Why Food Allergy Moms Can Be So Annoying

Leave it to Blunt Moms to tell it like it is without worrying about our precious feelings. Here's one mom's comeback to those other moms who think the food allergy mom is off her rocker.

First off, I get it. I really do.

Before you tell me how ridiculous I am for asking a whole community to change for the tiny minority like my girl, I’d like you to ask you one little question.

Is your child’s peanut butter sandwich more important than my child’s life?

Before you open your righteous mouths, I want you to think about the precious little heart beating in your child’s chest. What you wouldn’t do to keep that heart beating, yes?

That is exactly what this issue boils down to, and if you’d like to say otherwise, I’ll ask you to save your bullshit. I’ve held my child down with my entire body while stabbing her with an EpiPen as she turns 50 shades of purple. I have physically heard my child’s airway closing, her breath squeaking like a mouse. I have seen my daughter stare death in the eye.

For those of you thinking that parents of kids with allergies just need to teach their kids to avoid the foods that could kill them, Blunt Mom has this to say:

This is not about “Living in the real world.” Outside of a school setting, where else would you find 30 or more kids having lunch together, 80% of which are consuming peanut butter and smearing it on all surfaces within a 12 inch radius?

She also mentions that in the real world, adults would be right there to help make sure kids aren't smearing food all over the place and making sure that kids with allergies stay safe.

This is also not about me teaching my kid to manage her allergies. Of course we are teaching her to manage her allergies, but she is five; I don’t know many five-year-olds who have the capacity to keep themselves alive in terrain laden with tasty nut-filled treats. After round one with an EpiPen, you can bet she’s careful, but her four- and five-year-old peers will happily attest to the fact that the peanut granola bar or cookie they’re about to share with her is nut-free.

This whole article really hits home with me. We're lucky because my son has Celiac Disease, an auto-immune disease that means he needs to avoid gluten.

He doesn't have an anaphylactic reaction. I don't have to reach for an epi-pen. However, the gluten is permanently damaging his insides every time he gets it. He is in very real physical pain every time he gets it.

We hear all kinds of asinine comments from people who just don't know any better. We're often told “It wasn't a big cookie. I'm sure he'll be fine.” No, he won't.

Thankfully, it's not anaphylaxis, but I do understand the backlash and grumblings food allergy parents hear. I do understand the difficulty involved in explaining to a very young child why they can't have that cookie everyone else is eating. I do understand this mom's anger, hurt, and fear.

Next time you get irritated at food allergy mom for asking you 500 questions about ingredients, bringing her own snacks, or requesting your kids not eat that around hers… Remember that she's not judging you, she's not trying to be annoying or make your life harder. She's just a mom trying to keep her kid safe. We can all relate to that.

To hear more from a real food allergy mama, check out the complete article at Blunt Moms.