I post at parenting web site and found this post yesterday on their main discussion board:
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I have a question regarding Halloween for y'all...
dh (dear husband) *thinks* that most parents of nut allergic kids don't allow them out to trick or treat because of the risks involved.
I just bought a bag of Nestle "nut free" candy to put in a separate bowl far far away from our "nutty" candy and dh thinks I'm wasting my time. I was going to put a sign on out door saying "Let me know if you have a nut sensitivity/allergy, so I can give you safe treats". Dh just shrugged and said "do what you like".
Do you let you kids go trick or treating? Should I not bother? What do you think
thanks
sillybear
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She got a very positive "how considerate!" response from a lot of posters there, some of whom considered doing this themselves for the allergic kids in the neighbourhood. Her one negative response was from an anonymous person who claimed to have a child anaphylactic to wasps who decried this "bending over backwards" nonsense. Whatever!
Anyway, I just wanted to share this with you and nominate her for "Allergy Aware Person of the Week". It's the kindness of people that surprises me, sad to say. It should be the meanness.
Carolyn [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img]
![http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img]](http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img]){kind=link}
I wish you lived near me!!
We live in a small community, so most people are aware of our girl's PA either through school or friends/relatives. My girls always look forward to certain houses which usually will have special bags fixed for my 2 with PA. The other kids on the hay ride are usually jealous that they got "special treats". We alway go out of our way to thank these considerate people - there are some out there!!
Rachel
I actually posted this under "dreading Halloween" as a lift, but it fits better here. I am just pasting from the other.
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Also, today, a neighbor had made my recipe for cookie pop treats as a special extra batch, wrapped them different, and gave them at the school party. This was an egg free and nut free recipe, and that can be a real pain if you do not do it regularly, as some know! To top it off, she still did that (and remembered) and her husband is in the middle of dealing with a very serious injury that required surgery this week. Did not need to be on her plate. What a kind spirit she is. I need to do something special for them at this tough time, maybe bring a dinner over...
I am also just generally touched by how considerate people were during the school party today. Of course things get overlooked and there are things present that are "may contain", but the village is on the lookout for the most part, and even the "tough mom" I deal with sometimes is coming around and being very respectful.
I just go to these things ready for the stress and some kind of friction, braced after reading about some experiences here. Today, I am getting a lump in my throat typing this. I was touched by how people cared and voice concern. Becca
I teach aerobics at the YMCA. They have gone to a food free babysitting area. The teenage girl who keeps the sitting made goody bags for the children. Everything in the bag was safe!!! I am amazed how some people do go that extra mile. She is a God send.
The year before last both of my sons were sick so we didn't go out trick or treating. My neighbor felt bad that we didn't get to go. The following day his son came over with a big bag of candy that they put together from trick or treating with peanut-free candies.
I thought that was such a sweet thing to do.
This year we went trick or treating for UNICEF. We didn't have to worry about candy and my children felt good about doing something for someone else.
[This message has been edited by Emmie (edited October 31, 2002).]
Several of our neighbors had special candy for Kevin that they kept separately from the rest. And one unamed angel sent Kevin a care package of safe chocolate so he could trade in his unsafe stuff for something of "equal value".
Kevin had a very happy and safe Halloween thanks to the kindness of others.
We also had a few neighbors remember and asked or picked out something special to give dd. One even had a special treat bag set aside, and I believe made up several to be ready for others who might share the allergy. I know my dd is the first she knows, but she had several bags at the ready, because she told her kids, "Oh, why don't you give her two of those bags!" So thoughtful-went beyond just my child whom she knows and extended it to be ready for any others. Same woman who did the special cookies for our school party today. So sweet. becca
I also posted this under another thread in Liv. w/PA about halloween. My non-pa son's friend's g'ma, which I've talked to on occasion and only had one discussion re: Cam's allergy, have a special bag set aside for him b/c she was handing out Reeses, I thought it was so awesome.
Wish everyone was so caring and supportive!
[This message has been edited by Cam's Mom (edited October 31, 2002).]
I don't have a nut allergy nor do I have any children with or without a nut allergy or any other allergy. I just have dogs and cats and a bird and a rabbit.... But as a Counselor for Students with Disabilities at a State University, I read this website often. It keeps me in tune with what is going on out there. I am often tempted to poke in occasionally especially in the school forum but generally decide to keep my thoughts to myself and lurk. I think I did poke my head in once when someone had trouble with hamster food (right up my alley)
However, to be honest we get about five kids each year at halloween, last year we got 15 so usually what we do is buy candy that we like and let me tell you I love reeses anything. But we buy what we like so when we have a ton of it leftover we eat it ourselves. This is what we have been doing for years and years we buy a bag of something hub likes such as snickers and a bag of something I like such as reeses.
This year I told my husband we were not buying anything with nuts or anything else that a kid would be allergic to. I want the kids to enjoy their halloween and if that means we don't eat the candy we like well then darn it, do we really need it anyway.
This year for the first time we gave out pencils..... problem solved, the kids loved them and were excited to get them we avoided the allergy thing all together shoot why does it have to be about food anyway. I know someone that gave out toothbrushes and the kids were excited about that.
So the point here is that I agree and disagree wtih you guys all the time and sometimes I think you are way to sensitive. But you have made your point, I am way more aware than I was before. I think about it now when I eat peanut butter in my office and make sure its cleaned up and I gave out pencils for halloween. Now I need to go and get my reeses fix somewhere else (like I need a whole bag of candy) not only have you all helped my awareness but also my diet.
Steph
What a nice thread!! I thoroughly enjoyed reading each and every reply!
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