Kiddie Food Allergen Tools & Resources

Though food allergens only affect a small percentage of children, about 1 in 13 children. The reactions of food allergens are incredibly scary and frightening for everyone involved. From experience working with Kiddies in School Health, encouraging and teaching children health/medical self-advocacy is an important lesson to learn, before the start of school, and a practical life skill. Though kiddies can out-grow food allergens as they age. A topic we will discuss here in detail, later. We can lessen these feelings of fear and anxiety among Kiddies, Parents, and Teachers/School Staff by arming them with information, resources, and tools.

As mentioned in Kiddie Nutrition: Halloween: Friendly Food Allergen Treats

Some practical ways others can advocate and help Kiddies with food allergens are to:

1.) Always Ask, but that also means kiddies need to know their own food allergens. Kiddies should also recognize their common reactions and symptoms, as symptoms can vary from person to person. They are often unique to your child. 2.) Wearing a medical alert bracelet. There are so many companies offering allergy related medical bracelets. They are kid-friendly made in bright-colors, customizable (since many children can often have more than one food allergy or health concerns including eczema and asthma etc.), and water-proof or easily accessible. Ms. Rose likes the bright colors and characters of AllerMates along with the other products that the company provides. The founder's story is inspiring, as a mother, helping to meet the needs of her child with food allergens.

3.) Recognizing allergens in foods can be a daunting task! Especially hidden allergens in packaged foods and common dishes. Ms. Rose found a wonderful app that can really help Parents and Kiddies with this task.

Spokin is an app founded by Founder/CEO Susie Hultquist, in response to frustrations around finding food allergens in Girl Scout Cookies for her daughter that had life-threatening food allergies. Susie Hultquist was also instrumental in raising funds that would establish FARE-Food Allergy Research and Education Organization. An organization dedicated to research, advocacy, and innovation around food allergens. Spokin's unique features that help assist Parents/Caregivers and Kiddies with recognizing hidden food allergens in food while also providing a community of supportive individuals with similar concerns.

Spokin's features include:

• Allergen Concerns, Ingredients, and Food Product matching, along with providing allergen-friendly, verified brands.

• Provides a platform for discovering, evaluating, and buying products through reviews and also reviewing products for others.

• Provide location & maps of locales that are allergen friendly that have been vetted and reviewed by other Spokin users.

• Provides Injection monitoring capabilities.

• Provide recipes that include ingredients that match food allergens and the ability to bookmark them.

• Provide Top Rated lists that have 18 categories of companies and products that are allergen friendly.

• Provide a community of other Spokin users and providing a platform of support and personalized driven resources.

You can find more information about Spokin here. Unfortunately, the app can only be provided on Apple App Store and Apple compatible products. However, there is an Android mailing wait-list. Spokin has some very strong features that can assist parents/caregivers and kiddies alike to address common concerns around food allergens.

In the upcoming post, we will discuss epi-pens in further detail. Ms. Rose hopes you found some of the information here helpful! Leave a comment and let me know!

Thomas & Friends + Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)

ALL ABOARD FOR GLOBAL GOALS!

Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends has been a true friend and group of friends to so many kiddies for almost 36+ years in production but almost 70+ years as a beloved creation from the original books of English author Wilbert Vere Awdry. WOW!

With Thomas’ signature and recognizable bright blue and red color, his adventures with his diverse friends on the Island of Sodor, and his many other adventures; we have learned so much about being a friend. We have also learned valuable lessons about being honest, polite, kind, responsible, humble, brave, and a team player, while also being a hard worker.

Thomas & Friends (Mattel, Inc.) teamed up with the United Nations to help introduce and teach about the Sustainable Development Goals to pre-school audiences! Thomas & Friends will highlight 5 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals into nine episodes of the 26 episodes of the animated season of Thomas & Friends on Nick Jr.

Along with these episodes. Thomas & Friends will provide resources on the website on other Goals, focusing on Goals 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, and 15. These resources will provide materials that engage preschoolers and assist parents with starting conversations and efforts around the global efforts to end poverty, provide both girls and boys with the same opportunities, and do it all, while protecting the planet.

Sustainable Development Goals are the result of a collaborative effort between nation-states and they were formulated around the knowledge that these are achievable goals if we work together!

International Day of the Girl Child

As a former Teen Girl-Up Advisor, Teacher, and as a Woman; the meaning of the International Day of the Girl Child has great meaning and significance!

The first International Day of the Girl started on October 11, 2012; as an international observance of advocating, teaching, and bringing awareness to issues facing girls worldwide. It was initially borne from the efforts of an international non-governmental humanitarian service group called Plan International, inspired by their campaign “Because I Am a Girl" campaign. A campaign that envisioned a “global movement to ensure girls everywhere can learn, lead, decide and thrive”.

On December 19, 2011, the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 66/170, to declare October 11, 2012 as the International Day of the Girl Child, as an inaugural day of international observance, recognizing girls’ rights and the unique challenges girls face around the world. In the short 8 years of observance, we have made great strides in addressing issues facing girls worldwide. In 2013, there were more than 2,000 official activities and organized events marking International Day of the Girl Child, lending voices to the causes of equality. However, there is still much work to be done towards working for equality for all girls!

Some of the persistent issues facing girls worldwide are:

· Lack of education and training, and access to education and training.

· Lack of safety from harm or violence, institutionalized violence and forced servitude.

· Lack to Equal rights to property ownership and other financial opportunities

· Lack of recognition as individuals and citizens of the world.

Many young girls in the world do not have birth certificates! Without proper documentation they cannot obtain and access the necessary services and opportunities that bring about independence and financial independence to build wealth for themselves and their families.

This year, “My Voice, Our Equal Future”, is a theme that recognizes the valiant efforts of girls worldwide that strive to be change-agents and change-makers. This theme is to highlight partnerships, collaboration, and honoring girls worldwide for asserting their demands to/and for:

· To Live free from gender-based violence, harmful practices, and HIV and AIDS 

· To Learn new skills towards the futures of their choosing

· To Lead as a generation of activists accelerating social change

· To find Ways to get involved

Many are achieving these aims through organizing digital-activism campaigns, lifting up girl’s voices and visions. There are also girl-led organizations, breaking boundaries and barriers, posed by stereotypes and exclusion of marginalized populations. They are thinking globally and acting locally.

Ms. Rose is a supporter, a friend, and an advocate. #brighterfuture #iamagirl

Here are some resources and organizations with activities and advocacy around International Day of the Girl Child: The Girl Scouts of America considers activities around International Day of Girl Child as a Global Action Day activity. https://www.girlscouts.org/en/for-girls/think-globally.html World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts. So many wonderful resources and tool kits! https://www.wagggs.org/en/what-we-do/day-of-the-girl/ Plan International continues to lead on advocating for girls worldwide, and here is a list of ways you can advocate for girls too! The activities look so fun!

https://stories.plancanada.ca/8-ways-celebrate-international-day-girl/

Girl-Up is a Girl and Teen led Advocacy Group. Get Involved! https://girlup.org/community

Of course, I have not listed the numerous other ambassadors, organizations and companies, who are collaborating, supporting, and advocating for girls worldwide! Go out and be a CHANGE AGENT!