Stress and your child

Most children with eczema can find living with eczema stressful at times.

Younger children may not like treatments because they sting or feel cold or sticky. Children can feel fed-up when treatments they try don’t seem to work. Or feel hopeless when they get an eczema flare-up, even though they have been doing everything they can to look after their skin.

There may be times when their eczema does not make them feel good about themselves. They may worry what other people think or how they look. Or feel like their eczema makes them stand out from others.

On top of this, they may feel tired if their itchy eczema has been keeping them up at night.

Relaxation can help your child wind down before bedtime to help them sleep. It can also help distract them when they are feeling itching. This can stop them from scratching.

Relaxation can also help them:

• Feel less tired
• Feel more confident
• Feel better able to deal with difficult situations

I use my daughter’s cot mobile to help get my son to sleep. It plays soothing music that would relax him really well. Or sometimes I just play some soft music.

Jackie

My son likes it when I massage in his moisturising creams. It makes him feel really calm.

Mishka