The 4 things you probably didn’t know were impacting your kids’ allergies.

There's so much I love about this time of year – decorating the Christmas tree, longer days to bike ride and picnic with the kids after school, camping weekends, beach swims, stone fruits...

One thing I categorically don't love is that in my house this time of year is allergy central. Ugh, that itchy feeling in and around (and why does it feel like behind?) my eyes, plus the back of my throat, sends me round the bend. And in my kids, they seem to feel it even worse than me. 

My 9-year-old always gets post-nasal drip and red irritated eyes, which is generally foul (for him and the rest of us), all while my poor 4-year-old is one of those people that seems to end up with itchy welts all over his body anytime he comes into contact with the outdoors, plenty indoors and... well, anything really. 

Not treating allergies and hay fever can actually have a really negative impact on our kids, making them really uncomfortable, struggling to sleep, with headaches and sinus pain, and with difficulty concentrating at school.

If I could recommend any item to keep year-round in your own first aid stash at home, besides a few back-up boxes of tissues, it'd be Zyrtec’s Kids' range for relieving allergy symptoms. They're available in chewables (for kids 6 and up), and liquid (for the little ones over 12 months), and both come in kid-friendly flavours, like grape and a new bubblegum version in the liquid.

They're exactly the kind of supplies you don't want to be out of when you need fast relief for your kids, so they can just get back to feeling like themselves running amok outside on these warm afternoons. (Zyrtec Kids is also free from things like sucrose and dyes, and if you've also got yourself a gluten-free kid, it's peace of mind to know their products are free from gluten, as well.)

There are honestly so many things that cause these allergy flare-ups during this Christmas and summer holiday season.

To help, here's a handy four things you probably didn't realise can impact your kids’ allergies right now. The more we know, the better so we're ready and armed if those flare-ups arrive unannounced.

Open fires and smoke

If you live in an area with lots of national parks around as I do, we all know back burning is essential to help reduce the hazard of uncontrolled bushfires in the hot summer season. Almost as soon as October rolls around each year, we know it's just a part of living in many areas of Australia.

When the air quality is poorer from the smoke and allergens it contains, it can help to limit outdoor activities in an effort to lower your kids' (and your own) exposure to keep your allergy symptoms in check.

Storing the Christmas tree, decorations, camping gear...

Each new year I carefully wrap up the Christmas decorations and tree, plus our family's camping gear of tents and sleep bags, store them in boxes under the stairs, and (try to) keep that area vacuumed and tidy for the months they sit waiting for us to use them again in summer. 

That film of grey that settles on everything? An annual culprit in our house (and likely yours). My 9-year-old is famous for his dusty sneezing attacks, with his record being seven sneezes in a row!

Dust and mould spores gather easily in storage spaces, so while it's easiest said than done, cleanliness is the first port of call here in combating against it.

Airtight containers like vacuum seal bags, and also dust-mite-proof covers, are game-changers when it’s time to put them away to help protect them for the bulk of the year they go untouched.

Mowing the lawn 

I don't know how we go about getting this prosecuted, but it should be illegal how quickly the grass grows this time of year. We're out there every weekend now keeping the yard in check. 

It looks great of course, but it’s also another way our kids' allergies get exacerbated from the grass, weed and tree pollen that's airborne and carried via our pets and on our kids' clothes. After kids have played outdoors, it can really help to stop grass pollen traipsing into your house by having them change and clothes put out for the wash, plus having them wash their hair. If you have outdoor pets too sauntering in and out of the house (the chickens aren't included in this!), wiping down their fur to remove any pollen can make a difference to get rid of what their coat has picked up outdoors.

Said chickens. Image: Supplied.

Homemade Christmas wreaths

As is tradition in many Aussie homes, I always make my own Christmas wreath to put on the door each year. Pulling together gum leaves, pine cones, native dried flowers, the works – and while it's special and satisfying to make, unfortunately, the day that I make it turns my kids' allergies upside down in our house, as we all react to the pollens in the flowers and plants. 

I've resorted to wearing a mask when making mine, and keeping it outside during my "creative process" rather than at the dining table – any minimisation in the house helps! 

What other allergy aggravators impact your kids? Tell us in the comments below.

Find Zyrtec's Kids range online or in-store at your nearest pharmacy.

Always read the label and follow the directions for use.

Feature Image: Supplied.