Nephew with celiac - what is fair/appropriate when visiting grandma?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Grilled chicken, corn in the cob, salad, ice cream

Grilled cheese on GF bread, tomato soup, fruit salad

Burgers on GF buns, chips, cole slaw

Yogurt, GF cereal

Fajitas on corn tortillas

Life is easy.

This.

Roast chicken, mashed potatoes, salad

BBQ ribs, cucumber salad, chips

Steaks, corn on cob, asparagus

[Anonymous]

I don't understand why you can't have some gluten products in the kitchen. If plates are washed and you keep your food separate from everyone else's, is there really that big of a risk of contamination? I am familiar with celiac, and have many friends who do not eat gluten because of it or related issues, but I have never heard about a need to fully separate all products.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Id send the celiac parent an email saying nicely - we are excited to see you. Understand that you guys want the cabin, which is fine with us. Just wondering where you would feel comfortable with us preparing food for our kids, without putting your son at risk.

Do this.

But really, they should stay only require one of the houses be gluten free.

Signed, mom of a now teen with a anaphylactic food allergy that she has had since she was a toddler.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As an aunt to a kid with numerous food allergies, while mine have none, I say suck it up and be grateful you only have to worry about it for a week. I can't imagine how stressful it is to have to be constantly aware of what your child is eating. You and I are lucky - we can spend one week dealing with what our siblings deal with every day.

As a mom with a kid who has deadly food allergies, OPs SIL is being very unreasonable.

Perhaps it is post partum depression/hormones talking.

OP is being more than reasonable.

OP, fridge in main house keeps your food. Fridge in guest house is where gluten free product go. Any food that child will eat stays in the guest house.

They prep their food over there. Everyone else preps in the main house.

Everyone eats together at the main table.

If you need to, your kids eat separately outside on a folding table.

If his gluten reaction was as severe as mom is indicating by her demands, she woukd never ever be able to take him out of the house. Do they leave their house safely OP? If they do then they can be around other people.eating gluten.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: I don't understand why you can't have some gluten products in the kitchen. If plates are washed and you keep your food separate from everyone else's, is there really that big of a risk of contamination? I am familiar with celiac, and have many friends who do not eat gluten because of it or related issues, but I have never heard about a need to fully separate all products.

There is alway a risk and child may be more severe than you or the person we know. We had one friend make a big fuss about being gluten free (he did have stomach issues) and I went out of my way to cook special meals for him and get him gluten free bread to realize he just ate the regular stuff. I gave up special meals after that. Its just like a peanut allergy. Some kids I know cannot be around it, others can but not eat it.

If there are two kitchens, one should be GF, the other not. My kid does not eat meat and is picky so we could never make it work.

[Anonymous]

I have celiac and it is not the same as a peanut allergy. Kids can be in the same room and they will not have a reaction. Celiac never causes anaphylaxis. It is not an allergy. They get one kitchen, you get the other. If they have a cow because you're kid is snacking on crackers, they can retreat to the other house.

[Anonymous]

This seems a little extreme to me and more like 2 year old's parents don't want to have to deal with telling him no he can't have x when cousin'd can than safety issues.

Any before anyone flips out on me yes I am a parent, and yes I have dealt with severe allergies.

[Anonymous]

Your kids won't starve for a week on GF food. My kids adore their cousins and know they will eat kosher and nut free when they visit each other.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: I don't understand why you can't have some gluten products in the kitchen. If plates are washed and you keep your food separate from everyone else's, is there really that big of a risk of contamination? I am familiar with celiac, and have many friends who do not eat gluten because of it or related issues, but I have never heard about a need to fully separate all products.

It's very easy for there to be cross contamination with gluten. I've known kids, for example, who have gotten sick because someone spread butter on their toast, and then butter from the same butter stick was used to cook something else. I also think that it's probably easier for everyone to know that everything in the kitchen is safe. So, someone can come in and cook whatever they want without concern.

I think the issue here is the insistence on having both kitchens. The family should not be asking for both kitchen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Your kids won't starve for a week on GF food. My kids adore their cousins and know they will eat kosher and nut free when they visit each other.

Speak for your kids. Mine would. He will choose not to eat for days vs. eat something he does not want to (yes, we've tested it). Kosher and nut free is no big deal as you can still have pasta, bread and lots of other stuff.

[Anonymous]

Just send them an email saying "great! So glad you guys want the cabin. Now the main kitchen can be used for gluten foods. That's easier on grandma, don't you think?"

[Anonymous]

There are tons of gluten free pastas that aren't gross: Banza, red lentil pasta or quinoa pasta.

[Anonymous]

I agree the other parents are being ridiculous. My son has a severe food allergy so I can understand the concern but it feels like they want to have their GF cake and eat it too.

There are a lot of recipes you can make like PP suggested. I might even go out of your way to plan a GF pizza night for everyone and make a GF dough for everyone.

If you really can't handle going GF for the week (which I can understand because who wants to spend their vacation adhering to other people's food restrictions?) Can you keep disposable plates and utensils for you and your kids to use? Keep a few gluten containing products in your room and let the kids have them outside for a picnic or something?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just send them an email saying "great! So glad you guys want the cabin. Now the main kitchen can be used for gluten foods. That's easier on grandma, don't you think?"

Depends on whether it's actually easier on Grandma.

I know grandmothers who love to cook for their family. It's one of their love languages, and they'd be very hurt if they couldn't cook for one of their grandchildren. If Grandma is going to be caring for the toddler at all (and most grandmothers would offer to do so when there's a newborn in the picture), then being able to grab something from the fridge rather than heading to a different building, would definitely be easier.

I think that having the main house stay GF is totally reasonable, but then giving the other family with kids the cabin makes perfect sense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your kids won't starve for a week on GF food. My kids adore their cousins and know they will eat kosher and nut free when they visit each other.

Speak for your kids. Mine would. He will choose not to eat for days vs. eat something he does not want to (yes, we've tested it). Kosher and nut free is no big deal as you can still have pasta, bread and lots of other stuff.

And there is nothing gluten free your child would eat?

I work with kids with autism so I'm very familiar with super restricted diets, and I can't think of a child I've worked with who didn't have some gluten free items, or items that are easily substituted for gluten free (e.g. chicken nuggets, crackers) on their approved list.

What does your kid eat?