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You play an important role in helping your child understand more about his or her asthma. Your child is looking to you for guidance and encouragement. And we'd like to offer you the same.
You're probably wondering how to discuss your child's condition with him or her. The most important tip is simply to be honest with your child.
Believe it or not, you may feel worse about the diagnosis than your child does. So try not to project your feelings onto your child. After all, kids are perceptive and can pick up your anxieties. Just explain to your son or daughter that asthma is a lifelong condition. But with the proper treatment, it shouldn't always stop your child from doing the things he or she loves.
Helping children with asthma involves a balance between encouraging independence and supervising their lifestyle.
As your child grows, so will his or her ability to manage asthma. Here are some tips to help you every step of the way.
Talking to your four- to six-year-old
At this young age, it may be difficult for your child to truly understand what asthma is, what asthma drugs do and how an asthma remedy can treat it. So why not enlist the help of your child's favorite stuffed animal? Since children learn through play, you can play "pretend" and show your child how teddy is being treated for his asthma. It's also a good idea to make treatments as much fun as possible so that your child feels more comfortable taking asthma drugs.
Talking to your seven- to nine-year-old
By this age, your child may be better able to comprehend the idea that asthma causes inflammation and constriction in the lungs. You may even compare asthma to a bruised ankle that swells when injured. Allow your child to play with friends, participate in sports and other activities, and even take some responsibility taking asthma drugs and seeking asthma help when necessary for his or her treatment, under your supervision, of course.
Talking to your ten- to twelve-year-old
As you have probably already noticed, your child is trying to gain some independence in more aspects of life. And treating asthma with asthma drugs can now be one of them. You can begin to let your child manage his or her asthma more and more. You may start by allowing him or her to take responsibility for peak flow readings and asthma drugs. As your child takes control over his or her treatments, continue to instill the importance of taking asthma drugs and the consequences of not taking them. You should also continue to offer your guidance and support when needed.
Talking peer-to-peer
While it's extremely important for your child to be able to talk to you about his or her asthma, it can also be quite beneficial to speak with peers. Support groups for children with asthma allow children to understand more about their condition and share their feelings with other children who are sharing similar experiences. Peer relationships are a great source for asthma help; they build self-confidence as well as nurture independence—two traits that can assist children in caring for their asthma.
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