Allerbling

P is starting school in a few weeks (!!!!) and while he is a fantastic self advocate for his allergies, this is the first time I will be away from him and trusting someone else to feed him.  It’s only a snack (and truth be told, I’m still planning to pack his food every day) BUT he will be around others who are eating (potential allergens) which gives me anxiety just writing it out here now.

Thanks to a LOT of teaching, I know he’s ready because…

-He asks if foods have peanuts, sesame or cow milk in them ALL THE TIME.  Like, even foods I feed him.  He knows those are his allergens and that he can’t eat them or he will be sick and/or have to go to the hospital.  He knows to ask an adult because kids don’t always know.  He has asked my parents a few times (even when my dad fed him a plum!) and he isn’t remotely shy about it.  Any opportunity I see for practice, I take, and he is very proactive…just last week he was eyeing the cakes and pastries in the Whole Foods case and wanted to ask the employee if any had peanuts, sesame or cow milk, so I encouraged him to go for it.  And he did.  And he wasn’t terribly sad about the fact that he couldn’t have any, but later told me I “could make him some for his next birthday just like the ones at Whole Foods”.  Yikes.  I have my work cut out for me!!

-He can tell the difference between all the nuts and can pick out which breads and crackers have sesame on them.  We practice this every time we go to a store with bulk bins or a nuts aisle.  He enjoys the practice and it makes him more confident.

-He knows what his epi-pen is and why he needs to have it with him.

-He has a super cool bracelet with buttons for each allergy that he shows off to everyone he can.  We got it a week ago so he could have it before school started and it’s been a focal point of conversation between him and family/friends/strangers ever since.  I’m pretty proud by how empowered he is by something that may otherwise be seen as a misfortune.

This bracelet is made by allerbling and I bought it on amazon.  It comes with 8 allergy charms including peanut, shellfish, wheat, dairy, fish, soy, tree nut, and egg (aka “the big 8”) plus 1 medic charm.  We had to purchase the sesame charm separately.  And there are other charms available too (like ones that say “I carry an epi pen” or latex, etc.).

It comes with two sized bracelets (toddler and child) and P fits in the smaller one easily…which means we have an extra (larger) one and lots of extra charms.  I feel very fortunate that he has outgrown so many allergens (he started with wheat, soy, and tree nut too).

I know I have a bunch of allergy mamas who read this blog so I’d like to give it to someone who needs it.  I feel very strongly that products like this exist because of the active nature of this community and I want to contribute so if you think your child would fit in a larger bracelet and would wear it, leave me a comment….I will choose someone to mail it to by the end of the month.

[You will have to purchase peanut and dairy for yourself because his is using those]