It is hard for kids of any age to fully comprehend a peanut allergy. Part of the problem is speaking on a level they can fully understand. So, when I heard there was a cartoon that was about a peanut allergy, I had to get it for Tyler!
If you have seen the "Arthur" series on PBS, you know what a high quality show it is. Tyler already liked it before we found "Binky Goes Nuts."
The story is simple and opens with Binky being diagnosed (via a skin test) with a peanut allergy. Binky does not fully understand all of the implications of the allergy but his mother does.
His mother teaches him the importance of reading all labels (she finds peanut oil in chili!) and talks about all of the precautions he must take to keep himself safe.
One important moment in the show is when Binky picks out a snack for himself at the store. His choice is cashews. Since he does not have a cashew allergy he does not give it a second thought. However within moments of eating his snack, he breaks out in hives. After a trip to the ER, he discovers the very real possibility of cross contamination.
This show is fairly short (maybe 10 minutes?) and could easily be shown to a classroom or a group of friends. Its interesting enough that they would stay engaged but truly learn something valuable about peanut allergies.
Tyler's Opinion
Tyler loved the fact there was a show about peanut allergies! He watched it several times in a row (it's very short). He kept saying, "I want to watch the peanut allergy show!"
The show also gave us a great opportunity to talk about his allergy. This child was in school and we talked about how to deal with his allergies at school.
There was one part in the movie that was a little unnerving to Tyler. (He is 4 and a rather sensitive child.) Binky has a nightmare where a peanut butter sandwich is trying to attack him. In the end, a super hero rescues him. This would probably not bother a child ages 5 and above, and might not even bother some younger children.
Recommendation
I do highly recommend this video for anyone that has a child with a peanut allergy. It is a great video to have in your collection for your child to view or to educate others (particularly other children) about their allergy.
4 comments:
Thank you for the information on the DVD, I just requested it from my library!
On "The Young and the Restless" (i know... my guilty pleasure...) there is a child who has been diagnosed with a peanut allergy. Don't know where they are going with it, but it IS a soap opera...
and I plan to check with my library about this video. If they don't have it, I will probably order it.
Caron
I agree with you,its really difficult for a kids to understand about allergies.
-Stephanie
I saw this episode with my daughter, she's 6 with peanut and tree nut allergies. It was good. The only thing that got me, was when he ate some (cashews, I think it was) and started to have a reaction, after he was treated his mom said, they were probably processed with peanuts. That was good to get the cross contamination point accross. But I was thinking they would discover he had tree-nut allergies as well.
Whenever, I tell people my daughter has nut allergies, people think "peanuts" and I have to explain the different types and they are really surprised to learn that's possible..
Anyway, any show that brings awareness is a good thing.
Recently, other shows have introduced the topic, Desparate Housewives (one of the two men neighbors), Back to you, the main character and his daughter had a pistachio nut allergy..
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