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Post by Deleted on Oct 11, 2015 19:36:07 GMT -5
Have you heard of this? Link
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chiver78
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Post by chiver78 on Oct 11, 2015 19:41:12 GMT -5
yup, and I've got my very own teal pumpkin decal for my front door, too. I will wait until probably the 30th to paint an actual pumpkin for my front step though.
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Tennesseer
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Post by Tennesseer on Oct 11, 2015 19:42:16 GMT -5
From a curmudgeon's point of view, why not keep your front door closed and lights out in the front of the house instead of a teal pumpkin.
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chiver78
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Post by chiver78 on Oct 11, 2015 19:46:24 GMT -5
From a curmudgeon's point of view, why not keep your front door closed and lights out in the front of the house instead of a teal pumpkin. come again...?
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moneymaven
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Post by moneymaven on Oct 11, 2015 19:47:19 GMT -5
Yes, as a mother with a kiddo who has severe tree nut allergies, I greatly appreciate this and people's efforts. We did this last year, but now have moved to a home with much more land and older residents so we won't have many kids come by. It's nice when DS sees the teal pumpkins and knows it's safe!
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Tennesseer
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Post by Tennesseer on Oct 11, 2015 19:49:49 GMT -5
From a curmudgeon's point of view, why not keep your front door closed and lights out in the front of the house instead of a teal pumpkin. come again...? You heard me. You can't eat crayons, or at least most kids don't.
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chiver78
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Post by chiver78 on Oct 11, 2015 19:52:31 GMT -5
you don't have to offer only non-food items. I have two big plastic pumpkins, one's got the non-food stuff in it already. the other will get candy closer to Halloween, likely non-chocolate since I don't actually like chocolate. I have no idea what kind of traffic to expect here, it's my first Halloween here. I don't want chocolate leftovers.
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GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl
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Post by GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl on Oct 11, 2015 23:40:19 GMT -5
Parent of two kids with life-threatening, anaphylactic, food allergies, here. No pumpkin yet, but there WILL be one or more painted teal. We are active members of the organization behind the Teal Pumpkin campaign.
My kids are too old to trick or treat but I do wish there were non-food options when they did. I used to just "buy" their haul with either safe treats, toys, or money, but they still would have much preferred to keep what they "earned".
Since the first kiddo was diagnosed (16 years ago!), I have always had non-food options because I was aware of the need.
It's nice that it is becoming a little more common both for kid with food allergies and because childhood obesity is at epidemic proportions.
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MarleyKeezy78
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Post by MarleyKeezy78 on Oct 12, 2015 8:15:24 GMT -5
We paint a pumpkin and set it out. DS has peanut and tree nut allergies so we know how it feels. I bought eye patches, necklaces and vampire teeth to pass out instead.
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giramomma
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Post by giramomma on Oct 12, 2015 9:36:37 GMT -5
There's a girl in DD1's class that's seriously allergic to eggs, milk, and wheat. Two summers ago, she touched milk her brother had spilled, and that was enough to put her into shock.
She can still have oreos and organic lollipops from Trader Joes. When my DD had a birthday party last year, I made sure to get her friend birthday cake oreos so she didn't feel left out and so her mom didn't have to provide her with anything.
I think I'd prefer treats over stuff when it comes to throwing things out. My kids are very accepting that any uneaten Halloween Candy get's pitched around st. Nicks day. Small plastic what nots, I have to wait until they are out of the house to purge.
If I was going non-food, I'd do tattoos. There's brands out there that are even safe for the under 2 crowd.
We must have 50-75 "fun" pencils that we've acquired between two kids, so far, for prizes, treats, etc. My last hasn't even reached the "get a crap ton of pencils" stage. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with all the fun pencils. Probably throw them out, too. I prefer mechanical pencils. And since the schools have gone to communal supplies for things like pencils and glue sticks, sending them into school isn't an option.
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weaselfer
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Post by weaselfer on Oct 13, 2015 11:55:26 GMT -5
I had never heard of the teal pumpkin, but I always try to have something other than candy. Growing up, our next door neighbor was diabetic so candy didn't work for him. I never even considered the allergies which I should have.
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raeoflyte
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Post by raeoflyte on Oct 13, 2015 17:55:08 GMT -5
If we stay home that night to hand things out, we'll definitely have one, although we get very few trick or treaters in our neighborhood. This is ds' first halloween after being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and we're still trying to figure out how what we're going to do.
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GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl
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Post by GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl on Oct 14, 2015 13:34:00 GMT -5
If we stay home that night to hand things out, we'll definitely have one, although we get very few trick or treaters in our neighborhood. This is ds' first halloween after being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and we're still trying to figure out how what we're going to do. Wow!! Sorry to hear about DS's diagnosis. How old is he? How is he managing with it? This chronic stuff sucks when it happens to kids. YDS wil likely never outgrow the egg allergy (the statistics are against him now that he is 17 and still reacts big-time to skin pricks) and will certainly never outgrow the tree nut or latex allergies. We try to keep it all in perspective, but I won't deny that it still can suck.
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Ryan
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Post by Ryan on Oct 14, 2015 14:32:03 GMT -5
I just heard about it and we'll be doing it, although we don't have many trick/treaters. Our son has peanut allergies and, while he doesn't really eat sweets anyways, I appreciate the effort.
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raeoflyte
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Post by raeoflyte on Oct 14, 2015 16:09:08 GMT -5
If we stay home that night to hand things out, we'll definitely have one, although we get very few trick or treaters in our neighborhood. This is ds' first halloween after being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and we're still trying to figure out how what we're going to do. Wow!! Sorry to hear about DS's diagnosis. How old is he? How is he managing with it? This chronic stuff sucks when it happens to kids. YDS wil likely never outgrow the egg allergy (the statistics are against him now that he is 17 and still reacts big-time to skin pricks) and will certainly never outgrow the tree nut or latex allergies. We try to keep it all in perspective, but I won't deny that it still can suck. Agree completely! He's 6 and has just been amazing. He is almost to the point of doing his own finger pokes and gets his injections ready--not because we make him, just because he is involved and knows this is our new normal. He's been really good about accepting the food changes we've made (no juice--which he didn't drink much of, but he certainly liked having it on occasion, and moving carb heavy snacks to meal times). Halloween is going to be tricky and I don't know if he will really get it, until we're in the middle of it. I was going to have him pick out 5-10 pieces of favorite candy to ration out and then buy him out of the rest, but we'll see.
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MarleyKeezy78
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Post by MarleyKeezy78 on Oct 14, 2015 16:29:05 GMT -5
Wow!! Sorry to hear about DS's diagnosis. How old is he? How is he managing with it? This chronic stuff sucks when it happens to kids. YDS wil likely never outgrow the egg allergy (the statistics are against him now that he is 17 and still reacts big-time to skin pricks) and will certainly never outgrow the tree nut or latex allergies. We try to keep it all in perspective, but I won't deny that it still can suck. Agree completely! He's 6 and has just been amazing. He is almost to the point of doing his own finger pokes and gets his injections ready--not because we make him, just because he is involved and knows this is our new normal. He's been really good about accepting the food changes we've made (no juice--which he didn't drink much of, but he certainly liked having it on occasion, and moving carb heavy snacks to meal times). Halloween is going to be tricky and I don't know if he will really get it, until we're in the middle of it. I was going to have him pick out 5-10 pieces of favorite candy to ration out and then buy him out of the rest, but we'll see. I wonder if you could trade the candy for some cool item he has his eye on? Glad to hear he's a trooper, it's so tough being a kid and having health things that make getting treats hard
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❤ mollymouser ❤
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Post by ❤ mollymouser ❤ on Oct 14, 2015 17:09:49 GMT -5
I've got two big bowls of treats ready to go:
Bowl #1 .... Halloween rubber duckies
Bowl #2 ..... Cheetos in individual packs
We want to accommodate trick or treaters as best we can. And ~ since I'm diabetic ~ I decided not to have candy as a choice. Besides, I have a new kitten named Cheeto.
All I need now is a teal pumpkin!
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973beachbum
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Post by 973beachbum on Oct 15, 2015 7:07:26 GMT -5
I have had a couple of neighbors kids who were allergic. One to chocolate and the other to peanuts. I didn't do this but I did put something aside for them. They always seemed to appreciate it, For the past 8 years I have given out soda. So I guess that qualifies. I just did it to give out something different from the standard candy but now in the neighborhood it seems to be a "thing". I heard kids talking loudly a couple of years ago pointing to our house saying " that is the house that gives out soda!". There aren't many kids in the area and we seemed to get twice as many as our neighbors. I'm thinking if we ever sell and move I have to tell the new owners that they have to do it or risk seriously unhappy young neighbors. I don't think I want to put out an advertisement for it though. As it is only my kind of close neighbors come here. I used to live in a place where people used to drive over to out development to trick or treat. I don't ever want that again!! It sounds nice until you are the one with hoards of kids and their parents trick or treating at your house. I think I will skip the advertisement. My actual neighbors know and that is good enough for me.
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NancysSummerSip
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Post by NancysSummerSip on Oct 23, 2015 10:50:17 GMT -5
No kids in my area have allergies that I am aware of. However, since Halloween does fall on a Saturday this year, we will likely get more kids from a wider area, since they have pretty much all day to go out. So I think some allergy-safe treats would not be a bad idea. Trader Joe's organic lollipops? I'll have to head over there and check those out.
But now I have a dumb question. If I hand out candy with nuts and chocolate in it, then use the same hand for the lollipops, I'm still good, right? The allergens won't be transferred through the packaging to my hands? Or can some kids be extremely sensitive, even to that level of contamination?
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Sam_2.0
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Post by Sam_2.0 on Oct 23, 2015 11:05:17 GMT -5
Aly's little best friend has a red dye allergy. Can you imagine trying to plan a party with no red dye in anything at all? It's a bit difficult I do make the best effort I can when he's around so that he's not the only one getting a different treat. That would stink to always be the kid that got something different.
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chiver78
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Post by chiver78 on Oct 23, 2015 22:30:10 GMT -5
Aly's little best friend has a red dye allergy. Can you imagine trying to plan a party with no red dye in anything at all? It's a bit difficult I do make the best effort I can when he's around so that he's not the only one getting a different treat. That would stink to always be the kid that got something different. I had a sensitivity for a few years to one of those dyes, it was a total pain in the ass. my presentation was hives, they suck but it's nbd in the grand scheme of things...for me. thank you for making the effort to make this child safe. sent from my electronic distraction
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chiver78
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Post by chiver78 on Oct 23, 2015 22:32:40 GMT -5
I still don't know whether I'll actually be home to hand stuff out next weekend, but I picked up a value pack of Play-Doh tubs for the teal pumpkin effort. the crowd will very likely get Skittles. . sent from my electronic distraction
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Post by Deleted on Oct 24, 2015 18:24:23 GMT -5
We won't be home this Halloween to hand out candy which sort of makes me sad b/c I love the little monsters (and the parents and dogs in costume are almost as cute) but we are going to a wedding that night-yes, I do have my costume Laterbloomer, thanks for starting this thread and next year I will definitely have a teal pumpkin and appropriate goodies. My new motto will be "two pumpkins are better than one!"
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❤ mollymouser ❤
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Post by ❤ mollymouser ❤ on Oct 25, 2015 14:46:07 GMT -5
Our largest pumpkin has now been painted teal.... it's drying as we speak!
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chiver78
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Post by chiver78 on Oct 28, 2015 15:22:34 GMT -5
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GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl
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Post by GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl on Oct 28, 2015 15:32:27 GMT -5
Another Neil Swidey masterpiece (he wrote an article a few months ago about the latest research in how sexual preference is determined). (I read it that Sunday morning.) I couldn't agree more with him -- the fakers make life even harder for the folks with honest food allergies. We tend to frequent the same area restaurants -- they know us, have proven competent in dealing with the whole allergy thing, and we tip really, really, really well so that they remember us when we come back. I also put a little thank you note on the credit card slip hoping some supervisor sees it and acknowledges the server's efforts. At restaurants that are new to us, we put the Epi Pens on the table in a very obvious place just to fend off the "real or faker?" concerns. But, then, I am the quintessential mother bear.
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chiver78
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Post by chiver78 on Oct 28, 2015 15:44:32 GMT -5
that is a very good idea, with the epi-pens. like you, I go out of my way to patronize places that make me feel safe. as someone was quoted in the piece - I just want an honest answer to my questions, so I can plan my own actions accordingly. unfortunately for the business, that might mean ordering minimally and not returning, but that's what I need to survive their food handling SOPs. ETA: a few years back, my sis and I hit up the Joe's in F'ham while shopping on Christmas Eve. we chatted up the manager, who personally walked our order of nachos through the kitchen to make sure the chips were baked separately and not fried in the unsegregated fryer. he said they go through those efforts to ensure the allergy is being accommodated, even though it's overkill for the guy that comes in and says he's allergic to onions when it's just that he doesn't like them. that stuck with me, that's the first I'd ever heard of anyone faking an allergy. the thought would have never crossed my mind. maybe I'm just not that self-centered?
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GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl
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Post by GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl on Oct 28, 2015 16:15:56 GMT -5
The article quotes Anna Munoz-Furlong who 15(?) years ago started the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network (which later merged with another allergy organization, Food Allergy Insitute, to create Food Allergy Research and Education).
One of her primary goals for starting FAAN was to educate children with food allergies as to how to live and live well with food allergies.
Seven years ago, YDS was a wreck from anxiety and fear of his allergies. He ate only a few homemade foods and ate slowly -- one bite at a time -- and then waited to see if he would have a reaction. His struggle to handle the emotions his allergies caused him broke my heart. I worried about his nutrition, about his potential to develop an eating disorder, his self-limiting social life, and his increasingly narrow view of his life's potential. I tried to find some support groups in the area, but they were mostly focused on educating parents, not the kids. I reached out to a local therapist, but she didn't quite grasp the issue so couldn't help. I was desparate to help this wonderful little boy whose countenance and carriage changed instantly the moment he learned when he was 6 that kids can, and do, die from anaphylactic reactions.
I'd visited the FAAN website before seeking everything from information about food allergies to allergy-friendly recipes. During one visit, I was thrilled to discover that FAAN was holding a Teen Summit in Virginia for teenagers with food allergies. It was unlike any other food allergy conference I had ever seen -- it was specifically for, and about, teens with food allergies. Top allergists and top allergy researchers from around the country were coming to the conference to talk and to present to the teenagers. Sure, there were some sessions for the parents, but the focus was absolutely on the kids. Even though YDS was younger than the age range for the conference, I registered him. I was so desperte to find him some help, I admit that I lied about his age to make the registration go through. I figured, at worst we'd make the trip and if the Teen Summit was lame, we'd just tour D.C. for the weekend. But, I hoped and prayed that it would give him some confidence and empower him to live his life fully.
After an awful drive down 95 South, we arrived and rushed into the hotel just as the opening session scheduled for the Friday night of the weekend was starting. All of the kids were meeting in a ballroom getting to know each other through ice breakers and activities. The parents were waiting in the lobby. YDS refused to go in by himself -- afraid that there would be food in the room that contained his allergens. He was only 10 and in a strange city after a long car ride and didn't know anyone who he could turn to if he had a reaction. The conference staff overheard him and assured him that absolutely no food was allowed in the meeting rooms. Still, he refused to go in until I went in and sat along the wall while he joined in one of the groups -- the only parent to do so. One of the first activities asked each teen to identify him/herself and state their allergies. By the time YDS' group was finished, he looked over at me and told me I could leave. Two hours later he walked out of that ballroom an entirely different kid. He ran up to me with the relief visibly washing over his body. He told me how he'd met kids just like him who had food allergies and were afraid to eat and who hated to go to birthday parties and to restaurants. He talked about how the conference staff kept reassuring them that the meeting room was food-free and how many were doctors and nurses trained in the treatment of anaphylaxis. My darling, anxiety-ridden, demoralized YDS had met his tribe and his life did a 180 degree turn for the better that night. We have been to every Teen Summit since. YDS is a veteran now, but he likes to go for a "booster shot" and because the information is tailored for the teen's stage of life. Younger kids talk about topics such as how to tell friends about your food allergy and older kids cover topics such as kissing dates and going off to college. I have met many wonderful folks in and between the parent sessions that coincide with the kids' sessions and we hold our own little reunion in the hotel lobby bar while the kids have their evening social activities. In my own way, I, too, had met my tribe and stay in contact with many of them through the year.
Words cannot express my gratitude to Anna Munoz-Furlong for having the vision and the energy to start FAAN and to reach out to the kids who struggle with food allergies. She is a lifesaver. Her efforts helped a young boy find a way to manage his food allergies and the anxiety that accompanies them so that he could begin to see a life full of wonder and opportunity.
She is quite simply an angel here on earth.
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973beachbum
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Post by 973beachbum on Oct 28, 2015 17:21:07 GMT -5
When DS was little he was allergic to dairy. He was little enough that it didn't bother him as much as me. He did eventually grow out of it like they said but for me it was an eternity. He never had the full blown anaphalixis (spelling?) but he used to get hives. It was like watching a star trek episode. The spots would just appear like magic. We ate out rarely but when we did I always asked what was in ingredients and would say he was allergic to dairy. Most of the time they were nice and his wasn't something I was worried about cross contamination. I just wanted to know if he could have the pizza sauce type of thing. If they said it had dairy we would just move on. I didn't want any fuss just a safe dinner. The bad part is when I said allergic people used to correct me and say he is lactose intollerant. It was maddening. The worst part is I think most people really thought they were the same thing and. I used to carry a bottle of liquid benedryl. It had worked every time so I was happy with carrying it but the dr warned me it might not someday. It was very stressful though knowing that someone might decide that I was fibbing and add it anyway and I know it happened. Once as we were scrambling to get the benedryl down DS I could hear the guy in the kitchen saying "but it was only for flavor". The hardest part to me was DH. If we went out he didn't want me to ask many questions for fear of offending them. I was finally so mad I told the restaurant we had to leave because I couldn't fight both them and DH at the same time.
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GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl
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Post by GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl on Oct 28, 2015 21:22:48 GMT -5
973beachbum: the constant vigilance wears you down, and then the inexplicable reactions despite the constant vigilance wear you down even more, and then the people who don't get -- or don't care -- and I am not sure which is worse -- that just one microscopic bite can cause a reaction (that has NOTHING to do with lactose intolerance) are the proverbial straw... And, unfortunately, your challenges with your DH are not all that uncommon. Many couples reach understanding and a commitment to advocacy at different times. It totally sucks, though, when one parent carries the psychic weight of the child's safety alone. Thanks to organizations like FAAN/FARE, things ARE getting better. Massachusetts and Maryland have 2 of the best state laws relative to food allergy safety in restaurants in the country. Schools across the country are now allowed to stock Epi Pens for any student or staff member who might go into anaphylaxis. The general public is becoming more aware of food allergies, although tolerance and cooperation still has a way to go. I am happy to report that there ARE college dining halls that "get" it and offer allergen-free foods as part of their daily fare. And research continues to dig to find both the cause of and a cure for food allergies. Still, it is just so ironic to me that something so fundamental to sustaining life can also bring on a swift and certain death.
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