Parents of kids with allergies, get out your paper and pencil because you’re going to want to take notes. In this episode, we chat with Lauren Miller and Katie Richards of Food Allergy Mom about their experiences raising young children with allergies. These amazing moms share their tips and tricks on everything from their family food allergy rules to strategies and resources for a successful school year.

Lauren and Katie stepped into the world of food allergies in 2018 when their oldest children were both diagnosed with food allergies before they were even a year old. When they first got the food allergy diagnosis, they felt lost and overwhelmed. When both of their youngest children were also diagnosed, they again felt devastated and alone. The more they researched, the more they felt like they were drowning in information. Miraculously, they were able to connect in an online support group for food allergy mothers. After becoming fast friends, Lauren had an incredible idea of creating a blog to support other food allergy families and invited Katie to join her. They teamed up to provide support, validation, resources, and ideas for other families walking this journey.

Learn more about Food Allergy Mom at https://foodallergymom.com/ and follow them on Instagram and Facebook @foodallergymom

Recognizing anaphylaxis symptoms from FAACT - https://www.foodallergyawareness.org/media/food-allergy-and-anaphylaxis/Anaphylaxis-Symptoms-Poster_FINAL%2009-2016_PDF.pdf

Emergency Care Plan from FARE - https://www.foodallergy.org/living-food-allergies/food-allergy-essentials/food-allergy-anaphylaxis-emergency-care-plan

Different injectors for epinephrine training videos from FAACT - https://www.foodallergyawareness.org/media/food-allergy-and-anaphylaxis/Epinephrine%20Options%20Poster_2022.pdf

504 plans and accommodation information from FAACT - https://www.foodallergyawareness.org/civil-rights-advocacy/schools/504-plans/

The blog post on AllergicLiving.com entitled "The Surprising Side Effect of Food Allergies: Confidence" written by Caroline Fleur - https://www.allergicliving.com/2021/09/08/the-surprising-side-effect-of-food-allergies-confidence/

Suds2Go Portable Hand Washing System: https://www.mysuds2go.com/

* State and federal funding dictates 504 plan availability to children with food allergies who attend private or charter schools. If your child is in need of a 504 plan, reach out to your school to learn about available options.