Spending time outside is just as important for children as it is for adults. It improves motor skills and muscle strength, gives them a greater sense of self-awareness, and encourages them to use their imagination.
But, for kids with seasonal allergies, spending time outside can seem next to impossible without feeling miserable.
As a parent or caregiver, it can be hard to keep your child cooped up indoors because of their allergies. So, what can you do to help them manage their allergies and spend more time outside?
Make Sure They Get Enough Sleep
Sleep is incredibly important for children, and they tend to need more of it than adults. From 3-5 years, the average child should get 10-13 hours each night. From 6-12, they need anywhere from 9-12 hours of sleep. Sleep has many benefits for kids, including:
- Improved attention spans
- Better behavior
- Boosted immune system
- Better physical and mental health
Unfortunately, sleep and allergies can be more closely related than most people realize. Allergies can irritate your child’s nasal passages. That makes it difficult to sleep soundly and can cause anything from insomnia to shorter periods of sleep. When your child doesn’t regularly get enough rest, they could be more prone to getting sick, which could exacerbate the symptoms of their allergies.
So, how do you break the cycle?
Try to establish better sleep hygiene habits with your child. Make sure they go to bed at the same time each night, and that their bedroom is a calming environment. For older kids, set boundaries for electronic devices and don’t let them use them before they’re getting ready to go to sleep. The blue light emitted from cell phones and tablets can disrupt circadian rhythms.
Does your child have trouble falling asleep in the first place? Try “wearing them out” during the day to encourage better sleep at night. If going to a park or playground isn’t feasible right now because of allergies, sign them up for a local gymnastics class or let them run around at home.
Find an Effective Treatment
Working with your child’s pediatrician or even a specialist is one of the best ways to help them manage allergies. First, a doctor can give you a better idea of what type of allergies your child has. You might assume they’re seasonal, but some of the most common types of allergies that affect children include:
- Food allergies
- Skin allergies
- Allergic asthma
- Indoor allergies (dust, pets, and chemicals)
- Medication allergies
Once you have a better understanding of what your child is experiencing, you can work with their doctor on different treatment and management options. Keep in mind that even if they don’t have seasonal allergies, symptoms like watery eyes and congestion can make it hard for them to run around and play outside. It’s important to treat allergies, no matter what’s causing them.
If you know your child has seasonal allergies and you want them to spend more time outside, consider having them wear a mask on particularly “high-risk” days and keep symptoms at bay with medication.
When your child comes in from spending time outside, have them take a shower right away. If you’re in public or they aren’t able to, at least get them to wash their hands. Ideally, you should wash their clothes right away, too. Pollen can linger on the skin and fabric for quite a while, triggering lasting irritation and symptoms.
Children need to spend time outside. If your child has allergies, they don’t need to be miserable while doing it. Keep these suggestions in mind to help your child manage their allergies and “be a kid” as they explore the outdoors.