Food allergies

[calgarymomto3]

So I hope I do not offend anyone here. But I just wanted to remind everyone of food allergies with kids.

Our oldest is allergic to all nuts. I carry an epipen on me. We have no nuts in our house. Everything that I buy I have to check labels. Anything that has "May contain traces of nuts" I do not buy because of the risk of cross-contamination.

We have 3 children in our jr primary of 25 kids who have nut allergies. When there is a primary party, if I can't be there, I leave the epipen (as do the other 2 moms). Her teachers and the primary presidency are aware of the nut allergies, but I don't think I've explained the cross contamination to them. Cross contamination is a real risk because if the company makes a pure milk choc bar, but in another part of the factory, they make choc bars with almonds or peanuts. The risk that cross contamination has happened is very small, but what if it did, and that particular choc was used in our primary?

Madelyn has such a strong reaction to nuts that we just about lost her once, in less than a minute she quit breathing. So, I will tell you which choc we do not buy because of cross contaminatioin, hershey, cadbury & m&m's. It's actually really hard cause both my husband and I really enjoy nuts, but if we can keep Madelyn away from nuts maybe she'll outgrow this.

I hope I don't offend anyone here cause that's not my intention, but I do know that if I saw our chorister get out choc treats, my gut would turn itself upside down.

[pach]

THat's one reason I never bring treats to primary you don't know who might have a food allergy, not all parents remember to tell about their allergys plus you might have a visitor with a food allergy. I'm just blessed that my children do not have food allergies.

[calgarymomto3]

pach, it is really hard having food allergies. We pray that she'll outgrow this. I met a lady the other day who's son is 4, and he's in remission from cancer, has been for a year. But he still goes to the Children's Hospital once every month for treatments. Now, that would be hard. They are severely limited as to where they can go because of his compromised immune system. That would be so hard. So having food allergies, but we're blessed. You are blessed to have children without food allergies.

Thanks for not bringing treats to primary. Madelyn's teachers don't bring treats. But nursery was a stress every week because parents bring snacks and what if one of the parents brought something with nuts. And I couldn't take her a separate snack because that would caused issues with the kids not getting the same snacks. **sigh** Just glad to have her primary now.

[marenras]

I have the same problem. My daughter has several allergies, and she just entered nursery. The nursery leaders were great though. They had me go through their snack supplies and throw out anything my girlie couldn't have. Then they bought new snacks that EVERYONE can have, rather than my daughter having something different from everyone else and running the risk of her accidentally getting exposed to something.

It is hard and most parents who haven't dealt with this just don't understand. I have to be constantly vigilant and reminding people all the time.