mary b.
9/8/2009
2:01 PM
3 Posts

Jacob is 3.5 now and is starting to ask if he now can have nuts.

It's usually when someone is having a PBCup or PB&J. I usually respond with "no it will make you sick and throw-up" because this is something he can understand instead of saying he have ananfalaxsis and go unconcious.

How do you respond to these questions with a three year old brain?

Debbie B.
Moderator
9/8/2009
7:18 PM
120 Posts

Sounds like you are right on to me. I respond to my kids the same- that if they ate even a little bit they would get very sick. I have talked with them about maybe going to the hospital, etc. but not in a scary, threatening way but a "they will help you" kind of way. I talk to them about how we always have an epi pen to be sure we are prepared just in case.
When mine are older (they are 5 now) I'll walk talk more about how they could have anaphylaxis and what that means, etc. At some point I will talk to them about it being potentially life threatening but I don't want them to hear that kind of info for a few more years.
Balancing them having as much of an understanding as they can at 3yrs old without overly scaring them is a challenge, but I think you're on the right track!