5 Ways To Protect Your Kids From Your Relatives

The moms at The Leaky Boob understand that many moms have certain rules about food for their children.  Sometimes these rules are put in place due to food allergies, like with my son.  Other times there are different reasons foods are not allowed. Whatever the reason, it can be hard to respect food boundaries at family gatherings like Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving is all about the comfort food that you don't eat the rest of the year. It's the only time I indulge in heaps of stuffing and gravy. Delicious!

While my thighs might not think it's helpful for me to eat all that dressing, it's not a legitimate danger to my health, but it's much more dangerous for my son. So, I have to be vigilant and help him stick to his diet. Otherwise, we will all pay for it.

So how do I manage the well meaning relatives who want to give my gluten free child a cookie?

1. Prepare. E-mail or text every friend and family member attending the holiday gathering a few days in advance. In clear and concise terms, share what your child needs to enjoy a safe holiday.
2. Enlist help. When getting together with friends or family that may not be familiar with the guidelines you have for food when it comes to your child(ren), have a family meeting early in the gathering and ask them to be guardian angels.
3. Babywear. Wear your baby or toddler as much as possible. The easiest way to keep your kiddo safe is to keep them close. If they like being worn and are small enough, wear them. Trade off with your partner, or another trusted family member. I know it’s not ideal and many littles won’t love this for the duration. But even if it’s just for 30 minutes, it’s 30 minutes you don’t have to worry about their safety. It reduces your anxiety, which will reduce theirs in turn. You can also take that opportunity to scope out gathering for potential problems.
4. Be firm. Don’t be afraid of hurting people’s feelings. Even people who love our kiddos don’t always connect with the vigilance required for FPIES and other allergies and health concerns.
5. Party later. Celebrate in your own way. When all else fails, stay vigilant during your festivities. Then crack open a bottle of wine or martini shaker when you get home after the kids are asleep. If you don’t drink, it’s no problem! You can still mix up a relaxing mocktail.

I love the idea of a guardian angel, but I'm not sure I could trust another child to look out for my son's allergies. I'd also hate for the child to have the weight of guilt if he were to get something that caused an allergic reaction.

I'm a big fan of preparing, we often have separate but equal substitutes for our son to ensure he doesn't feel left out of the festivities.

Being firm is also really important, this isn't the time to chance an allergic reaction in order to save Grandma's feelings. Trust me, Grandma will feel much worse if she's responsible for an allergic reaction at Thanksgiving, and so will you.

Need more ideas about managing food boundaries this Thanksgiving? Get the scoop from The Leaky Boob.