Re: Unintended gluten challenge...and a question...

[Guest guest]

Can you bring snacks for them?

From: SillyYaks [mailto:SillyYaks ] On Behalf Of Laurel SSent: Friday, June 02, 2006 3:58 PMTo: SillyYaks Subject: Unintended gluten challenge...and a question...

Hi!Just thought I'd share what happened to my 3 1/2 year old daughter the other day...We belong to our local community center which offers "free" child care with a family membership. I have been taking Gabby & Duncan there since we got the family plan last October. We have not been going regularly this year--but just drop in from time to time. On Monday, my husband put the kids in child care while he worked out. On Wednesday, I did the same. On Wednesday, when we arrived, one of the ladies working there said, "Your kids can have snacks, right?" I asked what the snacks were & said they probably didn't need any cuz they just had breakfast. She pulled out Fruit Loops, Cheerios and some other cereals. I said, "NO! They CANNOT have ANY snacks! Gabby can't have wheat & Duncan just doesn't need the sugar." She noted it on the check-in sheet.When I picked the kids up, we bounced out to the car quickly--it was HOT--and, as I was snapping Gabby into the carseat, she announced, "Mama, Gabby eat THREE cookies! Yummy!" If the kids weren't already IN the carseats & it wasn't so hot, I would have run back in & complained...instead I just got in, started the car & AC and asked Gabby, "Did you PRETEND to have cookies? Or did you REALLY have cookies?" Gabby said, "Gabby eat REALLY. Yummy ones, mama!" We had 36 hours of tummy troubles...We had also had trouble on Monday & Tuesday but I put that down to the heat. Steve told me he forgot to tell the ladies in child care about "No Wheat". I think now, Gabby MAY have had cereal or cookies on Monday too. Question for those of you with young (preverbal) children who are celiacs....How do you protect them from "well-meaning" adults who give them "forbidden" foods???? I have a feeling it was the elderly Filipino woman who gave Gabby the cookies--she feels sorry for Gabby not having a snack with the other kids. Today, I slapped a home made sticker on Gabby's back that said, NO SNACKS!! I asked Gabby if she ate anything while she was there--she said NO! I have been telling her NOT to eat anything when she goes in there--but in the fall, she will be in preschool & they have snack time. Gabby doesn't understand the cause & effect thing yet--tho I think this "helped" in a way. She was MAD that she couldn't make it to the toilet & that her bottom got burned & we had to put cream on it. (She thinks cream on the bottom is for babies!)Thanks for any suggestions.....Laurel

[Guest guest]

>

> Question for those of you with young (preverbal) children who are

> celiacs....How do you protect them from " well-meaning " adults who

> give them " forbidden " foods???? I have a feeling it was the elderly

> Filipino woman who gave Gabby the cookies--she feels sorry for Gabby

> not having a snack with the other kids.

> Thanks for any suggestions.....Laurel

Get Gabby a MedicAlert bracelet and teach her to use it.

My son has worn one since before he was 3, and also before the celiac

diagnosis, as he has always had food issues. He learned to show his

bracelet to any adult who offered him food and to say he had food

allergies. Many adults don't LISTEN to kids, but almost all respect

the MedicAlert bracelet.

Maureen

[Guest guest]

Take heart.. Preschool is MUCH easier than drop in daycare. I say

this with experience. Since Preschool is a controlled enviroment with

only 1 to 2 authorities and a set number of students, it is MUCH

easier to get them to comply than with in and out day care settings.

Our biggest problem is church where good meaning adults will just give

my daughter cake and such snacks. One would not think you would need

to sticker a child, but it is a darn good idea!

[Guest guest]

How about special T-Shirt(s) that state " Feed Me No Wheat! " or " Feed Me

No Sugar! "

just an idea :-)

~ Kathy

[Guest guest]

>

> How about special T-Shirt(s) that state " Feed Me No Wheat! " or " Feed Me

> No Sugar! "

> just an idea :-)

>

>

> ~ Kathy

My son actually used to have a T-shirt that said " I'm gluten-free " on

it, but so many shirts have words on them now I don't think people

actually apply the words to the situation in front of them.

Maureen

[Guest guest]

Yes, but they don't need any--they are only there for 45-60 minutes

(usually about 8:45-9:45 a.m.), they have JUST eaten breakfast & really

don't need food. I don't want either one to " learn " to eat out of

boredom or just because others are eating.

I've also run into the problem of other kids eating all of Gabby's

snack since 1)she shares ANYTHING & EVERYTHING and 2)the rice crackers

are MUCH crunchier than other stuff & kids think they must taste better!

Laurel

>

> Can you bring snacks for them?

>

> ________________________________

[Guest guest]

Thanks for this idea--I passed it along to my husband & he thought it

was a GREAT idea! We are going to look into it. Laurel

> Get Gabby a MedicAlert bracelet and teach her to use it.

>>

> Maureen

>

[Guest guest]

Cute idea--but I'm afraid people might not pay attention. ( I think

I'd have to point out the message being TRUE every time she wore it

unattended! Laurel

>

> How about special T-Shirt(s) that state " Feed Me No Wheat! " or " Feed

Me

> No Sugar! "

> just an idea :-)

>

>

> ~ Kathy

>

[Guest guest]

Yes, preschool SHOULD be easier. I used to be a preschool teacher & had

to deal with kids with epi-pens! The preschool has asked for

verification of the celiac/wheat intolerance for their records. It's a

preschool for " at risk " kids--whether it's income-wise, developmental

troubles, family history, medical needs, etc. Gabby qualifies on 2

fronts--international adoption & celiac/wheat intolerance~failure to

thrive. I think they will take one look at her & " know " something's up!

I have a permanent sticker on Gabby's church name tag that says " no

wheat, no play-doh, no cheerios " . So far, it's worked well--except for

the cheerios when they used them for a craft! Oh well!

Laurel

>

> Take heart.. Preschool is MUCH easier than drop in daycare. I say

> this with experience. Since Preschool is a controlled enviroment with

> only 1 to 2 authorities and a set number of students, it is MUCH

> easier to get them to comply than with in and out day care settings.

>

> Our biggest problem is church where good meaning adults will just give

> my daughter cake and such snacks. One would not think you would need

> to sticker a child, but it is a darn good idea!

>

[Guest guest]

Yes, preschool SHOULD be easier. I used to be a preschool teacher & had

to deal with kids with epi-pens! The preschool has asked for

verification of the celiac/wheat intolerance for their records. It's a

preschool for " at risk " kids--whether it's income-wise, developmental

troubles, family history, medical needs, etc. Gabby qualifies on 2

fronts--international adoption & celiac/wheat intolerance~failure to

thrive. I think they will take one look at her & " know " something's up!

I have a permanent sticker on Gabby's church name tag that says " no

wheat, no play-doh, no cheerios " . So far, it's worked well--except for

the cheerios when they used them for a craft! Oh well!

Laurel

>

> Take heart.. Preschool is MUCH easier than drop in daycare. I say

> this with experience. Since Preschool is a controlled enviroment with

> only 1 to 2 authorities and a set number of students, it is MUCH

> easier to get them to comply than with in and out day care settings.

>

> Our biggest problem is church where good meaning adults will just give

> my daughter cake and such snacks. One would not think you would need

> to sticker a child, but it is a darn good idea!

>

[Guest guest]

Personally I think that most people don't even know what gluten is or

for that matter, that things with " white flour " have wheat in them.

So, unfortunately I think that is where mistakes are made. Someone

maybe was thinking that she can't have wheat, but cookies wouldn't

have wheat in them would they????

Rhiannon

> >

> > How about special T-Shirt(s) that state " Feed Me No Wheat! "

or " Feed Me

> > No Sugar! "

> > just an idea :-)

> >

> >

> > ~ Kathy

>

> My son actually used to have a T-shirt that said " I'm gluten-free " on

> it, but so many shirts have words on them now I don't think people

> actually apply the words to the situation in front of them.

>

> Maureen

>