Finding a quality food allergy support group online can be difficult. As a food allergy mom, the last thing you want or need is a group that’s full of scary posts or negative and judgemental comments. Here are 3 easy tips for finding the best online support group for food allergies!
Three Tips for Finding The Best Food Allergy Support Group Online
Smaller is better.
Look for similarities to your life.
Look for a source of quality practical knowledge.
I know these 3 tips definitely need a bit more explanation, so let’s get to it!
Smaller is Better.
The phrase too many cooks in the kitchen definitely applies here. The problem with having too many people in a group means that it becomes a little impersonal. If a group is impersonal it’s very difficult to truly connect with other members because you never see the same person post twice. A larger group may also make it scary or intimidating to post. These are all hurdles for true community. The best food allergy support groups online are the ones where you can really connect with other mamas and not be afraid to ask questions or answer.
Small groups are also better because too many responses and opinions can make for a lot of confusion and make it harder to actually move forward. As long as you are getting quality practical knowledge (more on that below), you don’t need a lot of opinions.
Lastly, large online food allergy support groups can also become insensitive and even scary when it comes to triggering reaction posts. These posts can be really harmful to our mental health as food allergy mamas and need to be limited.
2. Look for similarities to your life.
When it comes to similarities, I don’t mean that you need to have the exact same allergies for your food allergy support group. What I do recommend though is to have the RIGHT similarities.
For example, someone who manages anaphylactic food allergies in a group of intolerances would not be the most helpful. The same thing goes for worldwide allergy support groups vs. Canada and US since the food allergy regulations are fairly similar between Canada and US.
So as long as the group is similar in the right ways, it will be helpful.
3. Make sure the group shares quality practical knowledge.
In the beginning, I was constantly searching the internet looking for tips and tricks and new allergy brands. But honestly, tips and tricks and even allergy-safe food brands don’t cut it.
There was ONE thing I was missing that was a game changer…
That ONE thing is practical knowledge and it's what helped me:
go to birthday parties and feel confident that my daughter would be completely safe because I know how to prepare the host and my daughter.
plan dozens of vacations and know that we’ll all have a safe and fun time (even me!). I won’t worry if I’m putting my daughter at risk in the name of making memories.
feel confident when it’s time to leave my child because I'm depleted and need a break (or like recently, I'm sending her on a school ski trip). I know that I will be able to get the caregiver or teacher to understand the severity of allergies and keep my daughter safe.
Let me tell you, this confidence didn’t come until a few years ago.
Learning what to say, and how, was a huge learning experience that I didn’t really perfect until my daughter was in junior high (or middle school). That meant a lot of years where I was worried if she would be safe. And hard days when she would come home eyes brimming with tears because everyone got a Paw Patrol cupcake except her. The heartbreak and worry are real, but I can now say I know what to do to handle it well.
Here’s the thing.
Food allergies will always be scary and heartbreaking. But navigating them DOES become easier. Not because your child grows out of them, but because you gain PRACTICAL KNOWLEDGE which makes you better at worrying less, advocating, and planning.
The problem is that practical knowledge doesn’t come quickly or easily.
Instead, it’s more like cold molasses being poured into an allergy-friendly cake, or like a diamond being pressed over millions of years in the earth.
That's because practical knowledge comes from experience and lots of trial and error.
So the only way to get practical knowledge is by going through many years of life yourself OR getting it from someone you trust.
So if practical knowledge is so hard to get, it also means it's valuable, just like a diamond is valuable.
But to really add the sparkle✨ to the diamond, you can't go with just ANY practical knowledge.
Practical knowledge needs to come from:
1. Someone who UNDERSTANDS what you're going through.
2. Someone who has had the TIME to test their knowledge over many years.
When you get a great source of practical knowledge, from someone who understands your challenges and has tested what they share with you over many years, you've found the diamond mine! This is the kind of quality knowledge you want to gain from your food allergy support group online. Even if the whole group isn’t filled with experienced allergy moms, it would be important if the Admin is a seasoned allergy mama that guides the group toward proven information.
Beware, many food allergy support groups online have mamas from all stages who are sharing all sorts of results. But until they’ve done it for more than 5, 6 or even 7 years, it really isn’t proven practical knowledge. It’s important to be aware of this because unproven knowledge can lead you astray and be the source of a lot of stress and worry.
Have you ever thought of it this way? How does your current online food allergy support group measure up? Comment below and let me know!
A New Food Allergy Support Group Online
If you’re an anaphylactic food allergy mom looking for the best allergy support group, or the one you’re in isn’t working for you, check out my coaching program, The Food Allergy Lifestyle Formula. The allergy support in this group fits all 3 of the criteria above!
Food Allergy Kid’s Empowerment Guide
On another note: As a Food Allergy Coach, I know that daycare/preschool and school is a scary transition for food allergy parents. If your child is starting in the next year, I’ve got a free resource that will help you prepare your child age 2-7 for more independence. It’s never too early or late to start! This free guide is perfect. Sign up today!
