Great Parents & In-Laws!

My In-laws are also great with my sons PA we went to their house for christmas (they live over 2 hours away so we only go to their house for holidays and such) my MIL checked every label and put all the peanut and tree nut containing foods up out of reach of all the children. Both MIL and FIL (who is my husbands step-father) asked all kinds of questions about Ethan's PA. They were really understanding it was very reasuring.

My MIL actually has some experience with food allergies my BIL was allergic to everything according to my MIL and was put on an elimination diet as a child and it actually worked for him, although he still has lots of enviornmental allergies.

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Ethans mommy

I chuckled when I read your posts. The shoe is on the other foot here.....

I'm a grandma with PA. My 3-year old grandson (also Ethan) gets terrible hives from cats, dogs and grass. No FA that we know of. (I won't add 'yet' - but I'm thinking it.)

I have kid's benadryl in the cupboard for Ethan when he spends the night - and I'm always cautioning my DS and DIL about watching him for FA and avoiding PN products because of family history, etc. They listen (politely - a little eye-rolling perhaps) but they probably think I'm overreacting.

Ethan and his 5-year old sister, Eva, already know that Nana can't have peanuts. They are more vigilant about it than I am!

Klutzi, yes, I did need to hear some positive experiences (as I'm sure some other people did as well). I remember starting a thread a few years ago about positive experiences perhaps with family, but with friends, in particular, or even complete strangers who would go to great lengths to say invite your PA child to a birthday party.

I think it's positive for all of us to hear the good with the bad. I'm not saying that it's not okay to post the bad - I think it's extremely important that the bad gets posted somewhere, especially when it is about family that just doesn't seem to "get it", because I honestly believe in a lot of cases, other PA.com members are going to be the only ones that will truly understand and there won't be any rolling of the eyes at what a Psycho Mom or Couple you are.

So, definitely, the bad stories will probably always outweigh the good simply because stuff happens in our lives that we have to figure out how to deal with with regard to PA, and again, I've watched through the years and seen how absolutely horrible and cruel families have been with regard to PA.

I remember pre-PA.com when something PA related would happen. I can honestly remember I felt as though my head was going to explode. I remember one incident in particular with a friend and her children and how I came home and had to sit outside smoking my filthy cigarette to calm down, but I also had to unplug the phone because I couldn't deal with the woman that evening.

Those kinds of things are always going to be the jist of what we post here because we need help sorting through our feelings, experiences, etc. and trying to figure out if we even want to deal with some of the rotten things people can do.

But yes, a thread to off-set that to know that yes, my soul, there are *good* people in the world who do care about their Grandchildren (or Grandmother, Adele [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img] ) or their nieces and nephews.

My Mother lives 2 hours north of me driving. She keeps a "peanut free" home although I have not seen my Mother in nearly four years. She cannot imagine eating something that would kill her Grandson. Might sound a bit extreme to others, but to me, I'm just as extreme (I guess the apple didn't fall far from the tree), so I know, if I decided to visit my Mom tomorrow, with Jesse, he would be okay except for perhaps "may contains" - and we'd all be double checking regardless.

My MIL, despite her other difficulties (shall we say), has really tried extremely hard to completely understand PA. I remember posting about a conversation with her and my SIL under How Did PA Affect Your Day because I have to say, the conversation did get a bit bizarre, and my head was ready to explode, but all in all, I know she has really tried hard to understand her Grandson's allergy and for that, if nothing else, I am thankful.

My SIL, a few little bumps along the way since we moved back 10 months ago and I don't think she will ever have the understanding in her head that when I get a call from the school it's not quite the same as her getting a call from the school. But again, she has gone to amazing lengths to educate herself.

For example, she was baking a cake for my MIL's birthday a couple of months ago and I told her that Duncan Hines mix was NOT okay to buy. Now, if she looked at the label, she wouldn't see anything that would say that it isn't okay to buy - she took my word for it (I'm not okay with Duncan Hines and I told her why).

As far as other family and friends, despite having been back in Toronto for 10 months now, almost 11, I haven't re-connected with them and I do think in the case of one Aunt (my Mother's sister), it *might* be a bit difficult. Friends also, not so sure (the ones I have to re-connect with).

But no, as far as PA goes, and especially since MIL and SIL only started to learn about it within the last 10 months really, I think they've done really well. My MIL sat here and read Allergic Living magazine.

Now, MIL does have pb in her home, but uses great precautions after eating it and she does have "may contains" in her home and this woman, who you can offend at the drop of a hat, has NEVER been offended by either DH, myself, or Jess asking if we could read a label to check on something.

One of her biggest surprises was when she made Hallowe'en chicken noodle soup and she used something like Mr. Noodle for spider web affect and that was for the kids' dinner. I went, um, Mom, I have to look at what you did use because if you used Mr. Noodle, Jess definitely can't have it. She hadn't, she had used something else.

Now, I'm not saying that MIL and SIL don't put their feet in their mouths occasionally with regard to PA, and I'm not saying that they totally "get it", but my soul, I can't knock them at all.

Great thread, Klutzi. I hope we hear some more positive stories. [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img]

Best wishes! [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img]