Learn About The Best Allergy Alert Bracelets for Kids
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Allergy Alert Bracelets for Kids
If your child has a medical condition like mine (mine has severe food allergies), then you may be wondering how to keep them safe when they’re not with you at daycare, preschool, or school (or maybe even if they get separated from you in a busy public place). In this post, I’ll focus on the allergy alert bracelet and how it can help.
Before going further, if you’re super excited to shop, here’s a link to our family’s favorite selection of allergy alert bracelets for kids (affiliate link):
Otherwise, I’ve got some helpful information for you too!
First of all,
Why Are Allergy Alert Bracelets For Kids Important?
As you can imagine, the allergy alert bracelet gives parents peace of mind.
For me, knowing that my daughter’s medical condition will be easy to find so emergency responders can quickly treat it with epinephrine helps me feel confident that she’ll be safe so I can allow her the freedom to enjoy everyday activities.
How Do Allergy Alert Bracelets and Jewelry Work?
Allergy alert bracelets and necklaces are well-known so that if a medical emergency happens, caregivers, teachers, adults, and healthcare workers are able to look at the tag and know that the child has a medical condition and exactly what it is. This is why it’s important that the bracelet you choose has the well-known medical symbol on the front (the one with two snakes winding around a winged pole). Not all bracelets have this so make sure to check for it.
In the case of food allergies, time is precious in the event of an anaphylactic reaction. If your kiddo is wearing a bracelet and they aren’t able to speak, the bracelet or jewelry shows caretakers exactly what might be happening without searching for medical records or finding someone to ask. I also put my contact information on the bracelet so we could be easily reached and this doubles as a way to contact me if I ever got separated from my child in a busy public place.
So an allergy alert bracelet not only keeps your child safe, but it helps caretakers feel confident too.
I personally believe that kids should start wearing medical alert bracelets as soon as possible. The sooner they get used to it, the faster it will become a habit. It’s a good habit to start when they’re young, especially before they become tweens and teens when they are less likely to want to “stand out” from their friends.
So when it comes to medical alert ID bracelets and jewelry, the earlier, the better!
How Do You Get Kids To Wear An Allergy Alert Bracelet?
Some of you may feel like your little one doesn’t want to wear a bracelet. I know what it’s like because I went through the same thing! Keep reading to see what worked for us, or watch this video:
Around age 4, I started to show my daughter bracelets and started to talk about the positives from her point of view. For example, my daughter was really into “pretty” things. So I talked about the pretty bracelet she would get to wear when she was older. Remember your child’s personality and what they like. For example, other kids might like to feel like a superhero or they may want to wear something that’s their favorite color. Whatever it is for your child, start to show them the bracelet and talk about the benefits as soon as you can.
You might even want to GET a bracelet for them BUT not let them wear it right away. The idea is to make it SUPER special. It’s only for “big kids” and as soon as they get XX old, they’ll be big enough to wear it. OR as soon as they show certain behaviors it’s their reward. By making it extra special, yet a little hard to attain, reverse psychology will do its magic and they’ll want to wear it.
In the beginning, my daughter used to put everything in her mouth and so there were some bracelets that didn’t seem to work for her for fear of choking. Every child is different so you’ll need to decide whether this is a worry for your little ones and when they might be ready. My daughter was ready for a bracelet around age 4, which was perfect for short-term wearing at preschool and to help her get ready for the long full days of Kindergarten.
These silicone versions are great for younger kids without worrying about choking hazards:
If your kiddo is a bit older and already used to wearing an allergy alert bracelet, the best way to get them to wear it is to let them CHOOSE it themselves. Once my daughter was in grade 1, I made it a special occasion every summer to sit down with her and see which one SHE wanted for the year. Whether her bracelet from last year was worn out or not she got a new one because that was her special thing.
But it doesn’t mean that I let her choose any bracelet. I usually chose 3-4 bracelets that were within our budget and ones that I think were best for her. THEN I let her choose out of those 3-4 options. If I showed her every single option, it would be overwhelming and frustrating. Pre-picking is perfect so it doesn’t overwhelm her OR me (or break the budget)!
Click here to see some of my daughter’s favorites over the years.
Now that my daughter is 11, I still sit down with her every summer, but I give her a budget and she picks from all of the bracelets within that budget. It works well!
Click Here to see amazing options for boys too.
No matter WHAT, it’s super important that allergy alert bracelets are comfortable for kids. If it isn’t comfortable, kids won’t want to wear it. This brings me to our favorite brand of medical alert ID bracelets, Lauren’s Hope.
Lauren’s Hope has a variety of allergy alert bracelets for kids. Some of my daughters favorite and most comfortable are the STRETCHY versions. Just look for the pics that say “I stretch”. Other great ones for comfort and durability are the silicone ones which are also waterproof!
What Do You Put On An Allergy Alert Bracelet?
Of course, allergy alert bracelets are limited in size so it’s important to get the most important details on a small space.
Here’s what we put on my daughter’s bracelet:
Full name.
The severe allergies (in our case Peanuts & Tree Nuts) OR their medical condition.
Other conditions such as Asthma.
There are studies that show that having asthma may make anaphylactic reactions worse. Because of this, I want to show healthcare workers that she has asthma too so they can act appropriately. Also, if she was to have an Asthma attack, this is important for them to know.
Emergency phone number(s).
We put both my number and my husband’s, but if the room doesn’t allow it, choose one.
5. Where the epinephrine is.
If your kiddo is wearing their epinephrine in a place that might not be easy to find, you may want to say where it is. For example, some boys wear epinephrine on their leg. Just put a note that says “EPI on left leg”. Then make sure that’s where it is!
There are 2 kinds of engraving to choose from.
The first kind is standard etched and it appears tone on tone. The second is premium laser engraving and it’s MUCH easier to read than the standard etched. Personally, I feel like the premium laser engraving is WORTH the extra cost because I want people to be able to read it easily. The last thing I want is a teacher going to find their reading glasses because they can’t read the bracelet!
The Allergy Alert Tags Are Re-usable!
Something I love about Lauren’s Hope Bracelets is that you can REUSE the tags year after year. So even if you choose a different bracelet (or even a necklace), you don’t need to buy a new tag every single year. Now my daughter has a variety of tags to choose from so she can even match her outfit if she wants.
Conclusion
Allergy Alert Bracelets for Kids are key to helping food allergy kids & parents feel safe and confident. Our favorite brand called Lauren’s Hope has great styles and colors and is comfortable for kids while also being durable and made with quality.
Which tips for getting your kids to wear bracelets will you try first? Let me know in the comments!
Sharing IS a great way to help other food allergy moms. They’ll thank you for it, and so will I!
Want to prepare your child to be independent with food allergies?
Grab this free guide for kids aged 2-7 years old.
If you liked this post, follow me on Instagram @friendlypantry, and check out my premium resources below!
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