Eczema and Bullying: How to Address It

Living with eczema is hard enough due to the flare-ups that can be extremely annoying, but what can be so much more debilitating about this condition is the ridicule that some individuals experience from other people.

Eczema is especially hard for children because the obvious signs of this skin condition have often led to them being bullied in school by their peers. It may be hard for your child to endure bullying but there are ways you can do to help him build his confidence and strengthen his resolve.

Help them find peers with the same situation

Other than the taunting and jeering of bullies, one more thing that children hate about bullying is the fact that they are being ostracized by their peers. It can be a lonely world for a child not to have friends that they’re comfortable spending time with, but if they find a group of individuals who could understand what they’re going through this could help them build their confidence.

Having a set of friends who also go through what your child is going through will give him an opportunity to share his inner thoughts, fears and hopes for himself with other people who could have the same things in mind.

Make your child understand that eczema is not something to be ashamed of

It’s important for your child to understand that what he has isn’t a disease that other people should be afraid of. Eczema is not contagious so your child should not be afraid to mingle with other people for fear of infecting others.

Talk to your child’s teacher about his condition

Educating your child’s teacher about his condition can enable her to make your child’s classroom safer for him and she could also help prevent other kids from making fun of him. Teachers are supposed to help kids feel safe in their classrooms, so it’s just right and necessary that they step in whenever your child is being bullied by his classmates for his skin condition.

By educating your child’s teacher she can share what she learns about eczema to the whole class and through this other students can learn to empathize with your child.

Teach your child how to manage his symptoms

When you teach your child how to manage his eczema it shouldn’t be for the purpose of hiding his skin condition from the world. Despite his best efforts when your child suffers from eczema, he will exhibit symptoms of his condition no matter where he is.

But by teaching him how to manage his condition, he’ll be more prepared to alleviate his symptoms whenever it arises. Also, he can better understand that even though eczema can be such a pain to live with it doesn’t mean he’s helpless from managing his symptoms, which can help him develop his confidence more.