What do others do re: compliance with regime of creaming

[greencybermummy]

I'm interested in what others do when their children start to kick against the constant nature of being creamed when they have eczema? DD8 had always been very compliant but over past 6 months, has started to really fuss and make things very difficult at cream times. I know that I can manage her eczema well, having been trained well by her consultant but frustratingly at the moment this is proving harder and harder. She is passed star charts and doesn't yet appreciate the fact that her skin feels better when it is properly creamed and medicated.

We teach our children that they have a say in what happens to their own body. I'm struggling with accepting her right to say no to the treatment.

Any one else identify with these issues?

[Pinkkahori]

Yes. My dd is 10 and has had eczema since she was a baby. This is complicated by the fact that she has sensory issues and finds it extremely difficult to tolerate the greasy feeling of emollient creams.
I spent years, and a lot of money, trying to find a cream she would use without a battle with very little success.
She is 10 now and refuses daily moisturizing even though her skin is dry and rough. She says cream makes it feel worse and it is her body and her decision to make.
We have compromised by using bath emollient which she tolerates and agreeing that if her skin worsens from dry to sore she will use her steroid cream and so far she is keeping to the agreement.
In fairness to her she she also has asthma and is very compliant with taking her inhalers and medication.
If she was to fight me on that i would have to force the issue as asthma can be life threatening but as regards her skin for now I am letting her decide.
Also worth mentioning that we are very lucky in that she has never been prone to infected eczema, just dry, itchy skin which is less of a worry than weepy infected skin.

[cauliflowercheese14]

Cold hard cash. My 7 year old needs to use her cream twice daily. I say she can have 10p for each day she complies. Doesn't work all the time but does help. She is used to getting cash for doing some chores so it just became part of that system.

[greencybermummy]

Thank you. Sometimes just nice to know you're not alone. The psychological aspects of this condition are pretty crap for our kids. I'm an upbeat person but my DD is not so much and it's tough when she expresses her thoughts about the future with eczema and food allergies.

[PragmaticWench]

I can't help but it's really interesting to hear this discussed; DD is almost four and is past the stage where I can force her to have eczema creams or inhalers. She is pretty good with the food allergy stuff.

I'm intrigued to see what is ahead of us in relation to the creams/inhalers as she gets older.

[PragmaticWench]

That sounds awful, I haven't 'forced' those in the past but now we discuss it with her more.