Do Not Kiss My Child

Controversial topic: K I S S I N G

SOMETIMES I don’t allow myself to kiss my child

Read on for why!

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We are an allergy family, and life for us is very different

a few days ago, hives appeared on Emma’s face because someone couldn’t help but kiss her after they had eggs. I monitored Emma for further reactions, washed her face, and reminded the individual (again) not to kiss my child.

it is awkward to tell people that it is not ok for them to kiss my child without:

1. her consent (boundaries) AND

2. my permission (my job is to protect her - especially from her allergens)

While most kisses comes from a well meaning place, I must share this because it happens a lot— I get a feeling some people simply don’t know that a kiss for someone with food allergies can be life-threatening.

if Emma stops you and asks you if you’ve had allergens when you try to plant a kiss on her, I taught her that.

when I go in for a kiss, she says, “mommy, have allergen?”

my response: “thank you for asking, I did not have any allergens today” OR “my goodness, you’re right! I did thank you for reminding me.”

if I eat anything that may contain an allergen

As instructed by her allergy specialist, I brush my teeth, wipe my mouth, and wait 3 allergen free meals before kissing my allergy child.

while it’s not my 3 year old’s job to educate everyone on the intricacies of life with food allergies… I am beating the drum by saying,

“thank you for respecting my child’s physical boundaries. by refraining from kissing her, you’re also helping me keep her safe.”

we’re an allergy family, and life for us is very different but I do not question why God made us this way—

by sharing our lives/story, my hope is that people would learn alongside us and stand with us. we cannot do this alone. we don’t want to do this alone - we were not meant to.

Allergy Note: it doesn’t matter if the kiss is not on her mouth - the last kiss that gave her hives was not on her mouth. some have told me it’s ok if they kiss my child because it’s on her cheek or hair… Don’t be that person.

Mahalo!