THANKS for your help- People bringing glutened goods into your home

[Guest guest]

Thank you all for your responses regarding handling gluten in your home. It is WAY cheaper than seeing a therapist. Thanks especially for the email "hugs" and empathy, which I probably needed as much as the advice.

I especially feel better about the "feelings not being right or wrong". I know that, but really needed to think about it. I think I was looking for someone to validate my feelings and now I realize that I don't need that. I AM annoyed, especially with the grandparents, and I am not going to feel guilty about it. If I had three diabetic grandkids, I wouldn't think of arriving with arms full of sugared goods that my grandchildren, the only children in the home, could not have. All that being said, I am going to feel annoyed, get over it, and not let it happen again.

As an aside, at least a few in my husbands family think the whole celiac disease is "questionable". One of the aunts sent us an email suggesting we try a Mannatech (network marketing nutritional product) to "cure" celiac disease - complete with a letter from a Mannatech "doctor" saying celiac disease could be cured with their product, thus allowing the kids to continue eating gluten. YIKES!

I am happy that at least one of you has had success with the separate serving utensils method. This may have worked for us if it was just a one evening affair. I had them at my home for 4 nights and by the time the 15 of us (10 eating the glutened cake, banana bread, cookies, etc) were done, the kitchen was covered in crumbs. I started out with the gluten items on one counter and non-gluten on another, but people ate standing at the counter with no plates, etc. 15 is alot of people to have in your home so you pretty much have people eating everywhere. There were plates, utensils and crumbs all over the place and it became impossible to monitor.

I am so thankful my children are old enough to "get it". They were so sick before going GF that they are diligent on their own. By the second day, my oldest son (13) said, "there is no butter in the house we can have." He realized that although we had purchased 2 tubs and tried to keep them separate, both had gotten glutened crumbs in them. I do apprecieate that it is very hard for other people to keep utensils and condiments separate, especially over a period of several days when you just aren't used to it.

For this reason and others, in the future I am going to do what the majority of you suggested and just say that I will handle all of the baked goods and ask people not to bring glutened items into our home. If someone wants to bring something, I will suggest a fruit salad, jello salad, ice cream, or something without gluten.

Thanks again for all of your encouragement. This message board is truly a blessing to me.

Happy New Year,

in GA People bringing glutened goods into your home

> > >

> > > > >

> > I just sent off 10 house guests who were here for 4 nights. My

three boys ages 13, 11 and 6 have celiac. The guests were my husbands

parents and all of his siblings and their children. The only other

"children" in the group were ages 2, 20 and 22. We were celebrating

my husbands parents 60th wedding anniversary - what an accomplishment!

> > >

> > > > >

> > At any rate, I was caught off guard when all of them, including

the grandparents walked in with tons of cakes, homemade cookies,

banana bread, pies, etc. - all of it glutened. They are well aware of

our children's condition and all of the limitations. We have stayed

at their homes since diagnosis and we have sent them articles and

emails giving them info on the condition. We have shared with them

how hard it is for the boys to be around all of the things they can't

have and what an issue cross contamination is - you should see the

CRUMBS on my counter, floor, etc.

> > >

> > > > >

> > Interestingly enough, I had baked alot of GF items and people

scarfed them up. They didn't eat their own baking until ours was

gone, which left me to do additional baking for the boys. That part

was a good thing because my kids liked that others like the GF pies, etc.

> > >

> > > > >

> > I am surprised that no one at least called me to ask if it was

ok. They are my in-laws and not my own family and I think that is

part of it. My mom and sister have knocked themselves out to bake

gluten-free when we visit or when they visit us. They would not think

of bringing glutened items into our home.

> > >

> > > > >

> > As they were packing to leave last night, I did invite them to

take all of the left over baked goods home. I said, "The boys can't

have them and Randy and I do not eat those things in front of them." Hint hint.

> > >

> > > > >

> > I am just looking for some clear perspective that I might not

have. My inlaws have treated our children dufferently all along (the

other grandchildren are children of their daughters) , so I am

wondering if my feelings on this are just "carry over" from previous

issues not related to the celiac. It is obvious that my husband

thinks what they did is fine, but that would be a whole other chapter.

> > >

> > > > >

> > I would like your input on two things. Am I wrong to be annoyed

at what they did? How would you handle it the next time?

> > >

> > > > >

> > Thanks,

> > >

> > > > >

> > in GA

> > > > > >

> > > > >

> > > > >

> >