5 Things to Know About Food Allergies And Kids

One thing I have learned about food allergies is that not everyone understands them. Not everyone understands there are a different variety of allergies.

They can be really bad with epi pens or giving them the item will just make them sick.

I want you to understand that coming from a mom whose daughter has celiac and my husband who is allergic to milk. Food allergies can by no fun at all. It makes cooking complicated and trips out places can be crazy.

5 Things to Know About Food Allergies And Kids - 3Dinosaurs.com

I have a few simple things I want you to know about having a child with food allergies. Plus some advice from other mothers that I’ve talked to.

Don’t give my child food without asking me first.

My daughter is older enough now to know she can’t just eat anything without asking if it is gluten free. Or having someone ask me about it. But not all kids can ask or know to ask.

I had someone give my daughter a corn muffin and it is corn, so I thought it was okay. But it has wheat flour it and she was sick for days afterward. I had stated they needed to ask me first. I’m asking this for safety not because I want to be mean.

I send a card with my daughter now with her to new playdates or activities so people know.

Wash your hands before touching my child’s food.

If you have handled any other food, please wash your hands before touching her food or her! I don’t need cross contamination added to her food. It is a simple thing and helps so many people.

We had a friend who had a son with a serious nut allergy, and she just asked that people, please wash hands before they went to open areas. It helps more than just her son stays safe. You never know who might have an allergy to some item.

Now before we leave or enter the house, we wash our hands, so our contaminates don’t affect others.

And yes with celiac and milk allergy in the house I wash my hands at least 5 or 7 times while making a meal. I know how important it is.

Please read all the items in the label, not just the “May Contain” section.

Not all foods just state what they are. So many types of foods have different names. Just looking for milk or wheat etc does not always mean it does not have it. If you can’t find it does not mean it might not be there.

I always read food labels and call just to make sure it is safe. Some might look okay but are processed with other types of food that might have contaminated it.

I often end up calling to make sure that the food types is not in the food. Yes, it takes time but worth it.

Please respect my child’s right to say no to food that may be okay for their allergy.

I hear it all the time. But I gave her something gluten free. Yup, you might have. But did you taste it? Don’t tell my child what they should be eating. My child has the right to say no to something.

I know that my daughter that has to have gluten free won’t eat fruits. And that is what most people provide her because it is gluten free. If you are providing something just for my child ask me! If you don’t allow them to say no.

Having a party I’m going to be calling!

I’m going to call about a playdate, party or anything that might have food involved. Yup, I want her to be happy and to be able to eat with everyone else. Plus I might want to tell you about an epi pen, or things that could be a problem for my child.

I also don’t want my child sitting aside while everyone else eats something or plays a game that involves food. I’m more than happy to provide something for my child to eat but I can’t do that without a phone call to you.

So please be understanding when I call in advance to help my child by knowing what you are going to have for the party.

Today is the ninth post with 12 other bloggers. You can read everyone’s posts about “Food, Diet, and Mealtime”.