. These discussions can be extended to "What kind of bread do you have? What kind of cakes or cookies? What kind of snacks?" No matter what particular allergy your child has, Allergy Fun will encourage them to understand more about their allergy and to always remember to have fun with friends and family.

What if my child cannot have soy milk either?
What if my child can have cow's milk?

Your child does not have to have the exact same allergies as Matthew to relate to our book. There will be children around us with different allergies, and some with none. It is helpful to be able to name other people that you know who do have allergies, so your child does not feel alone. However, it is also helpful to name people your child knows who also like kicking a ball, or who also like dancing.

Allergy education can start at any age. The earlier you start, the more normal it will seem for your young person. I remember even at age 2 our son was able to prevent an allergic reaction! Our whole family was pretty much sleep deprived thanks to this little munchkin. His dad had gone to the kitchen to warm up my son's milk early one morning. Half asleep, he had taken out the soy milk to heat, instead of the rice milk. My son exclaimed, "That's not my milk, I have rice milk!" That was a proud moment :-)

To purchase your copy now, simply select your delivery option to pay securely via PayPal.

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Reviews for Allergy Fun - Growing up with multiple food allergies

Would you like to know what others thought about Allergy Fun? Here are some of the comments we have received:

"Hello to all the allergy Mums and Dads out there. I just wanted to let you know that I personally think the book 'Allergy Fun' is brilliant! I received my hard cover copy just last week and I'm very happy with it. The book is sooooooooooooooo relevant to my 4 year old son who has multiple allergies. I feel like it was written for him! Lol! The pictures are bright and bold, the information is well written and easy to read and the message is loud and clear. I will definitely be sending this book along to school next year when he starts Kinder. Thanks again" - Emma, Tasmania, Australia, August, 2015.

"Received my little boys allergy book today!! Can't wait to fill it in to help him understand what he can't have!!
Book is brilliant big pages and easy to understand!!.
Very pleased very quick postage and delivery!!
Thank you so much x x" - Vicki, Stephenage, UK, August 2015.

"We received our book this week, can't wait to share it with my little girl and also family & friends. This will be great to help my daughter learn more about her allergies to and it's wonderful she can add her own story in the back.
Postage was fast also was here in a couple days very good.
Thank you" - Michelle, WA, Australia, August 2015.

"This is a beautiful way of looking at something that can be very challenging for children and families. As a parent, educator and writer myself, I am so glad this fun book has been created. I will be recommend it to all parents who have kids with allergies. It will help a lot of people. Grace's experience and unique perspective will help smooth out the journey for our kids. Thanks Grace! Congratulations on a wonderful achievement." - Joshua, July 2015.

Here are some sample pages from the book:

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Want to know the difference between IGE, Non-IGE mediated allergies?

Here is a quick guide to IGE and Non-IGE mediated allergies. This does not cover everything, but it is a great resource you can download and print out for family and friends who want to know more.

Different Types of Food Allergies

Our eldest son has IGE mediated allergies, at risk of anaphylaxis. Our youngest son has Non-IGE mediated allergies. What allergies do you deal with? Have you even heard of all of these?!

Book Week - Allergy Education in a childcare setting

Does your child go to childcare or school? Would you like to increase their understanding of allergies? Books are a great tool to introduce or reinforce information about allergies.

Do you worry that your child is left out, or is seen differently by the other children? Allergy Fun helps to break down those barriers by encouraging us to think of all aspects of a person. Just like Matthew, one child might like trucks and rockets. Just like Matthew another child has food allergies. All of us have some things in common, and some things different.

Today we had an opportunity to take Allergy Fun to childcare to celebrate Book Week. The children loved hearing about Matthew and his allergies.

They were also super keen to share about what their favourite foods and activities were. We left a copy of the book to put on the bookshelf for kids to come back to and to use in further food allergy discussions.

Have you brought your copy of Allergy Fun to school or kinder? 

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Age appropriate allergy management

Life is a learning process.

As parents, we are learning new things all the time about allergies and how to manage them. Similarly, children are also on a learning journey and we need to adjust the way we teach them about allergies as they continue to grow and mature.

I was struck by the changes we have gone through in our allergy management, when our son went to Sunday School for the first time in three years. Our son is at risk of anaphylaxis to milk, eggs and all nuts. He is unable to eat any of these foods and we continue to avoid even the possibility of traces in most foods. However, at age 3, when he (occasionally) went to Sunday School, we had a long list of things to organise and discuss. Part of the reason his attendance was so occasional was that the effort required and the stress it caused probably outweighed the benefit.

Some of the things we used to do are the same as they are today:
- Medical Information - Updated action plans for his anaphylaxis and asthma are always provided.
- Medicine - Emergency Epipen, antihistimine and ventolin are always left in the room with our son.
- We make sure we chat to the staff and volunteers, so they know MATTHEW has ENTERED THEIR CARE!!!!
- Food - we provide all our own snacks and water bottle. No Food allowed - sticker placed on him.
- No food crafts, without clarification from us.

Some things that we used to do at age 3 seem excessive and unecessary now at age 6:
- providing a special place mat for him to eat from, and to do craft on.
- providing his own glue sticks, his own colour pencils (to ensure no cross contamination)
- sitting separately from other children during meals and even some craft time.
 
Why are we more relaxed now?
The main reason I think is that our son has been attending school now for a year and  half. Although we went through many procedures at school, I am sure that the kids do not honestly wash their hands as often nor as well as they should. I am sure cross contamination occurs in many instances in the class room. However, our son has not had a serious reaction so far... touch wood! I guess this experience means that for us now, it seems our son needs to eat the allergen before he reacts. This was not the case when he was younger. And so, we have entered a stage in his life where the implements he uses and the surfaces he touches do not need to be as squeaky clean. Our son has also developed significantly in his understanding of allergies, and the children at this age are not nearly as messy as they were at 3. Phew, what a relief!

Saying all that, I still stayed in the room for the whole session, to get a good idea of what goes on and what the helpers are like. I am enormously happy to conclude that my son is able to stay at Sunday School from now on, without my presence. They have all my contact details for emergencies, they have trained volunteers (quite a few), and I feel the risks are minimised and managed.

What a difference a few years make!

I wonder what life will be like at 9?

When was the last time you reassessed your risk management strategies around allergies?
I know that we tend to stick with what has worked in the past, but perhaps sometimes, it is good to reassess. You might be pleasantly surprised.

Teaching young children about their allergies - Allergy Fun Page 1

Allergy Fun can be a very easy book for young children to read. However, it is also meant as a launching platform for more meaningful and personal discussion. The level of discussion will depend a lot on the age of your child and their level of understanding. Here are some discussion points that can be raised as you read the book Allergy Fun.

These questions are based on just the first page of the book:
- Is there anything that makes you sick?
- How do you know you are sick? What does that feel like? Teaching children how to understand their body is helpful so that they are able to tell you if and when they are having an allergic reaction. Explain that if their leg is sore from a splinter, they can feel that it hurts on their foot. It is important to work out why it is sore, so that we can help them feel better again.
- Explain how the body can feel sick in different ways - rashes, itchiness, cramps, dizziness, tiredness, feeling like they need to vomit (nausea), feeling like they have no energy (lethargy), headache, tingling.
- What makes other people sick? This can include naming other people they know with allergies, or simply explaining that we all can get sick at different times, and that it is important to first try and prevent sickness, and second, if we do get sick, how to get help and get better.
- What do you like doing? What is your favourite activity? What are other people's favourite activities?

Please don't raise all these points in the one sitting, or the poor child may not want to read the rest of the book! Instead, raise a couple of these points each time you read the book. Each reading will add new levels of learning. Don't forget to allow time for your child to think about things and ask questions too. Some of their questions might come at a later time, but rest assured, they are taking in every word that comes out of your mouth.

If your child comes up with an interesting take on things, please do let us know. We will continue to post more ideas for how to use Allergy Fun as an effective tool for educating young children about their allergies, so make sure you subscribe and get each update.

My Allergy Fun - a chance to personalise your very own children's allergy book!

My Allergy Fun is coming soon!  Readers have enjoyed reading about Matthew and his multiple food allergies. Now it's your turn to be part of the action. This soft cover book includes the story of Allergy Fun, but when you flip the book, there are 8 large pages for you to personalise.

Add pictures of your child, the things they love, their favourite food, friends and family, as well as their allergens. You can watch your child beam with pride about every aspect that makes up their life.

To purchase your copy of Allergy Fun, simply select your delivery option and pay online.

Please select delivery option, full price is shown.

Australian Delivery $24.00 AUD    International Delivery $30.00 AUD

Together, let's embrace the life we have been given and be thankful for the unique nature of each person.

Wheat free or Gluten Free picture from Allergy Fun children's picture book

Does your heart ache when your child is the odd one out at birthday parties?
Do they ask why they can't share the same food as other children?

Allergy Fun aims to bring our focus away from what we can't have, to celebrating what we do have. Children can still attend birthday parties and still have plenty of fun if we are prepared with our safe foods and a positive attitude.

Matthew's safe food contains no milk, egg, nuts or wheat.

What are your favourite safe foods for special occasions?

To purchase your copy of Allergy Fun, simply select your delivery option and pay online.

Please select delivery option, full price is shown.

Australian Delivery $24.00 AUD    International Delivery $30.00 AUD