I have discussed traveling gluten-free for teens and school lunches for kids/teens. Now it is time to talk about life. By life I mean day-to-day living – hanging out with friends, going to movies or the mall – teenager stuff. As your child grows, it is impossible to be in control of their every meal. It is for this reason that I started teaching my son, from when he was diagnosed, about what he can & can’t eat. I have given him every tool possible to make safe food choices while he is away from home.
My son frequently spends the night at different friends’ houses. I try to feed him before sending him over to eliminate part of the need for food while he is there or away from home. Some parents call me or I will call them to see what they have planned. It all really just depends on the time of day that my son will be with them and for how long he will be gone. I can usually tell right away who gets it and who doesn’t. Yes, I could show up and sit down to teach a gluten-free diet class, but my son may run away if I were to attempt that. My next best weapon is my son. I teach him and prepare him. I ask what they are doing & supply the necessary snacks. If they are just hanging out at home I might just send along some cookies, baked goods, or popcorn (before braces). I will also pack a Carnation Instant Breakfast – which only requires a glass of milk or a Think Thin bar. Small things, but they will definitely tide him over until I can get him home in the morning (which is really afternoon in the teen world). My son is really good with reading labels & if he chooses not to call attention to himself, he just goes without. He doesn’t starve. If he is hungry, he always knows he can have a glass of milk or orange juice. Eggs are another good “staple” that most people have in their kitchens.
If my son and his buddies head out the to movies or the mall, things can get a little more complicated, but I have learned to sit back & watch to see how he navigates on his own. My son is aware of what candy he can eat and what drinks he can have at the movie theater. There are so many choices at the theater, that finding something that is gluten-free has never been a problem for him. He does not eat the popcorn (not only due to his braces, but it is too hard to verify the ingredients). When they go to the mall, there is a food court and Chick-fil-A is one of the places my son knows he can get something safe. My son even chose a salad the last time he was there!
I think there have really only been 1 or 2 times that we have had difficulty feeding my son while he was gone with his friends and that was when he went to a local amusement/water park. Most of these places have strict rules in place about bringing food into their parks and searching for patrons upon entering. I have copies made up of a letter from my son’s doctor with his diagnosis & the need for him to follow a strict gluten-free diet outlined in it. I always send this along with my son when he goes to places like this. I just pack it right along in his lunch box or cooler that I pack his food in. He has had several of these outings now with no trouble at all bringing the food in.
Coming up in May, my son will be taking a trip to Washington DC with his school. I have already talked with the tour coordinators & they assure me that other gluten-free teens have successfully gone on this trip. I will make sure to write up a report on how it all goes when my son returns.
This is really a terrific post, Kim. Teaching them to be their own best advocates is by far the best plan. Great point on not doing anything that would make your son uncomfortable. And, you’re right, you do have a sense of who gets it and who doesn’t. But, Jon getting it is the most important thing. I love how you mentioned that he will not starve if he goes a little while without food. I know as adults we experience that as well and it’s wise not to dwell on it. Usually, we’ll all have safe food soon enough. Really great post!
Shirley
Great post. I have a 14 year old son who was diagnosed with celiac disease 8 months ago and he and I are still learning, although it is much less stressful now than it was initially. I feel that the most important challenge has been to educate him about reading labels and asking questions because there are so many times that I am not there. He is very good about it because he wants to grow! (His only symptom of celiac was growth delay) Thanks for the tip on having a letter from the doctor about the necessity for the diet – I had not run into this situation but see how it could happen.