Please show your support and put out a TEAL PUMPKIN and some NON-FOOD Treats his HaLLoWeeN!
www.foodallergy.org
www.foodallergy.org
As a child I grew up knowing I couldn't eat seafood. My mother and grandfather were highly allergic and it just wasn't cooked in my home. As a teacher I've seen more and more allergy concerns on children's registration forms and adjusted my party types accordingly. No big deal...until I thought my own daughter was allergic to peanuts. You know that saying you'll know once you have kids, well so many parents don't realize how many allergens are in foods until you have a child allergic to them.
While we eventually found out the allergy isn't very severe, we avoid it and it has cleared up both our sinus issues (yes, me too!), I can now relate a little and empathize with brave parents that deal with food allergies on a daily basis. From sending their kids to school, to playdates, to even touching a shopping cart or playground equiptment. Everyone wants their child safe and included everyday, but especially at holiday parties and while Trick or Treating!
How can you and your child help?
- Paint a TEAL pumpkin to put out on the step or print out the picture and put it on your door. This will let kids know that your house has safe treats. Use Acrylic or spray paint and avoid milk based paints.
- Buy non-candy treats to give out to kids. Yo-yos, bracelets, skeleton or spider rings, toothbrushes, stickers, glow in the dark bracelets, bouncy balls, mini-frisbees, erasers, pencils, vampire fangs, bubbles, bookmarks, whistles, themed ink stamps, kaoos, slap bracelets, vinyl sticky hands, playdoh, mini rubber ducks, and many other toys are safer and affordable...maybe even cheaper than candy.
- Try to buy candies without the top 8 allergens: Milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, and soybeans. (I know...not much comes in fish or shellfish but now you know!)
- Send in holiday treats for your child's party that are allergy safe with clear packaging labels. You can find an amazing list atSnackSafely.Com
- DON'T keep safe treats in the same bucket as non-safe treats and ONLY have an adult with clean washed hands give out these treats.This way if your child nibbles something unsafe, they won't use their hands to give out the treats. Keep the safe treats in a sealed bag until the day of halloween and have an adult with clean hands give out those treats.
- Don't allow your child to eat any of their candy while or before passing out candy to the kids ringing your doorbell. They might unknowingly eat something and then pass on oils in the treat from their hands to the wrapper.
- Download the Teal Pumpkin flyer from FARE at FoodAllergy.Org to hang in your window. It's a great visual aid and can be seen from the street.
- Share the FARE link to the Teal Pumpkin Project to raise awareness for others. Encourage your kids to not eat treats until they get home so there's less chance they contaminate stair rails or door bells for kids with allergies.
- Ask your PTA or PTO to share this flyer with the school. The more we can help others become aware, the safer all kids are.
- Give your child a hug and tell them how proud you are that they are helping make halloween safe for every kid. The more we can make our children aware of differences in others, the less isolating those differences will be!
