It’s important to know how to teach your children about asthma. If your children are asthmatic, knowing how to recognize triggers, what to do about their symptoms and how to prevent attacks can help them saves their own lives.
Here’s how to help them…
Teach Them A Game
Use games to help teach young children about their asthma triggers. For example, help them draw pictures of the things they may need to avoid, such as pets, flowers or dusty rooms.
Teach Them About Their Toys
Does your child like to sleep with a certain toy that may trigger an attack? Explain to them why their favorite dust-collecting toy has to be put away at night, and show them how to put that toy to bed inside their toy box.
However, if your child just can’t sleep without a toy, consider buying your child a hypo-allergenic alternative, or placing their favorite toy in the freezer for 24 hours once every three weeks to help kill dust mites.
Teach Them What To Do When They’re Not At Home
It is very important to talk to your kids about triggers they may encounter when they’re not at home (and when you’re not their to help protect them). For example, potential triggers at school can include: chalk dust, furry class pets, heavy perfumes, and certain art supplies, like paint.
Teach Them About Their Inhaler
If your child has an inhaler, make sure they know to never leave home without it. Also, help them to learn what signs to be on the lookout for that may require them to use it. For example, teach your children to always bring their inhaler to art class, since many art materials can bring on an episode. Teach them that’s it’s okay to step outside and stay away until they stop coughing. And to ask for help.