May Contain Anxiety: Managing the Overwhelm of Parenting Children with Food Allergies

A compassionate guide that teaches parents of children with food allergies how to mindfully manage anxiety and balance allergy safety with living fully.

Parenting a child with food allergies or other allergic conditions means navigating a labyrinth of emotions, decisions, and challenges. In May Contain Anxiety, licensed therapist and allergy parent Tamara Hubbard provides practical guidance tailored to the millions of parents managing this reality. Through her own parenting experiences, clinical expertise, and the voices of other allergy parents, Hubbard offers a compassionate resource to help you thrive amid the overwhelm.

This essential guide provides:
- Insight into the emotional and psychological challenges of allergy parenting, including managing anxiety, dealing with uncertainty, and navigating developmental changes.
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) strategies for accepting discomfort, decreasing overwhelm, and mindfully parenting based on values, not anxiety.
- Evidence-based techniques to address fear-driven thoughts and to cultivate awareness to manage allergy-related anxiety effectively.
- Guidance on how to teach children age-appropriate skills to safely and responsibly manage their allergies.
- Tips for establishing shared parenting goals and clear communication between co-parents to create consistent and effective allergy management routines.
- Mindfulness-based exercises designed to support the whole family in navigating the emotional complexities of allergy management together.
- Step-by-step strategies for creating a personalized mindful allergy parenting plan.

Each chapter is enriched with relatable stories, real-world examples, and exercises designed to empower both you and your family. Whether you're grappling with an unexpected diagnosis or seeking balance after allergy-related challenges, this book will help you foster an encouraging, confident environment for your child and yourself.

Tamara Hubbard is a licensed clinical professional counselor and family therapist who provides evidence-based therapeutic support for women, mothers, and parents of those managing allergic diseases. She is the founder of the Academy of Food Allergy Counseling and an active allied health member of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (AAAAI) and the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (ACAAI).