Now kids can wear a warning of the foods that will harm them. All parents have to do is fill in the blanks.
A new "Don't Feed Me" T-shirt with a checklist of food allergies tells caregivers what not to serve, ABC News reports. To customize the shirt, parents simply fill in their child's name and mark the boxes next to the appropriate allergies, such as "peanuts" or "gluten." If an allergy is not included on the shirt, parents can write the food in one of the blank spaces.
Comedian Kym Whitley, star of the upcoming "Raising Whitley" on the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN), first developed the shirt for her son Joshua, 2, who was mistakenly fed peanut butter by a nanny. Whitley then turned the idea into a business with co-creator Rodney Van Johnson, according to ABC. She explained that the shirts are intended to be worn by children who can't read yet or who are unable to voice their needs.
Blogger Kara Baskin of Boston.com's 24 Hour Workday took issue with the shirts, writing, "I'm thinking there are probably slightly more subtle ways to convey your kids' allergy issues without making them look like a walking 'Hello My Name Is' tag."
Other allergy-wear is out there, including this "Stop! Don't Feed Me!" onesie. The small type reads, "Please Ask My Mom First. I Have Allergies."
According to FoodAllergy.org, 8 percent of children in the United States have food allergies, and that number is climbing. Among school-aged children with food allergies, more than 15 percent have had a reaction in school.
Whitley's "Don't Feed Me" shirts are available for $10 on her website.
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