What Every Food Allergy Kiddo Needs to Know

What is your food allergy parenting style?  Some of us are pretty intense (myself included!!) taking a very watchful and hands-on approach to managing life with food allergies, while others are a little more laid-back.  From the clients I work with, to the Facebook groups I participate in as a food allergy mom,  I have seen it all from super conservative to extremely hands-off.  There is no right answer, and while it may be hard to grasp the "other way" the reality is we all need to find an approach to safely manage food allergies that works for us, and for our families.  And, this approach may ebb and flow depending on the season of food allergies you are in.  For me, I will always be Type A, about everything, but as we have grown into our food allergies over the last decade I have adjusted my intensity (although some would laugh at that statement!).

Your approach has to work for you, and others may not understand the how or the why behind your actions, but as long as you are working to keep your child safe and help them move closer to being able to manage their own allergies you are on the right track!

How you do it may differ from how I do it, but here is my list of the key things we need to be teaching our food allergy kiddos so one day they will be able to successfully self-manage their food allergies.  After you read my list, comment below if you have others you would add.

Epi Etiquette
Simply stated- take it everywhere you go, keep it on you, and keep it temperature controlled.  So many tragic food allergy stories start with the fact the the person did not have their epinephrine with them.

Label Reading 
Make sure they know how to read a label, how their allergens may appear on the label- which may be different if you are managing a non-top 8 allergen, and any other names their allergen may appear as on labels, for example botanical names.

It's Not Just the Food
Highlight non-food risks and places where their allergens could be found, for example in personal care products or pet foods.

Be Your Own Advocate
Help them develop the skills they need to be able to advocate for themselves.  Food allergy parents do a lot of the behind scenes work, but as they get older involve them in the meetings and conversations that you have so they can see how to structure a conversation about keeping it safe.

Cooking School
If you have food allergies there is some level of cooking you will need to do to keep it safe, so be sure your kiddo has some basic cooking skills in their back pocket.  We don't need to raise gourmet cooks, but a few basic skills will go along way to boosting their confidence and making sure they can cook for themselves when you are no longer there to prepare all those safe meals.  Check out my previous blog post with advice from Chef Laura Holland about getting your kids in the kitchen for some great ideas on inspiring your little chef.

Attitude is Everything
It has been proven time and time again that your attitude will shape your experience. While food allergies can be scary and limiting, help your kiddo find the joy in their situation and model positive behaviors while managing their food allergies.  For example, approach conversations about keeping it safe with a collaborative mindset and make the best of situations even if it is not exactly how you would want it.  If you missed my blog post a few weeks ago about food allergy silver linings give it a read and see if you can relate or get some additional perspective to shape your attitude about food allergies.

What else would you add to the list?

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Need help living your best life with food allergies?  I can help you Thrive On! 
Learn more about me and my company, Thrive On Consulting, which provides food allergy coaching and training.  You can also follow me on Facebook for tips to Thrive On with food allergies.

Check out #thriveonthursday - Every Thursday check out my Facebook page -I share a tip for thriving on with food allergies!

Helping You Keep Halloween Safe and Fun!

It’s Fall! A magical season in my book, when the weather becomes cooler and jeans and boots make a comeback.  But, if you have food allergies it also marks the beginning of the very food focused holiday season, kicked off by Halloween – which can be one scary night if you have food allergies. 

Thrive On Consulting has teamed up with The Switch Witch and Kiss Freely to make sure your Halloween is merry and bright, not a fright.  Check out our stay safe tips and insight into how our families manage Halloween to get started on planning for a safe and fun holiday. 

In addition to these great tips, you can also check out our Stay Safe Halloween Webinar where you can hear directly from us on ways to stay safe this Halloween.  Our webinar walks you through key things you need to do before, during, and after Halloween to have a safe and fun holiday. 

Tips from Audrey, The Switch Witch

Like many families, we have some severe food allergies. We need to prepare and combat this situation from many angles.

First, we always have costumes with gloves (think darth vader or princess) to protect against touching contaminated candy with allergens (like peanuts). If the gloves are thin cotton, we just slip a latex glove on underneath.

Second, we have a hard and fast rules on Halloween that all candy must go in the bucket and get inspected at home. The advent of the Teal Pumpkin means that lots of homes in our neighborhood also have non-food treats! These are our favorites! Depending on the severity of your food allergies, you can keep the candy that works for you.

We also have a Switch Witch in our house during the month of October and she helps oversee good behavior with the kids and on Halloween night, our kids keep a few pieces of "approved" candy and the rest goes to their Switch Witch. She ‘Switchcrafts’ the candy for toys on Halloween night. Everyone wins!

Tips from Jennifer, Kiss Freely

Have a plan!  Help your child (or yourself!) identify what the fears or concerns are around that specific activity. For Halloween, our family worries a lot about cross contamination.  For example, our plan involves carrying safe foods separately and choosing costumes with gloves. Talk about your plan with your child and emphasize how these actions help to keep him or her safe.   This helps reduce the fearful fantasies that can arise around the unknown.

Tips from Me, Thrive On Consulting

Every family managing food allergies needs to choose how they want to celebrate Halloween.  It will differ for every family and there is no “right” answer.  In fact, our “right” as a family has changed as our girls have gotten older.  We have done everything from trick or treat at a small number of houses who know our allergens and have safe treats waiting for us, to expanding our trick or treating circle and establishing strict rules about how the night will go. Whatever option you decide for your family, be certain to talk as a family well before the holiday about how you will celebrate.

Currently, we go trick or treating with our neighborhood friends, but we discuss all of our rules- including no eating candy while out and saying “no thank you” if the only candy being offered has our allergens.  It is critical to set your rules, discuss them, and reinforce them well before the holiday.  Trying to outline rules in the midst of pre-Halloween costume prep and excitement will result in no one paying attention and a lot of stress as you head out the door.  Create a plan, communicate that plan well in advance of any Halloween event, and always reinforce a non-food focus.  The mantra in our house is “we focus on family, friends and fun- not food”.

Need more great tips for keeping Halloween safe? 

Don’t forget to check out our webinar for additional information, tips and strategies for keeping Halloween safe and fun.  

And, be sure to follow all of us on social media during the holiday season for even more great info on managing the holidays with food allergies!  You can find us here:

The Switch Witch            Kiss Freely         Thrive On Consulting
Facebook                          Facebook             Facebook
Twitter                               Twitter                  Twitter

Happy Halloween!

Back to school means back to the cafeteria for lunch, and if you have a child with food allergies this is undoubtedly one of the most stressful parts of going back to school.  When my cell phone rings near my daughter’s lunch hour, I always have a little pang of anxiety as I check my caller ID. 

We have elected to have my daughter eat at the peanut free table for yet another year, a personal choice for our family, and have a plan in place with her teacher and the cafeteria team to manage her allergies at this critical school day period.  No matter where you choose to have your child sit, having a plan in place with the food service team is essential. 

To help with that plan, I talked to Lisa Musician, owner of Food Allergy Dietician, and author of the new book, Parenting a Positive Reaction.  In her book, she discusses multiple strategies for thriving on at school and keeping your child safe and included. 

Here is her great advice on keeping lunchtime safe and inclusive:

1. Before you meet with the school to create your child’s plan, talk to your child to get a feel for where he or she would like to eat lunch. Perhaps your child is uncomfortable eating in a large area, such as the cafeteria, and would prefer to eat with a teacher.
2. Next, meet with the school foodservice director and work with the school cafeteria staff to ensure that your child receives safe meals if you decide to have your child eat school lunches. The food service staff and lunch monitors play an important role on the food allergy management team and should attend all meetings on the topic. If attendance is not possible, a separate meeting should be scheduled to review the plan.
3. Introduce your child to the head kitchen supervisor or director and create a system in which your child will be identified.  Some schools require these students to name themselves to lunch staff or have lunch tickets that are coded as a way of notifying the staff that they have a food allergy.

   Consider the following ideas for lunch when creating a plan:

• Seating: Discuss the possibility of designated tables in the cafeteria for students with dietary restrictions. Your child may feel more comfortable eating in a classroom with a teacher, in the nurse’s office, or in the principal’s office. Assess your child’s needs and review the options that are best for your child. Discuss all the possibilities with your child so he or she feels vested in the process.
• Lunch buddies (sign-up sheet): If it is important for your child not to eat alone, perhaps a sign-up sheet could be posted in the cafeteria or classroom to have other students eat at a designated table with the requirement that all lunches be free of the requested allergens. 
• Hand washing policy: Washing hands before and after eating is good hygiene and helps to reduce the risk of a possible reaction from outside sources.

Such great advice!  Personally, we have implemented the buddy system with my daughter.  We met with her teacher at the beginning of the year to talk about how important it is that my daughter has a friend join her at the peanut free table each day.  Through partnership with her teacher, my daughter identifies a friend with a safe lunch each morning and that person joins her later that day for lunch.  Much to my surprise, sitting at the peanut free table with my daughter has become a “hot ticket” and she usually has more than one friend asking to sit with her- makes a food allergy mama’s heart smile!

Take the time now, if you haven’t already, to reach out to your teacher and food service team to ensure you have a plan in place to help your child Thrive On and enjoy their lunch, in whatever way keeps them safe and makes them feel included.

Thrive On!


Get the book and learn more about Lisa:
Get more great school safe strategies from Lisa!  You can purchase her book on Amazon.  You can also learn more about Lisa by visiting her website or following her on Facebook and Twitter.

Thrive On with Food Allergies:
Learn more about Tami and her company, Thrive On Consulting, which provides food allergy coaching and training.  You can also follow her on Facebook for tips to Thrive On with food allergies.

Product Disclaimer:

Thrive On Consulting was not paid to promote this product.  Products mentioned here are provided as ideas and suggestions to help you Thrive On with food allergies.

Food Allergies and Luck

It is March- shamrocks, leprechauns and wishes for good luck are everywhere.  But what does this have to do with food allergies?  I think it is a lesson in luck.  Luck is defined as, “success or failure apparently brought by chance rather than through one's own actions”.  One thing is certain, when it comes to food allergies you cannot leave your safety to luck.  Being thoughtful, prepared and taking intentional action will help you Thrive On.  This week my Thrive On 3 is all about steps you need to take to stay safe- don’t leave it to luck!

Carry 2 EpiPens® at All Times
No matter where you are going or what you are doing, if you have a food allergy you have to have your EpiPen® with you.  Severe reactions can escalate in minutes and being without your epinephrine could have dire consequences.  Don’t risk it- keep your emergency medications with you.

Last year, there were multiple times that I was scrolling through my Facebook feed and learned of yet another food allergy related death. As I read these stories with tears streaming down my face from sorrow for the families to fear about my own daughter’s safety, one thing frequently struck me in these stories- often the person did not have their epinephrine with them.

Yes, there are challenges to carrying around medicines, but at the end of the day I would rather have an inconvenience than an irreversible outcome.  There are a number of great carriers out there.  We use the AllerMates Allergy Medicine Case.  It fits two EpiPens®, our antihistamine and includes an ID card with contact information.  We have had the case for two years and it is still in great condition despite the fact that it is transported everywhere and passed off multiple times throughout the day at school to teachers, cafeteria staff, and car pool monitors.  Frio offers a great insulated bag for summer time heat when it is essential to keep your epinephrine temperature controlled.  Some other great carrier options are offered by Allergy Apparel and Epi Essentials (check these out for older girls- so stylish and functional!).  Also, if you register for the My EpiPen® Program through Mylan they will send you a free carrying case.

These are just a few of the many options available.  No matter how you choose to carry your emergency medications, a fancy carrier or a simple bag or pocket, the important thing is that you carry two EpiPens® – everywhere, all of the time.

Be Your Own Advocate
One of my favorite songs is Brave by Sarah Bereilles.  In it she sings, “Say what you wanna say, And let the words fall out, Honestly I wanna see you be brave.”  I love these lines and think this is so true when you have food allergies.  Sometimes you have to be brave to speak up and make a situation safe.  It can be uncomfortable, but you have to advocate for yourself or your child.  No one else will do it, or do it in the way that you can armed with information about your allergens, medicines and strategies for keeping you safe.

Don’t apologize for your allergies, speak the truth and inform people about what needs to happen, or not happen, to keep you safe.  Do it in a way that promotes collaboration and partnership.  Going in defensive, which admittedly is extremely difficult not to do sometimes, will ultimately work against you.  Yes, you may be frustrated, scared, and sometimes even mad that things are the way they are, but take the time to advocate in a positive and productive way.

Come prepared to discuss facts, offer alternative solutions and go in with the attitude that a positive outcome is possible.  Most importantly, do it- advocate for yourself or your child.  Say what you need to say- I want to see you be brave!

Educate and Build Your Village
We have all heard the African proverb “It takes a village to raise a child”.  I have found this to be true time and time again, and especially since our food allergy diagnosis.  As much as I like to think of myself as a “superwoman”, I have learned you cannot manage your food allergies in isolation.  You need support from your village!

I have also learned that people just don’t know what they don’t know.  I think back to before our diagnosis- I am sure I took unsafe foods to the park and didn’t wash my daughter’s hands after eating all of the time.  All things that are unthinkable to me now.  I do the right thing now because I am aware, because I am educated.  Part of building your village is making sure that people know what they need to know- about your allergies and how to keep you safe.

It has often been my experience that when I take the time to educate on food allergies people are more than willing to help make accommodations or be thoughtful about what foods they serve.  It can be as simple as a call to someone before an event to training your caregivers on how to keep your child safe while you are away (Need help with that? Check out my blog post for FAACT on Food Allergies and Caregivers).

Brainstorm who is in your village- family, friends, school personnel, babysitters, neighbors, restaurant staff, camp counselors….develop your list.  Once this list is defined make sure your village is aware and prepared to help you and your child Thrive On!

Luck is great, but your safety is not a game of chance.  To Thrive On with food allergies, you need to be prepared and have people around you who are also educated and ready to assist in managing your food allergies.  If you need help educating your village or developing ways to advocate for yourself let me know- I am here to help you Thrive On!

Product Disclaimer:
Thrive On Consulting does not sponsor or endorse the products listed.  Nor has Thrive On Consulting been paid to include these products.  Products mentioned here are provided as ideas and suggestions to help you Thrive On with food allergies.

If you find this post helpful learn more about Tami and her company, Thrive On Consulting, which helps families and individuals dealing with food allergies, and follow her on Facebook and Twitter