Navigating Halloween With Food Allergies and Type 1 Diabetes
Today is Halloween. Most of the day revolves around food... and costumes. While a lot of parents are simply enjoying the day, parents of kids who have food allergies or Type 1 diabetes (or both) have more to think about than a costume. There are school parties involving food, dynamics of trick or treating, counting of carbohydrates, and blood sugar management. What are the things that I think about with each of those conditions, and how do we navigate today... and the coming days with a lot of candy and all of the excitement it brings?
Food Allergies
My son was diagnosed with his first food allergy at three months of age. By the time we got to our first Halloween involving trick-or-treating, he was allergic to dairy, egg, cashew, pistachio, and pink peppercorn.
His preschool was kind enough to ensure all of the treats for his class parties were safe for him. And I don't just mean the treats he got; rather that all of the treats in the classroom were safe for him. Why was this important? Because little kids share. And touch each other. And my son breaks out in hives to the touch of his allergens.
As he has gotten older, I now think about the safety issues as well as the emotional aspects of inclusion. This is especially important with the increasing rates of food allergies: approximately 2 kids out of a classroom of 25 have food allergies. Kids with food allergies or Type 1 diabetes often feel different. Fortunately, we have a supportive school environment in which classroom activities need to be safe and inclusive for everyone - of course, this, in part, is due to my own advocacy efforts to promote inclusion. Parties are now either food-free or have treats that are safe for everyone: in addition to healthy options such as fruits and vegetables, there are many brands of allergen-free foods to choose from in this day and age.
And then there is the actual trick-or-treating. The issue with candy at peoples' homes is cross-contamination. When everything is mixed into a bag or bowl, it's easy for small amounts of allergens to contaminate the wrappers of other candy. My overriding goal is for my son to have as "normal" of an experience as possible, in spite of these two health conditions. So every year, I've gone through the neighborhood pre-populating homes with "safe" candy and his favorite toys. I include a note telling people what he will be dressed as, as well as our address in case we don't make it there and they want to return the treats. One of the unexpected benefits of this is meeting new neighbors. A few years ago I was even invited to enjoy a cocktail as I was dropping off treats!
When my son was younger, it was easier to steer him to the homes I knew had safe treats. Or to look for homes that have a teal pumpkin: the Teal Pumpkin Project was started to raise awareness of food allergies and promote inclusion of all trick-or-treaters. Now that he is in elementary school, it's a little more challenging to keep him and his friends focused only on certain homes. So we've worked together on how to start a conversation at the door: after saying "Trick-or-Treat" he says, "I can't eat some foods because I have food allergies. Do you have any treats that aren't food, or things that might be safe for me like Skittles or Starbursts?" While he still has a look of disappointment if a home doesn't have anything for him, we are working on "Thank you anyway. Happy Halloween." And every year, without fail, some of our thoughtful friends also put together special safe treats for him. It always warms my heart.