This is the time of year when people start thinking about the types of gifts that will bring some joy into the lives of their relatives and loved ones. Is someone in your family a parent of a child that has special needs? The best gift you can give that parent is the gift of “time off”. Give them a much needed break! Parenting is not always easy, or enjoyable. All parents experience a certain amount of stress. I think that most people realize this truth, whether or not they happen to be parents themselves. Across the United States, there … Continue reading →

Life can be difficult for parents of kids who have allergies. You never can know, for certain, when your child will accidentally encounter an allergen. Sometimes, being well informed can help keep your child a little bit safer. There are plenty of free apps that are useful for parents of kids with allergies. Not every allergy related app that you find at the iTunes store, or at Amazon.com, is going to be available for free. Some, like the Allergy Caddy cost a little bit of money to download. However, since I am writing this blog in December, I realize that … Continue reading →

Christmas is a holiday that includes tons of candy, baked goods, and other treats. Many parents use them as easy “stocking stuffers”. Parents of kids that have food allergies are going to have to search a bit harder for Christmas treats that are safe for their children to eat. Here is a quick list to get you started. Indie Candy makes natural and allergen friendly candy. You can search their website to find candy that is dairy / casein free, wheat / gluten free, egg free, peanut free, tree nut free, or soy free. They have another link that will … Continue reading →

The holiday season may not be “the most wonderful time of the year” for children who have asthma, or environmental allergies. There are a lot of allergens in the air, and in your home, due to the way we celebrate Christmas. Parents who are aware of these allergy and asthma triggers might be able to prevent their child from having a severe reaction. Oh, Christmas tree! How lovely are your branches. How abundant are the allergens you put into air! The Christmas tree that is sitting inside your living room might be the source of your child’s allergy or asthma … Continue reading →

Thanksgiving dinner can be stressful for parents of kids who have severe food allergies. The foods that you think might be safe for your child to eat could be full if hidden allergens. Here is a quick list of some things to avoid. Cross contamination can be a big problem at Thanksgiving dinner. All it takes is for one careless person to use the wrong utensil to serve himself some food, and then to put that utensil into a completely different serving dish. Suddenly, the food that your child could have potentially eaten is absolutely unsafe. Turkey may seems like … Continue reading →

I have heard a lot of talk about obesity in children. Advice to prevent that ranges from “feed your child better foods” to “turn off the video games”. Parents of kids who have certain special needs require more tools than those pieces of advice. Your child’s medications could be affecting his or her weight. Kids that are extremely overweight, or obese, face certain health risks. They may develop insulin resistance, hypertension, or type 2 diabetes. These kids could be experiencing sleep apnea, which means that they are unable to get restful sleep. Some children who are overweight will begin puberty … Continue reading →

Halloween can be scary, and even dangerous, at times. Parents of children who have asthma, or who have skin allergies, need to be especially careful as they celebrate Halloween. Certain things that your children encounter on this holiday could hold hidden asthma and allergy triggers. Haunted houses, and spooky costumes, help people have some scary fun on Halloween. Few things can be more terrifying, though, than having to rush your child to the emergency room because he or she is having a severe asthma or allergy attack. It can be especially upsetting when you have no idea what triggered the … Continue reading →

Kids who have an autism spectrum disorder tend to become uncomfortable, or upset, when things do not go as they expected them to. What may seem like a small change can be overwhelming for kids with this special need. Here are some tips for how to help your child cope with all of the changes that can happen on Halloween. Halloween can be a difficult holiday for kids who have an autism spectrum disorder. While other kids may need little instruction about how to trick-or-treat, and will intrinsically see the fun in wearing a costume, kids with autism might need … Continue reading →

Holidays bring challenges to parents of kids who have food allergies. You want your child to be able to participate in the fun, without having an allergic reaction to one of the “treats”. If you don’t want to make your child “opt-out” of the Halloween fun, then you need to learn ways to provide safe, allergy free, sweets. Having food allergies is no fun. Halloween is one of the holidays that is based around “food”, (or, junk food, anyway). While all the other kids are gorging themselves on way too many sugary treats, kids who have food allergies are having … Continue reading →

Halloween can be fun, but it can also be scary. Kids who have certain kinds of special needs may have difficulties coping with all of the strange changes that are involved with Halloween decorations, costumes, and the act of trick-or-treating. There are some things parents can do to help their child cope with this scary holiday. There are many things about Halloween that can be difficult to deal with for children who have sensory issues. There are new sounds, smells, and sights to experience. Places that were once familiar have been altered with creepy decorations. Halloween costumes change the look … Continue reading →