One mother’s perspective on managing childhood eczema: finding meaning in the challenges

For many caregivers, managing childhood eczema is a constant balance of care, comfort and uncertainty. Beyond the visible symptoms, eczema can shape every part of daily life for a child and their family. Katie shares her experience navigating eczema for her child and how she found support and community when she needed it most.

Katie shares, “At one and a half, our daughter was hospitalized and diagnosed with asthma. This began our journey in managing chronic health conditions. She was diagnosed with eczema around the age of 3. She also has asthma and allergies, completing the atopic triad. At the time, no dermatologist was working in Prince Edward Island. We were fortunate to have a pediatrician who understood eczema and helped us figure out treatment until a dermatologist was hired in our province.

I started researching eczema in children and found Eczema Society of Canada (ESC). It was the lifeline to education and support that we needed as we navigated worsening eczema flares. I attended several webinars hosted by ESC and listened to leading professionals discuss the management and treatment of eczema. Given our limited resources in PEI, this access to information felt very hopeful.

Parenting a child with eczema is so difficult. It is a DAILY struggle to apply creams and ointments, give baths, avoid irritants, etc. At the time, I didn’t know anyone with a child with eczema, so I reached out to ESC and found resources as we navigated creams, baths, product and clothing selection, and tips and tricks.

With the help of our dermatologist and pediatrician, we’ve navigated how eczema has affected our daughter as she’s grown. We have accessed new medications and been fortunate to trial a variety of different interventions. While her eczema remains a part of life, it no longer keeps us up at night (literally). Now, at the age of 7, we are hopeful she will continue to see improvements in her management. We are currently navigating injection fears, so our initially successful trial of a biological injection is on hold. We continue to receive support and help advocate for new drug options through ESC.

We are gently reminded that managing eczema is a long-distance race, and not a sprint. Day by day, we do the best we can. Some days it’s exhausting negotiating the application of medical creams, trying to avoid irritants with a child who wants to use scented bath bombs and have their face painted like everyone else. It’s repeatedly reminding them to put on moisturizer at school, only to have them come home with bleeding skin from scratching – that you just worked so hard to heal!

While I wish it wasn’t a part of our life, it does come with some perks. Time spent massaging in cream, picking out clothing that suits their style and is also good for their skin, and cuddle time after a bath. It is also really gratifying to watch her grow and develop into a child who can advocate for her own health needs and recognize when she needs extra help. She had these words to share with others, “If you have eczema and no one else that you know has it, don’t feel like you’re alone.”

ESC sincerely thanks Katie for sharing her story. If you or your child is struggling with eczema and needs urgent care, go to your nearest emergency department.

May 2026