How YOU Can Make an Allergy Kid Smile Next Week!

Food Allergies, Kids, and All of the Sh*t You Have to Deal With!

Food allergies are more and more commonplace in our today. Adults and kids alike are discovering the world of allergies.  Elimination diets, gluten-free diets, veganism, dairy-free, soy-free, nut-free: You name it, there's a diet or a problem. 

First off, if you don't have experience with the world of food allergies, you are lucky, because it is an exhausting world to live in. But, you should be aware of what it means, if you aren't directly affected by it!

It's holiday season, starting off with Halloween.  This is a dreadful holiday for my kids because together they have soy, dairy, peanut, and corn allergies.  To boot, my son turns into the devil if he even sniffs red dye. What I'm saying is that Halloween turns into this really tricky day (ha. ha.) where I let my kids collect a bunch of crap candy that they can't eat and then quickly swap it all out with toys and food that they can eat so that they don't feel left out.  

At school, I never bring candy. I always bring toys to pass out.  Why? Because my kids can't eat the majority of candy that is passed out.  Sometimes I will see another toy or trinket and that gives me hope that someone else is trying to be inclusive. 

I have lived for almost 5 years as an allergy mom.  This is what I've learned.  Myself and their father are their biggest advocates.  We make mistakes. We have made many mistakes.  We have learned from those mistakes.  There are many people who cannot grasp the concept of allergies and how encompassing it is.  Nor can they grasp how restricting it is.  I have learned that it's easier to make our food than to try to trust someone else to do so because the fear that they have missed something will eat you up.  I have learned that it's easier to ask a restaurant to bring in food than to expect them to figure out how to cater to allergies.  I have also learned that a soy/dairy/peanut/corn allergy means that you pretty much can't go out to eat and let the kids eat their food.  I have learned that our kids don't get to pick what they eat at a restaurant (in the event that they can eat there) because they can normally eat 2 things (max).  I have learned that the people who do understand food allergies make my heart sing because it's so refreshing to feel supported.  I have learned that my son (at almost 5) can now be his own advocate and although it should bring me comfort, it brings sadness most days. 

I have so much more to tell you about food allergies, but I'll leave you with this.  Halloween is right around the corner. Be mindful of children who may not be able to eat your chocolate, your peanuts, your anything.  Toss some toy trinkets in your goodie bowl and put out a teal pumpkin in support of the allergy kids.  They deserve to have fun too.  And their parents deserve to feel community support because it is sometimes hard to come by.  

For more information on how you can be more inclusive of kids with allergies on Halloween, check out the Teal Pumpkin Project. 

Bee Well!