Category: Parenting

Exploring Food Allergy Dads' Experiences: Survey Results

5/4/2020

As a family therapy-trained licensed therapist, I often find myself wondering about the systems in which we live. The family system, the community system, and beyond. Furthermore, I find it valuable to gain an understanding of how each system works, and how each member feels and navigates their role - especially within the family system.

Last year, I shared survey results exploring how non-allergic siblings felt. Recently, I became more curious about how dads perceived their experiences as food allergy parents. So, rather than trying to assume, I decided to go straight to the source: the dads! Below are the results from this anonymous survey.*

In addition to reading through these responses, be sure to check out episode 2 of the Exploring Food Allergy Families podcast, where themes from this survey are discussed. Additionally, you won't want to miss the 2-part episode where I chat openly and honestly with an experienced food allergy dad who took this survey (episodes 6 & 7).

*2021 Update: Check out EFAF podcast episode 15 (Comparing Moms' & Dads' Experiences - Allergy Parenting Survey Review), which explores the survey results from moms who took this same survey and compares/contrasts the data from the dad survey.

Question #1:

Do you feel food allergy dads speak up enough about
their experiences parenting a child with food allergies?

Question #2:

As a dad, what's one of the hardest things about managing your child's food allergy?

Question #3:

Is there an aspect of food allergy management that you feel
YOU manage better or more confidently than your partner/spouse does?

Question #4:

Is there an aspect of food allergy management that you feel
YOUR PARTNER/SPOUSE manages better or more confidently than you do?

Question #5:

What is one food allergy management guideline or decision that you
and your spouse/partner don’t always agree on?
(i.e. comfort level about eating at restaurants or eating may contains)

Question #6:

What would be one tip/piece of advice you’d share with dads of a newly diagnosed child?

Question #7:

Please share anything else you think would be helpful to know about being a dad to a food allergic child. (Thank you for your time!)

COMMUNITY QUESTIONS:
If you’re a dad reading this or listening to episode two of the podcast, did you feel these results aligned with your own experiences?

Or did these themes seem to fit with your partner’s experiences?

Check out these additional resources:

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New Podcast: Exploring Food Allergy Families

4/25/2020

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I'm very excited about this announcement. Not only does it relate to topics I am passionate about, but it's also a resource that I think will be enjoyable to listen to and learn from.

Introducing.....

So why did I create this podcast?

Well, you'll have to listen to the brief preview episode to hear that answer!

But I'll share why I think you'll enjoy this new podcast....

Exploring Food Allergy Families is a podcast with real talk, relatable conversations, and practical tips focused on navigating the impacts that food allergies have on families, mental health, and emotional well-being. Building resilience and an empowered mindset are key pillars of this podcast.

With episode lengths of 30 minutes or less, they're perfect to listen to while going for a run, walking the dog, or enjoying a cup of coffee in the morning (or wine at night)!

This podcast aims to share and explore:

"Bite size" chunks of knowledge on various topics, with tips you can use
Interviews with allergy-informed allied and mental healthcare providers
Guidance on a variety of food allergy, relationship, and life stresses
New thought processes that help you co-exist with or flip inner worry voices
Strategies to assess and address increased anxiety, emotions, and stress
Perspectives on how food allergies impact family systems and relationships
Building an empowered mindset to help gain confidence and build resilience
Honest conversations with families at various stages of their allergy journey
Reassurance that you're not alone in your thoughts and feelings
Parenting guidance to help determine if you're on track with food allergy parenting goals in different stages of development
Fun chats, because sometimes we just need to lighten the mood and laugh
And SO much more, because this is just the beginning!

Also, for episodes focused on skill-building and strategies, there will be additional follow up resources available on this website for those topics, should you want to apply and practice the concepts discussed.

So there you have it! Check out the first episode - a short preview and introduction, which explains why I decided this podcast was so important.

Then be sure to subscribe to Exploring Food Allergy Families (wherever you listen to podcasts) so you don't miss future episodes!

Trust me, you won't want to miss any episodes, especially the next one, Exploring Food Allergy Dads' Experiences, where I will share insights from the recent survey, relevant guidance/tips, and chat with one of these amazing food allergy dads!

So, let's explore food allergy families together!

Podcast Episode site: https://exploringfoodallergyfamilies.buzzsprout.com/
Podcast Info: www.FoodAllergyFamilies.com (or Podcast section on this website )

- Your feedback is a gift that I truly value, so please feel free to share thoughts, topic ideas,
or feedback on whether topics explored on the podcast have been helpful. -

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A helpful parenting framework: Galinsky's stages of parenthood

2/29/2020

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When a child receives a food allergy diagnosis, it's common for parents to feel overwhelmed. Worrying thoughts may fill parents' minds with doubt and concern about how (and if) they will be able to prepare their food allergic child well enough to navigate this world on their one day.

It's important for parents to remember that time plays a key factor here!

It takes 9 months for a baby to develop and be ready for the outside world.

A kindergartner has over a decade of schooling to prepare himself/herself for college or work.

Similarly, food allergic kids acquire their skills over time, learning and applying them during each phase of development.

GALINKSY'S SIX STAGES OF PARENTHOOD

The childhood stages of development can provide parents with benchmarks to help assess their own child's growth and progress. While this is useful information, it doesn't necessarily help parents understand their role at each stage of development.

Ellen Galinsky, president and cofounder of the Families and Work Institute, conducted research that led to the development of the six stages of parenting. These six distinct stages offers parents a framework to help them understand not only what's happening during that age range, but what their tasks and goals might be.

Taking this information one step further, I created the image below as part of a food allergy parenting webinar I presented in 2019, which includes a basic overview of the food allergic parent's tasks for each stage of parenthood. Additionally, I added descriptive titles (in bold) for each stage to help highlight the parenting role for each stage.

how is a parenting framework helpful?

While the parental task list in the previous image seems simplistic, and certainly would include more than is listed above, this framework can help parents assess things such as:

Am I helping my child develop the skills appropriate for this age/stage?
What are my overall parenting goals for this current stage?
Should I be focusing more on skills that will help my child transition to their next age/stage?
Am I still doing too much for my child at their age, hindering them from learning age-appropriate skills they need to acquire?
Am I spending too much time worrying about things that are in a future stage?

A framework such as this is a helpful reminder that as parents, the goal isn't to teach kids every skill they need right away. A child's age, stage of development, and personality helps guide when and how to teach necessary life skills.

It's also a reminder that what parents teach their children in one stage sets the foundation for teaching the skills within the next stage of development and parenting. Kindergarteners managing food allergies build upon the basic skills parents have taught them as preschoolers. Food allergic high schoolers are learning additional skills and practicing strategies needed for them to develop into young adults that know how to manage their own healthcare needs.

So remember parents....
Rome wasn't built in a day, nor is a fully-prepared young adult managing their food allergies. Use the gift of time and reminders of your parenting role at each stage of your child's development to help guide your skill-building activities.....and hopefully help your worried mind believe that you can do this!

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Exploring Food Allergy Dads' Experiences: Survey Results

Question #1:

Question #2:

Question #3:

Question #4:

Question #5:

Question #6:

Question #7:

New Podcast: Exploring Food Allergy Families

A helpful parenting framework: Galinsky's stages of parenthood

how is a parenting framework helpful?

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Categories

Exploring Food Allergy Dads' Experiences: Survey Results

Question #1:

​Question #2:

Question #3:

Question #4:

Question #5:

Question #6:

Question #7:

New Podcast: Exploring Food Allergy Families

A helpful parenting framework: Galinsky's stages of parenthood

how is a parenting framework helpful?

Archives

Categories

Question #2: