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QUESTION:
"As the stepmother in the situation I know yall will say I have no say so but I don't understand why a mom would bring their child who is allergic to cats and dogs to a house that has a ton of cats and dogs. My poor stepson was at his aunt's house ALL DAY yesterday where there are 2 dogs and many cats. He and his sister were then dropped off to their dad and me around 8 pm. We've literally spent all night taking turns taking care of him as he CAN NOT breathe even after his medicine and breathing treatments. And still, this morning he's having a hard time. I feel so bad for him I wish there was something I could do"
RELATED: Expert Advice for the Mom Whose 20-Month-Old Daughter’s Allergies Make It Hard for Her to Be Outside
TOP ANSWERS (AS SELECTED BY MODERATOR):
The following top answers have been selected by a moderator from hundreds of responses to the original question.
"Poor kid, as someone who is allergic to cats (they make me have constant asthma attacks) I can’t imagine being around them all day. Hope he feels better"
"This isn’t ok to do to children, the dad should definitely talk to the mother."
"Take him to the ER. Asthma is something that can kill."
"You should take him to the ER! His symptoms have not improved. He may need something stronger to help. Also, the doctors can document what happened for you!"
"Step mom or real mom you have a voice to advocate for a child who is hurting or struggling. AND I don’t care what people thing about that statement. I would discuss with dad and then address with mom."
"That is his father’s responsibility, not yours, but you already knew someone would say that, you obviously need to communicate with the father, and push him to step up, and stand up to the kids' mother."
"As a stepmom… you do have a say so, especially in a situation such as this. His health should be a top priority! She is endangering her child by putting him in that environment. I would suggest your husband have a conversation with her. I do not believe it would be well-received coming from you. He needs to explain to her that he will not hesitate to contact the proper authorities if she continues to subject him to this. I would also document EVERYTHING! That’s just me though. A paper trail is a must!"
"I’d talk to dad and tell him kids can visit aunt if they are outside or doing an outing together. Having them inside in a house full of allergens is a recipe for disaster. Take him to doc if his breathing doesn’t improve."
"Horrible. I have allergies to animals as well. Warm showers until he can breathe. Clean hands and face repeatedly. And you have every right to be upset and I would certainly take action"
"Has dad insisted that the kid take his allergy meds before they go visit, or looked into allergy shots for the kid? It can really limit his life if they don’t get a handle on this early on. As he gets older, he will want to go over to friends' houses who have pets, and if he can’t do that, he might be left out of a lot of play dates, parties, and sleepovers."
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