• Allergies suck! But when you live in a place where weeds and pollen and all that nasty allergy causing stuff thrives, you have to learn to deal with them. I myself am lucky enough to not have to worry about any allergies, but my kids on the other hand get them every year.

    Sadly with my kids having seasonal allergies I have less days with the windows open and more with the filtered air conditioner or heater on. But that is a small price to pay to lessen the amount of sniffles and sneezes.

    Every spring and every fall like clockwork! Watery eyes, snotty noses, and an epic case of the sneezes. I’ve learned a few things to make them feel better but there is sadly no cure. I’m not big on medicating my kids, so I do as much as I possibly can (see our Playdate article Kids and Allergies) before turning to the pediatrician. First thing I do is pay attention to the weather reports and their pollen counts. If the counts are high we tend to stay inside for our play time. If being outside is inevitable then I do my best to keep them away from areas where the pollen or ragweeds are present. When we come inside we immediately change clothes. If it is a particularly bad day we’ll take baths right away.

    Sadly with my kids having seasonal allergies I have less days with the windows open and more with the filtered air conditioner or heater on. But that is a small price to pay to lessen the amount of sniffles and sneezes. I also try to make sure that my kids get their vitamins. I’m not quite sure if it really helps, but it makes me feel like I’m doing something proactive. Finally, I always have saline nasal spray on hand during seasonal allergy peaks. I hate them but my kids tolerate them relatively well. They’ve learned to use it because it clears them up and helps them breath. Best of all, they are super inexpensive and completely natural.

    Of course, if you’ve tried the above and your kids are still suffering, don’t be afraid to see your child’s doctor. Spring and Fall are supposed to be fun times for kids and a great time to play outside. It’s not fun when you spend all your time with itchy eyes and sneezing. If your doctor recommends a medication be sure to ask for a non drowsy variety. No one wants to sleep through the seasons!