Amy Leger
As always, Amy Leger (aka The Savvy Celiac) has come up with some great “how-to” advice on how to “empower a gluten-free child”. Getting kids to want to follow a gluten-free diet is hard and this is welcomed advice from someone who’s raised children gluten-free. I’ve listed the first five of her top ten list, be sure to continue on to her site to see the other five.
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“These are in no particular order– some may be big picture, some may be very specific, but I hope by the time “we’re done with her” she’ll be ready to face the world as a strong gluten-free woman.
- Speak up when something’s not right. This goes for many things in life actually, but when it comes to celiac disease, not speaking up could make you sick. So far, this has been a challenge, Emma isn’t even correcting her teachers who are mispronouncing her last name (it’s Lezh-AY, not LEG-ger, LEE-ger, or LEDG-er). But we continue to work on it.
- Know your ingredients. This goes for gluten free and gluteny ingredients. She needs to be able to look at a label and based on that, decide of she can have it. She did this for the first time with a “Fudgesicley” ice cream treat on Tuesday– with success. She’s 12, so I am happy to see signs of her taking control.
- Don’t let another adult try and tell you differently. I find even adults my age, younger and older try to explain gluten free to me and they sell it like they have experience, when in actuality, they only know a small amount or nothing at all. These could be sales people, friends’ parents, or even a restaurant server. Don’t let these people steer you away from what you know. If in doubt, don’t eat it.
- Learn how to tactfully turn people down when they offer food. You can go with the truth, “I can’t eat it if it’s not gluten free” (this can be turned into an educational opportunity). Or perhaps a white lie, “I already ate, thanks for offering”.
- Learn how to manage that dreaded pizza party. How many times in high school or college did YOU order pizza after a basketball game or on a Friday night with a group of friends? Exactly. It’s a whole new challenge for gluten-free kids– one we haven’t had to deal with yet…”
See the entire top ten list on The Savvy Celiac Website »
7 comments
Ryan Merrifield says:
Jul 2, 2011
I don’t think that it will be hard… if our Kids have gluten, they get Extreme IBS type symptoms and go CRAZY/feel very sick.
Chris says:
Jul 2, 2011
@Ryan, as strange as it sounds — in some ways you’re lucky. Having kids who know that they have to be GF and won’t be tempted because they understand the consequences is a good thing.
Ryan Merrifield says:
Jul 2, 2011
well they are young, we will be pretty much forced to home-school due to sensitivity. did you know that Vitamin E(most soaps have Vitamin E) could be a source of gluten?
Chris says:
Jul 2, 2011
Yep, I have heard this. Most commercial soaps (as well as shampoos) are nothing but chemicals and really aren’t fit for human use. There are some great alternatives on the market that are free and clear of any of the unnecessary additives.
Kasey Frazier says:
Jul 2, 2011
Dr. Bronners is a good body wash.. my son has Celiac and so far no reactions to it.. :)
Kasey Frazier says:
Jul 2, 2011
We unschool for a variety of reasons one being his Celiac diagnosis .. We love it.. I will never send them back to public school..
Anonymous says:
Jul 3, 2011
Thanks for posting this list. My daughter was gluten free starting at age 3 1/2, but around the time she hit 8 or so, it really seem to strike her that she was “different” and it was hard for her not being able to eat things that other people could eat. When she was younger she didn’t care so much, but around age 8, the difference seemed to matter a lot more.