The allergic child
If your child has food allergies, paying attention to food restrictions may have become a way of life for him by the age of six. Your child is probably sophisticated way beyond his years in what ingredients are hidden in foods. As you gradually give your child more and more responsibility for avoiding the foods to which he's allergic, be aware that with the responsibility comes the risk of his making mistakes. If your child's food sensitivity is not severe -- for example, he gets diarrhea if he eats a forbidden food -- then the transition to self-monitoring is simpler. But if your child has a life-threatening allergy, it's difficult for parents to just be supportive rather than overprotective.
When your child is six or seven, you still control his diet. But as he approaches his teens, he'll want to eat out with friends in restaurants go on overnight school trips. At the same time, he may begin to hi his food allergies because they're not cool, and you may find his medical alert bracelet tossed in a drawer. If your child has a severe allergy but is slipping into denial, it's time to step in. It's just too dangerous to let him learn from experience. Through his doctor, arrange for counselling. For information on childhood allergies, consult the Allergy/Asthma Information Association.
