Chances are that at the last holiday or birthday party you attended, someone
there had dietary restrictions due to an allergy or intolerance.
It is crazy how the number of people with food
issues continues to grow.
My two
youngest kids are dairy intolerant. My oldest has issues with processed foods
and sugar. (Yeah, we are a fun bunch to have over for dinner!) Our fridge has
three different kinds of milk it in, and I read a lot of labels.
Because allergies and intolerances are so prevalent, people are becoming
more understanding.
There are many, many
sweet people in my life who are very considerate of our diet.
(We have one neighbor who keeps almond milk
in her fridge in case my son comes over and another who buys him special
popsicles in the summer.
We live in the
best neighborhood ever!)
It is hard to
understand allergies and intolerances, but as an “allergy mom” there are a few
things that I wish everyone knew.
1)
This isn’t in my head. Like I said above, most people are very
gracious. There are a few people who
think that most parents are making this up.
The vibe a parent gets from the skeptic is that allergy parents are
drama queens. We make this up because we
like having a special kid. I smile because if the skeptic knew how much work
having an allergy kids was, he would know that the drama queen would give up
the act in short order. (It is harder
for people to understand food intolerances. Allergy testing can be cut and dry. Often there is not a test with a “positive” or
“negative” result for intolerances. A
very helpful resource for understanding intolerances is What’s Eating Your Child? by Kelly Dorfman.)
2)
Please don’t be offended if I dig through your
trash. I ask many strange questions. I have asked for a list of ingredients. I have asked to know the menu of a meal in
advance. I have asked to go through the
trash to read a food label. I don’t want
to be perceived as a pain, mistrusting, nosy or rude. I just need to know what my kid can or cannot
have.
3)
Don’t feel bad if you forget. I personally feel that as the parent I am the
one responsible for my allergy kid’s food (even if we are away from home.) I do
not expect my sister-in-law to plan a dairy-free menu for her daughter’s
birthday party just because we will be there.
(That is why I ask a lot of questions.)
Others are not accustomed to cooking and eating this way, and I don’t
have the expectation that they ought to.
Many feel bad, and I don’t want them too! It warms my heart when you think of my child,
but I am not hurt if you forget.
4)
Please don’t argue with me about what my
child can or cannot eat (especially in front of my child.) It is not fun to be at a Christmas party with
a sad little boy who can’t have the cookies.
It makes matters worse if I have to argue with Great Aunt Matilda
because “One won’t kill him” or “Cousin Barney had a dairy allergy. He had one and was fine.” Everyone reacts differently. I am trying to make the best decision for my
kid. Please trust me (and encourage my
kid to trust me too!)
I did not want to be in the “Allergy Mom Club,” but here I am.
I am thankful for all that I have learned about food, our bodies and nutrition because of it. I do hope that someday my kids will outgrow their
dairy issues, and I hope that for all the other allergy sufferers out there that
the answers to allergies and intolerances are found soon.
This post is linked at
http://wearethatfamily.com/ and
http://www.foodrenegade.com/ and
http://homesteadrevival.blogspot.com/
