Approaching Halloween with food allergies can stir up anxiety you did not know you had. Holidays in general completely change when you or someone you love has a food allergy. As a mom of kids with food allergies, Halloween is one of the more intimidating ones for me. It is easy to become anxious and to stress about every detail.
Sometimes, it just requires an unconventional or nontraditional approach to a traditional Holiday. I like to think of Halloween with food allergies as fun, because it gives you the opportunity to create your OWN traditions! We primarily focus on the fun of our costumes anyway, so they do too!
Recently, the Teal Pumpkin Project has become very popular. It is exciting to see new things like this taking off. However, you don’t need to wait for a project like this or something similar to take off to change how you approach Holidays like Halloween!
Host your own party
If you host your own party you have control over your environment and the food you expose to your children. I have very young children with food allergies. Until they are of the age where they know how to read every label before consuming anything, I need to control their environment.
We live in North Dakota so it is typically freezing on Halloween. Inviting a few of my kids costumed friends and their families over to our home seems more appealing than running up and down the sidewalk any day! This makes approaching Halloween with food allergies much more fun!
Supply your neighbors with non-food treats
We only go to a few select houses of very special people in our kids’ lives. Prior to going there I have communicated with them all and they either have non-food treats available or I have provided them with some to give to our kids.
We are very lucky with the neighbors we have. They spoil our kids daily and are always conscious of their allergies. Though I have offered to purchase non-food treats for them to surprise our kids, they have always done so on their own.
Create an exchange bag
If you are comfortable with your child trick-or treating on Halloween with food allergies you can create an exchange bag. Once they get home you can dump all their treats out, read the labels and exchange anything that isn’t safe with something that is safe from your “exchange bag”.
Similar to the idea of the “Switch Witch” it is a fun way for them to receive non-food related treats, but also have some fun!
Have your kids answer the door
As we have navigated our way through Halloween with food allergies, I have noticed it seems to be more fun for them to see how other kids are dressed up. They love waiting in the house, hearing the doorbell and seeing the kids’ costumes. If you put them in charge of handing out the treats, they feel important and get excited to participate.
Do not “assume”: Ingredients ALWAYS change
If a piece of candy does not have a label, throw it. Do not assume it is fine because they have had it before. Mini candy bars and regular sized candy bars often have different ingredients. If you do not have an ingredients list, get rid of it.
Hoarding for yourself is off limits
Many parents and grandparents make the mistake of taking the candy from their child and keeping it for themselves. They eat it and forget that the residue is still left on their hands, mouth or surfaces. Some children’s allergies are intense enough that a simple kiss after their parent has eaten a snickers bar can trigger an anaphylactic reaction. Residue can also trigger such a shock, so it is always best to dispose of anything that contains an allergen.
As with most things, it is all about perspective. It can seem very overwhelming but hopefully this gives you tips on how to get creative and use these Holidays as teaching moments.
XO,
