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

[Anonymous]

This is a GLUTEN issue -- not peanuts! The kid would have to lick the counter to be affected. So keep the kid out of ONE of the kitchens -- how hard is that?

I would lose my mind of I had to completely adjust my diet and my kids' diet just to accommodate a family that was staying IN ANOTHER HOUSE.

[Anonymous]

I have two kids in my daughters class with gluten allergy. Who the hell knew they had to live in such a bubble.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is a GLUTEN issue -- not peanuts! The kid would have to lick the counter to be affected. So keep the kid out of ONE of the kitchens -- how hard is that?

I would lose my mind of I had to completely adjust my diet and my kids' diet just to accommodate a family that was staying IN ANOTHER HOUSE.

Yes. This is totally insane. Peanut allergy, yes. Gluten???

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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.

+1. I also cannot eat wheat without becoming ill. Everyone use paper plates, throw utensils through the dishwasher and wipe down all the counters. Only allow eating in designated eating spaces, like dining room, and vacuum up crumbs. It's not that hard to avoid cross contamination if people are actually thinking about it.

You can do things like make hamburgers/hot dogs for everyone and have different bags of buns -- just don't put the buns on the grill. GF family does things like keep their own package of butter and jam in their place.

This doesn't mean that it won't create drama when you call them on it. Up to you to decide if that's worth it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP. Gluten free food doesn't have to be all "substitute" food. It's just simple food. What's the big deal about scrambled eggs and fruit and yogurt for breakfast, etc.? My kids eat like that a lot, with absolutely no food restrictions. We would not break stride over this.

Because not all kids eat that for breakfast. Mine would only eat the fruit. No scrambled eggs, no yogurt. There are two kitchens.

I think we all get that.

That being said, a) even most picky eaters aren't as picky a you kid appears to be & b)I'm guessing the grandparents, in particular, would appreciate it if everyone could eat at least a couple of meals together as a family.

Your kid is every bit as much of a PITA to accommodate as a gluten kid, OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP. Gluten free food doesn't have to be all "substitute" food. It's just simple food. What's the big deal about scrambled eggs and fruit and yogurt for breakfast, etc.? My kids eat like that a lot, with absolutely no food restrictions. We would not break stride over this.

Because not all kids eat that for breakfast. Mine would only eat the fruit. No scrambled eggs, no yogurt. There are two kitchens.

I think we all get that.

That being said, a) even most picky eaters aren't as picky a you kid appears to be & b)I'm guessing the grandparents, in particular, would appreciate it if everyone could eat at least a couple of meals together as a family.

I know kids pickier than mine. Mine will not eat potatoes, cheerios, yogurt, and 2/3 the things on your list. If your kids ate that, they were not picky. It isn't related to the food allergies. He would sit there for hours and refuse to eat. We did not travel for several years but that is not the option for OP. If the grandparents want everyone to eat together, then OP gets one kitchen and celiac family gets the other. Simple.

[Anonymous]

I'd rather deal with a relative's kid with a strict food allergy for one week than accommodate a relative's kid who was a picky eater for one day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP. Gluten free food doesn't have to be all "substitute" food. It's just simple food. What's the big deal about scrambled eggs and fruit and yogurt for breakfast, etc.? My kids eat like that a lot, with absolutely no food restrictions. We would not break stride over this.

Because not all kids eat that for breakfast. Mine would only eat the fruit. No scrambled eggs, no yogurt. There are two kitchens.

I think we all get that.

That being said, a) even most picky eaters aren't as picky a you kid appears to be & b)I'm guessing the grandparents, in particular, would appreciate it if everyone could eat at least a couple of meals together as a family.

Your kid is every bit as much of a PITA to accommodate as a gluten kid, OP.

I don't think OP is the one with the vegetarian/food allergies kid who would starve. I think OP is the one whose kids are "not big meat eaters" but do eat chicken nuggets.

I think OP's suggestion of keeping some gluten foods and paper plates in their room.

The reality is that most families go through phases where various members are neediest. With healthy older kids, OP's family's is in a better place to accommodate than the family with a newborn and a newly diagnosed toddler with celiac, or elderly parents who should not be woken at night by a crying baby.

[Anonymous]

Is there any chance you could find an airbnb or homeaway rental in Grandma's neighborhood?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP. Gluten free food doesn't have to be all "substitute" food. It's just simple food. What's the big deal about scrambled eggs and fruit and yogurt for breakfast, etc.? My kids eat like that a lot, with absolutely no food restrictions. We would not break stride over this.

Because not all kids eat that for breakfast. Mine would only eat the fruit. No scrambled eggs, no yogurt. There are two kitchens.

I think we all get that.

That being said, a) even most picky eaters aren't as picky a you kid appears to be & b)I'm guessing the grandparents, in particular, would appreciate it if everyone could eat at least a couple of meals together as a family.

Your kid is every bit as much of a PITA to accommodate as a gluten kid, OP.

I don't think OP & the poster you are responding to (the one who keeps first dismissing every single suggestion because there are apparently only about 5 foods on the entire planet acceptable to her kid, then reminding us once again that there are two kitchens) are the same person.

[Anonymous]

sounds miserable.

[Anonymous]

Hotel

Fair is unimportant - because you'll never have control over "fair". Take control. Hotel.

[Anonymous]

I'm totally with the idea that one GF kitchen should be enough, but I'm also not getting why it would be so terribly hard to just go GF altogether. There are several types of cereal that are GF and there are GF breads out there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:sounds miserable.

+1. I'm starting to want to skip the trip entirely -- and I'm not even OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP. Gluten free food doesn't have to be all "substitute" food. It's just simple food. What's the big deal about scrambled eggs and fruit and yogurt for breakfast, etc.? My kids eat like that a lot, with absolutely no food restrictions. We would not break stride over this.

Because not all kids eat that for breakfast. Mine would only eat the fruit. No scrambled eggs, no yogurt. There are two kitchens.

I think we all get that.

That being said, a) even most picky eaters aren't as picky a you kid appears to be & b)I'm guessing the grandparents, in particular, would appreciate it if everyone could eat at least a couple of meals together as a family.

Your kid is every bit as much of a PITA to accommodate as a gluten kid, OP.

I don't think OP is the one with the vegetarian/food allergies kid who would starve. I think OP is the one whose kids are "not big meat eaters" but do eat chicken nuggets.

I think OP's suggestion of keeping some gluten foods and paper plates in their room.

The reality is that most families go through phases where various members are neediest. With healthy older kids, OP's family's is in a better place to accommodate than the family with a newborn and a newly diagnosed toddler with celiac, or elderly parents who should not be woken at night by a crying baby.

THIS. And frankly, it's usually the elder adult siblings--or those who had kids first--who fail to recognize how much they were once accommodated, and now it is their turn to take one for the team.