They can make all the difference in your little one’s comfort — beyond how their skin feels. Raising a kid is a series of crash courses — from clipping teeny-tiny fingernails to defusing tantrums, you name it. And when your little one has eczema, it can feel like taking a class in which you’re (somehow) both the student and the teacher.
When my older daughter first started showing signs of eczema as an infant in the form of itchy, rashy skin, I didn’t think it was that big a deal, mostly because no one in my family had it. But now that I’m three years in, I’ve learned that helping manage my daughter’s eczema isn’t just a matter of slathering on lotion and calling it a day. There’s a lot more that goes into keeping her skin healthy on a daily basis, and into making sure she feels comfortable and capable no matter what. Tricky?
But it’s worth the extra effort. When my daughter tells me an area on her body is itchy, I have a process: We go a little slower after bath time so she can point out all the spots where she’s itchy. I’ll also ask her if her skin is bothering her if I notice her scratching her neck or back during the day.
That way, she knows that discomfort is not (and shouldn’t be!) the norm. Joceyln Gandelman, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist in New York, does the same, encouraging her daughter “to show me areas that itch and have eczema and help identify which areas need cream,” she says. If it doesn’t seem like the area actually needs a medicated cream, “then I put Vaseline on instead — and I gently let her know that one looks okay, but will get Vaseline,” she says. That way, her daughter can learn to tell eczema from healthy skin.
My daughter has been dealing with mild to moderate eczema since she was about six months old, so she’s used to our post-bath moisturizing routine. As she’s gotten older, though, she’s wanted to do the latter on her own — so I give her a dab of moisturizer to apply herself. I do it because she asked, but it turns out, it’s actually a good thing: Having kids help can build a link between their eczema routine and comfortable skin.
She also ties the medications into learning the alphabet, making it feel more fun and even educational. If your kid’s resistant, frame it as a “this or that” situation. He also recommends asking whether they want to apply a topical medication in the morning or at night, or if they want you or them to apply it.
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