Seeing a child diagnosed with a food allergy, whether it be Celiac Disease or an intolerance of some sort, can be very difficult on a parent.    What we sometimes forget, however, is that it is often even more difficult on the child with the food allergies.  This is especially true when they get to the age where they are attending school and find out just how different their eating habits are. 

As parents, the best way to handle a situation like this is always with your approach.   How you talk to your child will go a long way towards making the best of things.   Today I was enjoying a nice article over at Jewish Experiment, which discusses the book Food to Some, Poison to Others by Terry Traub.  

Here is a portion of their post that I wanted to share with our readers:

Traub says it doesn’t have to be this way, for kids who must live with food allergies or for the parents who must prepare safe, nutritious meals for them.

“There are two ‘Ps’ to remember: positioning and planning,” explains Traub. “The way you talk to your child about his condition will make all the difference in how he handles it. And how organized you are will determine the quality of his food — and how crazy it makes you to shop for and prepare it!”

Traub speaks from hard-won experience. A dental hygienist and the mother of two sons with celiac disease (gluten intolerance) and one with lactose intolerance, she wrote her book and created her Web site — eattobeallergyfree.com — to help families and individuals who struggle with food allergies.

The first step, of course, is getting educated. Traub’s book helps parents figure out what’s causing their kids’ distressing symptoms — food allergies can take the form of runny noses, coughing, asthma, itchy throat, diarrhea, abdominal pain, excessive sweating, mucus in the chest, eczema, constipation, and/ or vomiting — and provides a wealth of recipes, pantry lists and meal-planning menus to combat the condition.

I haven’t read this book yet, but after reading this article I may just pick it up and add it to my reading list.   If you are interested in more about the book, you can read more here.

Eating Gluten-Free With Emily: A Story For Children With Celiac Disease by Bonnie J. Kruszka

A young child who has been diagnosed with Celiac Disease can fee very scared and alone. Eating Gluten-Free With Emily can help even the youngest child understand the disease and know that he is not alone. Emily is very friendly, calm and straightforward as she explains her disease. Eating Gluten-Free With Emily will help answer some of your child’s questions and make Celiac Disease seem less scary.

Check out Eating Gluten-Free With Emily: A Story For Children With Celiac Disease

Gluten-Free Friends: An Activity Book for Kids by Nancy Falini

What better way for kids to learn about Celiac Disease than through an activity book? The book has coloring pages for the youngest child and lessons and activities to use as your child gets older. The pictures and activities are designed to teach your child about Celiac Disease, how it affects them and what foods to eat. Although the activity book is designed for kids, it assists parents in educating their children. Once your child starts school, some of the lessons and activities can be shared in the classroom to help the other students understand what your child is going through.

Check out Gluten-Free Friends: An Activity Book for Kids!

The GF Kid: A Celiac Disease Survival Guide by Melissa London

Living with and understanding Celiac Disease is hard enough for an adult. Imagine being a child and having to deal with it. This is a great book for the 9-12 year old dealing with Celiac Disease. The main character, Paris, is an 11 year old active girl who has been diagnosed with Celiac Disease. She leads the readers through facts about the disease, explains how it affects those who have it and how to live with it. Paris explores the physical aspects of living with the disease as well as the emotional ones. This book is perfect for a child dealing with Celiac Disease!!!

Check out The GF Kid