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I want to start by saying allergies are a huge game-changer with parenting. Anything your child experiences that is unique or different from whatever we consider the norm is hard. Not that any child or family is normal.
My point is allergies make parenting even harder. It is added stress, worry, and a learning curve.
I want to touch on some brutally honest mistakes we have made during our allergy journey with our child.
You Aren’t Perfect
I first want to remind all of you that you are not perfect. There is no way to be the perfect parent in any aspect. You will make mistakes and hopefully learn from them.
During our allergy journey, we have made many mistakes. These are a few quick ones that come to mind. We have learned from them and moved forward.
It is ok to be human. It is ok to make mistakes.
Forgetting
When our daughter was first getting introduced to new foods and we were uncovering allergies at the time we would forget to watch out for contaminants.
This sounds terrible, but my husband and I don’t regularly deal with allergies.
We went to a restaurant that serves buttery rolls. Our daughter has a dairy allergy. This is a place we love.
We got seated and immediately realized everything our daughter could reach out and touch probably had butter on it at some point.
Within the first few minutes of arriving she started getting itchy and blotchy.
We had a moment of realization that we have to do better for her. We also realized we have a lot to learn.
Dirty High Chairs
Restaurants in general are a struggle.
Our home is a controlled environment where our daughter always sits in the same seat and we know exactly what she is coming into contact with.
A restaurant high chair though could have been used hundreds of times by hundreds of children.
Those children could have eaten yogurt, drank milk, or had numerous other allergens.
Our daughter had reactions in restaurants even when nothing we ordered contained her allergens. Our hands were clean!
We now wipe down the high chair and table area upon arrival. We have considered getting a high chair cover, but have not done so yet.
We tend to be minimal parents and with the world how it currently is we don’t eat out all that often.
Our Fault
We have experienced moments where it was completely our fault our daughter reacted. We have used our hands to eat a butter burger or bread rolls. Afterward, we touched our daughter and caused her distress with a reaction.
Do you know how hard it is for a parent to be the reason their child is experiencing discomfort? It is the worst feeling.
If you are going through this know you are not alone. Mistakes happen. We have learned to use eating utensils to avoid getting our hands contaminated.
We have eaten an allergen and then kissed our child. Even just on the check and she has reacted. Usually, it is mild and doesn’t require medication, but you can see it on her face. She breaks out so quickly.
You are trying to show your child affection and instead cause them pain.
This is where allergies are hard!
We have learned from these mistakes and constantly learn more. This is a process.
Allergy Medication
We have straight up forgotten our daughter’s allergy medication.
This makes us sound like terrible parents once again. We just didn’t have a system. When we were first prescribed her medication we only had one bottle and kept it at home. We quickly realized we needed to have a bottle in the diaper bag and then another for daycare once she started there.
When this first happened we were not in the habit of packing it and thinking about it.
Allergies were still so new to us.
Setting Boundaries
One of the most important things to help prevent these mistakes is to set boundaries and systems.
Like I just said we finally got a system for having her medication with her at all times.
We have learned to eat using utensils or have a “dirty” hand and a “clean” hand.
Our daughter currently goes to daycare and in the future will spend time with friends on playdates. Because of this, we have stressed that your plate is yours and my plate is mine. We do not share food. We also do not share drinks.
My daughter does not get to drink out of my everyday Yeti tumbler. The only thing I ever put in there is water, but she still isn’t allowed to drink off me.
If I eat a bowl of ice cream and then take a drink it is a risk for her.
These systems keep her safe.
Conclusion
Having a child with allergies is hard. Right when you think you get a handle on things you realize you messed up somewhere else.
You are constantly learning how to be a better parent to your child and keep them safe and happy.
Check Out My Articles
How to Figure Out if My Baby has Allergies
How to Comfort Your Baby During a Blood Draw: Expert Tips and Tricks
10 Affordable Outside Activities to Wear Out Your Toddler this Summer!
Is there a Chance my Baby Could Outgrow Their Food Allergies One Day?