No one can be with their kids 24-7. When your child has eczema, symptoms can flare at school, camp, sports, or other activities where you’re not there to step in. Helping them navigate those moments to avoid a bad experience takes different skills at different ages—from recognizing symptoms to speaking up and asking adults for help.
The most common type of eczema, atopic dermatitis, affects 12.7% of U.S. children under 18, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). While symptoms look similar across the board—cracking, redness, oozing, crusting, and scaling—kids don’t always communicate what they’re feeling the same way, especially when they’re younger, says Cynthia Yalowitz, MD, a board-certified dermatologist at Larchmont Dermatology in Larchmont, NY, who treats children with eczema. For example, “children may act cranky, restless, and irritable from waking up a lot at night” and never mention their skin symptoms the next day, she says.
Meet the Experts: Cynthia Yalowitz, MD, a board-certified dermatologist at Larchmont Dermatology in Larchmont, NY; and Kelly Henry, RN, who works as a nurse for the Pelham Union Free School District in New York.
Because their needs and abilities change over time, so does the game plan. Here’s expert guidance on managing your child’s eczema at different grade levels—including accommodations, flare kits, and treatment—plus ways to help them communicate about symptoms and take ownership of their care.
Elementary School
Starting in kindergarten, parents need to enlist teachers, school staff, camp counselors, and other adults as extra sets of eyes and ears for their child’s eczema. First, discuss eczema symptoms that require accommodations with the school nurse. “Bring a doctor’s note with a diagnosis and a list of your child’s triggers and medications,” says Kelly Henry, RN, who works as a nurse for the Pelham Union Free School District in New York.
The nurse often serves as a point person for busy parents, Henry adds, alerting teachers and other essential staff—a list that only grows as kids move into higher grades, multiple classrooms, and extracurricular activities. But parents should still meet one-on-one with their child’s teacher, Henry says, “because they’re the main person spending time with the student.”
To get accommodations approved, the National Eczema Association (NEA) recommends setting up a 504 plan at school. “If your child is allergic to pollen or dust, or is affected by heat, you don’t want them sitting next to a window or radiator,” Henry says. “During reading time, you could ask them to put a sheet down over the rug so their skin doesn’t get irritated.” You may also need to request more excused absences due to sleepless nights from scratching, plus extra time to make up missed lessons, per the NEA.
But even with the best-laid plans, eczema’s inflamed, itchy skin can still show up—and distract—in the classroom or at camp. That’s where a flare kit comes in, which you may be asked to leave in the nurse’s office. Many states prohibit students, especially in the lower grades, from keeping anything other than an asthma inhaler or epinephrine (an EpiPen) in the classroom, though the NEA recommends checking with your school about what is and isn’t permitted locally. (Prescribed medication is almost always administered by the nurse.)
For a school- or camp-ready flare kit, the NEA recommends packing:
- Alcohol-free hand sanitizer. These products kill germs without stripping the skin’s natural oils.
- Cotton gloves. These are helpful for handling materials that may irritate the skin, “like clay in art class,” Henry says.
- Gauze pads. Gauze may be used and/or refreshed by the nurse if your child’s eczema causes skin to weep, pus, or bleed.
- Ice packs. Cooling packs and compresses can help relieve inflamed skin.
- Mild cleansers. These are a good alternative to school soap, which can be harsh when washing hands, Henry notes.
- Moisturizing lotions. “Make sure all ointments and lotions are gentle and approved by a dermatologist,” Dr. Yalowitz says.
- Protective clothing. A hat and long sleeves can help shield skin from the sun’s effects during recess. Heat, sweat, and sunburn can all trigger eczema flares, Dr. Yalowitz says.
- Sunscreen. Dr. Yalowitz recommends formulas with zinc or titanium, which are generally well tolerated for eczema-prone skin. Apply to exposed skin before school or camp.
Taking steps to help your child avoid scratching and worsening eczema symptoms is also important. Henry advises keeping your elementary schooler’s nails short, showing them how to gently “rub rather than scratch an itch,” and giving them a school-approved fidget toy for distraction. If those methods aren’t enough, “tell your child to alert their teacher or nurse, who may give them a cool compress or lotion, or dispense prescribed medications,” she adds, to help get their mind back on learning—and off their eczema.
Middle School
Come sixth grade, parents still need to keep school and camp staff in the loop, insist on sunscreen, and drop off flare kits. But they also need to let go a little, because building a sense of independence is what this stage is all about.
Your middle schooler will likely be more successful managing their eczema if symptoms are under control before they leave the house. “The name of the game is prevention,” Dr. Yalowitz emphasizes. “That means having the proper foundation, which is the right medicine to treat eczema at home, because eczema can be very mild or very severe. Effective treatments can vary from topical to pill to injectable medicines, and we have many great non-steroid options. When eczema is well-managed, flares can be prevented.”
By now, parents should strongly encourage good skincare routines that kids can follow on their own. That may include moisturizing immediately after a lukewarm (not hot) shower to lock in hydration and support a healthy skin barrier, as well as changing into clean, moisture-wicking clothes after sweating in PE class.
Dr. Yalowitz also likes to involve kids in treatment decisions. “My approach is to give children this age samples of different moisturizers to get them involved in what they prefer,” she says. “It has to be something they don’t mind using.”
Also, give your child the language to use if they feel self-conscious about their skin’s appearance, as many students do at this age. “I have a skin condition that is not contagious in any way, I promise,” is a solid one-liner to use with peers, Henry says. Remind them, too, that they can talk freely and privately with a school social worker or counselor about emotions, stress, and anxiety—all of which can worsen eczema flares.
High School
The teenage years are a testing ground before kids launch into adulthood and, for many of them, total self-sufficiency at college or in the workforce. Henry suggests high schoolers keep a flare journal, where they jot down what they were exposed to before their eczema symptoms set in, as well as how their skin reacted. Since teens spend so much time with peers rather than parents, they’re often in the best position to notice patterns in their own eczema. “Triggers can change, and new ones can appear, which is why this can be helpful,” Henry says.
Never discourage your teen from playing sports, Dr. Yalowitz advises, but do keep a close eye on how their skin responds to heat, sweat, and specialty gear during practices and games. Then adjust as needed. A simple swap may be all it takes: Try a different shin guard and see if your child’s symptoms improve.
Most importantly, high schoolers and their parents should never downplay eczema symptoms. Severe pain, redness, and increased discharge can signal an infection that requires prompt evaluation and treatment by a dermatologist, Dr. Yalowitz says.
As teens take on more responsibility, knowing when to seek medical attention becomes part of managing their eczema going forward.
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