Category: Holidays

It's Teal Pumpkin Time!

10/3/2016

by Amanda Painter, South Chapter Coordinator

Teal Pumpkin season is upon us!

Thanks to media coverage, national promotion and now being able to purchase teal pumpkins at craft stores, food allergy awareness is increasing. Despite the growing popularity of the project, I often hear from many parents each year “we didn’t see any teal pumpkins when trick-or-treating.”

So, how do we, food allergy families and advocates, get others to participate? Remember that we are the driving force for this project. Tell people about it!

Often our assumption is that those without food allergies see all the media coverage and are encouraged to do it themselves. While this does happen at times, it's usually a personal connection that will motivate someone to participate in the project.

Here are some suggestions to encourage those in your neighborhood and community to take part in the Teal Pumpkin Project.

Start with your family, closest friends and those that love your child. Those that recognize the challenges your child faces on a daily basis should be more than happy to participate in something that brings your child joy.

Print teal pumpkin flyers and give them out to neighbors. Include a list of suggested items they could hand out instead of candy. Do this face to face, or share it electronically through your online neighborhood websites/networks.

Use social media. Tell others why the Teal Pumpkin Project is important and how easy it is to show a little compassion for others.

School: talk to your child’s teacher, party organizers, PTO/PTA, etc. Suggest the TPP as an inclusive addition to the traditional celebration.

Community and church events: Think about what Halloween events take place in your city. Share the TPP with the planners (or better yet, offer to help with the planning). Church and other community events can be very receptive to finding ways to include all children in their event. Let the organizers know that participating in the TPP may increase the media coverage of their event. It’s a great marketing tool that can allow them to stand out from all the other Halloween activities.

If you haven’t seen any local media covering TPP, contact them yourself. Share your Teal Pumpkin story with them.

As with any group of concerned people, we can make a difference when we all pitch in. Help promote compassion and understanding during this Halloween season.

What other strategies have you used to encourage others to participate in the Teal Pumpkin Project?

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You're Invited! (Now what?!)

7/7/2016

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by Amanda Painter, South Chapter Coordinator

One of the most frequently asked questions I hear from parents of young kids with food allergies is “Should we go to the birthday party?”

In most cases, my response is “Yes! You can do it.” (Depending on the location, there may be some that are not safe. Be sure you know your risk factors and what to avoid.) My "Yes" often gets the responses of, "How can we do that?" or "I'd rather just keep my child at home."

It takes some work, planning and communication but you can make it happen. Here are some tips for how to handle a birthday party.

Begin the conversation with education, not expectations.
Think of this as an opportunity to educate someone else about food allergies. Speak with the host and let them know your child would like to attend. Then briefly talk a bit about food allergies. This education doesn’t mean explaining all the details about labeling laws, skin tests vs. RAST tests, etc. This information can be about how to offer safe participation for your child for a couple of hours: clean hands, the basics of cross contact, the need for having epinephrine accessible and an adult trained to administer there at all times. This conversation should also focus on how you will assist and provide for your child to participate. Explain that you do not expect all the party food to be safe for your child. Instead, your child will bring their own food that is safe for them.

When you speak with the host, ask what food they plan to serve. When will the food be served? Beginning or end? Or out the entire time? Take this opportunity to educate about how serving food at a designated time will keep your child safe, as opposed to having a free for all buffet for two hours.

Explain the importance of hand washing/wiping. Offer to bring wipes to help clean messy hands and faces.

Help while you're there! Yes, supervising your child is the priority. But if you are able, offer a hand to the host. They will appreciate your help. Assisting the host will also help your child not feel that your only reason for being there is to hover over them.

What if the host isn’t receptive to what you have to say? Or not willing to have kids wash hands? I have personally never found this to be the case, but it could happen! Would you want your child to spend time in a home and with people that are not willing to do a few small prevention steps? I wouldn’t. Unfortunately, there are people who don’t “get it” and have no desire to figure it out. Sometimes we just have to walk away.

As with anything, it gets easier with time.
Start small, if this helps you. If your child is very young and the food will be served at the end, you could leave before the cake comes out. Build on this until you are more comfortable with your child staying for the entire party.

Older children probably won't want mom or dad hanging around the party with them. Educating the host parent will take more work in this situation. Treat this like you would when leaving your child anywhere else. Ask if the host is willing to learn how and when to use an epinephrine auto-injector. Take the time to sit down with them and go over instructions for caring for your child.

Lastly, don't miss this opportunity to educate your child. Their self-management skills are an important part of keeping safe when around others eating their allergens. Discuss with your child before the party what your plan is. Explain that allergens will be there. Show your child any items/rooms/areas to avoid once they arrive at the party. Assure them that they will still have a special treat (brought from home); it just may look a little different than what the other children are eating. Remind them to only accept food from you (or other designated adult). Role-play what they should say to their friends if they ask questions.

Living with food allergies takes additional work and planning. We all know this. But remember the LIVING part of it. Our kids want to go to parties and celebrate with their friends. Put forth the effort to find a way for your child to participate and educate others along the way. You will also build your child’s self-management skills that will help them navigate social situations when they are older.

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Navigating the Holidays

11/5/2014

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by Amanda Painter, South Chapter Coordinator

Navigating the holidays while managing food allergies can turn what used to be “the most wonderful time of the year” into the most dreaded and stressful time of the year. With proper planning and communication, the holiday season can still be fun and enjoyable for all.

Start at Home
It’s important to always keep in mind the emotional needs of your child. Be mindful to not draw unnecessary attention to his/her allergies, especially if your child is sensitive to the extra attention.

Make a Plan
Will you supply all of the food for your child? Will you allow others to make food for your child? Or perhaps a combination of both? This will depend on how many and what allergens you are avoiding, how educated your host(ess) is about food allergies, and what is your trust level with this person.

Include your Child in the Planning Process
If you are taking safe food to the holiday meal, ask what your child wants for his/her special meal or dessert. We often spend a lot of time and energy recreating recipes to be new safe versions. Many times we’re surprised to find out however that our child doesn’t care if he/she has a safe version of what everyone else is eating (and may not like what we’ve spent so much time preparing). Your child may actually want something completely different; something that is special to him/her.   It is completely acceptable for your child to have spaghetti while everyone else eats turkey and dressing.  Your child deserves to indulge in their favorite foods the same way the rest of the family does for the holiday.

Take Advantage of the Teaching Opportunity
Remind your child that he/she is in control. Each child needs to continue to learn how to be comfortable with his/her own individual differences. This will build the confidence that is needed to effectively self-manage food allergies.

Teach Your Child How to Safely Sit Next to Someone Eating his/her Allergens.
In my house this is part of my daughter’s “food rules.” She knows 1. to not touch anyone else’s food, 2. to not let someone else touch her food, 3. to never eat food that someone with unclean hands has touched. Rules such as these support the important strategy of no food sharing.

Communicate With Your Host(ess)
To communicate effectively you must do so with clarity. The first step is to start early. Attempting to explain life-threatening allergies to someone who is in the middle of entertaining dozens of family members for a holiday isn’t going to be a productive conversation, nor will it give the topic the attention it deserves. Education should not be rushed.

Approach your host(ess) when he/she has time to hear you and digest the information. This will allow time for follow-up questions. Explain the facts about food allergies,  what can or cannot be eaten and what your plan is – such as, who prepares your child’s food. If you are going to allow your child to eat food prepared by this person, you will need to get very in-depth with them about how to avoid cross contact and what foods/brands are safe.

Food is love. We bond over it. It is possible to hurt feelings when refusing food that others have prepared but your child's safety is your top priority. If you will bring food for your child, tell your host(ess) ahead of time and fully explain why. Discuss any other strategies that are needed to keep your child safe, such as containing all food to the kitchen and designated eating areas.

Day of Holiday Gathering
Come prepared! Always carry two epinephrine auto-injectors and your emergency action plan.
Also, bring wipes for cleaning little hands and faces if there are small children attending the holiday meal. Don't forget to bring all of the necessary food items, snacks and a little extra. The last thing you want is for your child to still be hungry after eating the safe meal you brought from home.

Most importantly - always, always, always bring your epinephrine!

Before the Meal is Served
Find or create a designated food-free playing area for your child. Take a minute to quietly discuss with your child where the unsafe food is, how to avoid it, and remind him/her to not take food from others.
Depending on the age/maturity of the child (and how compliant your extended family is about not feeding your child) it may be necessary to provide supervision at all times. This may be an arrangement that you and your spouse agree to follow or possibly designate another family member (that is fully on board with food allergy management) to do so.

Time to Eat
Be sure that those sitting next to your child while eating know how to do so safely. It may be necessary to create a safe buffer zone. Surround your child with the family members that are most familiar with food allergies. Be cautious of young children who don’t understand allergies wanting to sit next to your child. In my family, we often suggest that they sit across from my daughter. This allows them to still talk and visit, but my daughter’s safe meal is out of reach.

After the meal, politely ask or remind others to wash hands.

Remember that learning about food allergies is a process -  if you don’t live with it everyday, it can take a while to fully understand. Be patient with your extended family and provide them with resources to learn. If you still have family members that do not take food allergies seriously, know that your job as a parent is to protect your child’s life. That is much more important than pleasing family members.

Don’t Forget Community & Church Events
Contact organizers ahead of time and ask if food will be served, candy distributed, or crafts made with food so that you may come prepared with an alternative for your child. Take wipes – everywhere. You never know what kind of messy situation you may come upon. Be prepared!

What About School?
Holiday parties should be something that you address during your 504/IEP meetings. Be sure to do this before the school year starts. Before the holidays is a good time to check in with the teacher to ensure your child’s plan will be followed.

Remember the Meaning
Even though planning for the holidays with food allergies can be stressful and extra work, keep in mind that your child and YOU still deserve to enjoy the holidays. This is the perfect time to start new traditions. These traditions can be focused around cooking safe food or around activities that don’t involve food. Remember the holidays are a time to reflect on what we are grateful for and be with those that we love. And don’t forget that your child is always observing your behavior and response to the stress. Teach them how to find the joy in the holiday season, make memories to cherish, and create new traditions that will have the entire family looking forward to the next holiday season.

Happy Holidays from FACET!

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It's Teal Pumpkin Time!

You're Invited! (Now what?!)

Navigating the Holidays

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