I need your help!! I am in the process of creating a series of ebooks for managing food allergies. The first one I am working on is written for those who will care for a child with life-threatening food allergies for 24 hours or less (i.e. babysitters, parents who host playdates or sleepovers, etc).
I would love to have your suggestions of what you think is important for these type of people to know. So far I have the following sections:
1. Life-Threatening Food Allergies 101
2. What to Do Before a Food Allergic Child Visits Your Home
3. The Food Allergy Action Plan to Prepare for an Emergency
4. Understanding the Epi-Pen
5. Feeding the Food Allergic Child
6. Cross-Contamination - What is It and Why is It Important?
7. Why You are Important in the Life of a Food Allergic Child
OK, food allergy moms and dads, is there something else you would like to see? Please leave me a comment to let me know your thoughts on this. Or, if you prefer, send me an email. I'm working on this right now so I'd love your input this week.
My hope for this book is it will be something you can forward via email (since it will be electronic) to anyone who you trust to care for your food allergic child but want to give them a little education to prep them for the event. It will be filled with pictures and other things that make it entertaining while also being educational.
ThThis is the first in a series of books like this I plan to offer. Although there will be a small fee associated with them, I plan to offer them at a special price to readers of this blog for the first week. (As a big THANK YOU for reading this blog and helping me grow as a food allergy parent.
h
7 comments:
I love that you're doing this, I kind of put together the same info for members of our family already. I will try to send you some thoughts soon!
I am also thankful that you are doing this- I have tried to explain things to family/friends verbally, but I think something like this will be a great resource for me to use. I think you hit all the imp. points. I'll let you know if I think of anymore.
-Lisa
Robyn-
Your list is great, but perhaps you can also add a section on "Emotional Support" with info. on how to deal with schools, families, who may "not get it", where to turn to for support, etc.
Great idea!
Dena
Thank you so much for doing this. Like Lisa stated, it is so difficult to try and explain to family and friends over and over. I also agree Dena that perhaps there should be an emotional support section on what to tell others who just don't get it. Could I suggest that if it has pictures, that it could also include a "no peanut" label that the parent could print out and attach to the child as a remembrace to the caretaker if they choose to take the child out? Maybe even a label that could be printed out for the caretaker to give to the chef if the caretaker decides to take the child out to eat (hopefully this wouldn't happen, but it is always best to be prepared)?
-Nellie
Thanks guys. Actually book number two will be about the emotional impact of food allergies. IMO, this should not just be a chapter in a book but like 100 pages! Hopefully once I get this complete, I can work on that.
Anyone who has ideas for emotional impact ideas, please email me or comment. I already have several ideas but I know you all have more ideas since we all handle things differently.
Oh thank you so much for doing this. My biggest struggle with my daughter's allergies is getting the school/teachers to understand and cooperate in providing a safe environment. Would you be able to address suggestions for that also?
This is a great idea. It would help so much to have one "standard" medium to use in situations as you described. We can't be with our peanut allergic kids all of the time, and we need to rest easier when we are not. This would help.
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