Parties with an allergic child

2023 Author: Anita Thornton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-22 03:30

Whether you are entertaining or hosting at home, planning is key when you have a child with food allergies.

As a mother of three children, including a daughter who is allergic to nuts and peanuts and who was once allergic to milk and eggs, let me give you some suggestions for going out and entertaining.

For the allergic who is received

Contact the person who receives you to inform you of the planned menu. You can therefore offer the host to bring him the bread, some snacks or dessert. In some cases, it is best to bring everything your child will eat during the visit. Bring more than expected because you can expect surprises once you get there. By doing so, you alleviate the host's concerns as well as your own. But the most important thing is to eliminate the risk of an allergic reaction. Of course, the case will be different for each allergy, but you will get the idea.

Once there, it is necessary to take a short tour of the premises and check the dishes that are available to everyone. Unfortunately, sometimes hosts have to be asked to remove certaindishes to ensure the safety of our child. It can be embarrassing sometimes, but it is in these moments that we realize how much our children make us grow. On the other hand, if you have brought groceries, as recommended in the previous paragraph, you will have an alternative solution to offer to the hosts. It often even turns out that the other guests are charmed by your alternatives.

If you receive a person who has food allergies

Let me tell you that if you receive a person who has food allergies and you take the trouble to call this person in order to check if it is possible to adapt your menu so that it suits him, you will put a little happiness in a heart that day. The thing to know with food allergies is that you can never improvise "expert in the matter".

When you live with food allergies, you quickly understand that nothing should be left to chance. So you might be surprised when that person asks you what mustard ingredients you plan to use for your salad dressing or what brand of pepper you are using or what brand of baguette bread you are going to serve. Know that all these questions and more are part of this person's daily checks and that they are not exaggerating in any way.

Some people who have more difficult to manage allergies, will prefer to bring their own meal, but rest assured that the intention you have had to wantaccommodating them will have been appreciated. Also, if you do not feel comfortable preparing the meal for the allergic person, it is best to discuss it with them or with the parent, as the case may be. It is perfectly understandable that this is the case for you, but please do not deprive yourself of having a good time with a person you love because you are afraid of being the cause of an allergic reaction. In many cases, you will find that the solution is much simpler than you would have imagined. So talk about it together!

Holidays

For the holiday season, which sometimes turns out to be full of unexpected events, it is not always easy to think of everything. However, make sure that your child always carries his adrenaline auto-injector on him and if he is too small, that you always have it with you. It has happened to me on more than one occasion, in a house full of people, that a person without bad intentions gives food to my little one without consulting me. Arm yourself with patience and inform people around you of your child's allergies by explaining the possible consequences.

Little tip for every day: Always carry small snacks or treats around so your child doesn't feel left out in unexpected situations.

Here are two references that could be useful for your visits and receptions: