The Heavy Burden of Responsibility on Young Shoulders

We teach our children to speak up and to be confidently vocal about their food allergies. It’s important to us that they’re not ashamed to say they have allergies, that their allergen(s) can make them ill. We ask them to carry a burden of responsibility from a young age, because our fear is that when we’re not around, they won’t be safeguarded appropriately.

When Natasha was 5 years old and in her first year at school, she went on a school trip to London Zoo. On the trip, a classmate’s mother accidentally put her child’s milk into Natasha’s school bag. When they all sat down to eat their packed lunches, her teacher saw the Tupperware cup of milk and demanded that Natasha drink it. Knowing it didn’t belong to her, she politely refused explaining it wasn’t hers but unfortunately her teacher became angry and insisted. “I only let it touch my lips mummy, I just pretended I was drinking.” she told me later that night after we had returned home from A&E.

Frightened of getting into trouble she did as she was told but tried to put herself in as little danger as possible by pretending to drink. The reaction was strong, her eyes closed into slits, her forehead swelled out of proportion and her swollen lips blistered. She thankfully didn’t experience anaphylaxis but that was down to her own forethought, she had to pretend to do as she was told.

My little girl carried a heavy burden of responsibility for herself when she was far too young to have to. Thank goodness she did, but that doesn’t make it right. A society that allows such a burden to be placed on the shoulders of children with food allergies is failing them.

Progress has been made since Natasha was 5 years old but not nearly enough. We hear from families every week, families who are struggling to keep their children safe because of a lack of understanding and appreciation of their allergies and their dangers. Children have rights and being safe is one of them. So, to any parent who is struggling with the physical and/or emotional wellbeing of their child, don’t accept anything less than 100%.

Anything less, will fall onto their young shoulders and that is wrong on every level.