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Food Allergies and Children's Parties Part One If you have not faced this dilemma yet, you will soon enough. Either your child (like mine) has a host of food allergies, or one of your child’s best buddies is allergic to a myriad of foods. In this article we will consider the situation where your child has the allergy; part two will look at planning a party when at least one of the guests has a known food allergy.
If your child has food allergies, it can be very nerve-wracking to send him or her off to a friend’s house for a birthday bash or holiday gathering. In my own case, my son Joshua is allergic to peas, peanuts, eggs and soy. Because three of these fall in the legume family, he has to stay away from all legumes. When he was first diagnosed, I quickly learned that almost every processed food, and certainly all of the beloved cakes, cookies and treats that are prevalent at children’s parties, had at least one of these ingredients. Josh is young enough that currently I am present at all his social gatherings and can carefully monitor the situation, but soon he will want to venture out on his own. Below are some suggestions regarding how to handle parties when your child has a food allergy:
- Educate yourself. Have a very clear understanding of what your child can and cannot consume. Many common foods have uncommon alternative names; for example, globulin and lysozyme are egg-based ingredients.
- Get connected. Groups such as The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (www.foodallergy.org) and KidsHealth (www.kidshealth.org) offer extensive information and guidance regarding the latest research, ingredient notices and recipes.
- Educate others. It is natural for well-meaning adults and other children to offer your child food. You must be forthright and direct in communicating the fact that your child has food allergies and cannot accept food that has not been prepared by you.
- Pack the snacks. Your child is bound to have some favorite treats. When you know a special occasion is coming up, prepare one of his or her best loved items to bring to the event. That way, you child will not feel left out. Bringing enough so that all the children can enjoy the special treat is a great idea as long as the host is open to this idea.
- Don’t forget the EpiPen. If your child has a true food allergy, then you should not go to any gathering without a doctor’s prescribed EpiPen. Speak to your allergist and pediatrician regarding the age where your child can safely self-administer the shot if needed.
- Embrace the teachable moments. Do not feel sorry for your child, as this will only lead to his or her own feelings of self-pity. Instead, recognize this as a valuable opportunity to teach your child self-control when it comes to food, a trait that far too few children (and adults) embrace. Remember, the single most significant factor that will influence whether your child outgrows a food allergy is whether there is absolute adherence to a diet that does not include the offending food. The more a child is exposed to the food, the less likely that the allergy will be outgrown. You simply cannot be too stringent when it comes to safeguarding your child against a clinically diagnosed food allergy.
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