Kindergarten starts next week!

Alexa starts Kindergarten next week. We have the usual excitement and anxieties that all families have when their oldest child starts their first year of school, but we (or perhaps I should say "I") also have the dread that comes with sending our food allergic child to a school which is NOT nut "sensitive". At lunch, children in her class could be sitting next to her eating peanut butter, nuts, eggs, sesame, soy, chick peas and other things she is allergic to. While my husband does not seem the least bit phased by this (just my opinion) I waiver between excited, confident, trusting of the school and utter fear that no one will be looking out for my baby girl. I find this very frustrating since I've gained such confidence in the past couple of years- I have allowed her on play dates without my supervision, let her eat at a restaurant for the first time since she was 2 and added multiple new foods to her diet. But putting all my trust in a group of people I don't really know is terrifying. I am taking precautions. For example, I've educating Alexa on how to stay safe (we made a special place mat she will take with her to eat on and had many conversations about sharing food, drinks, etc.), I've communicated with her teachers, the parent liaison, the school nurse, and other parents, but I don't think I will ever feel 100% confident. I'd be satisfied with 90% confident. On the other hand, the current prevalence of food allergies in young children means other parents of food allergic children have paved the way for us- and for that I am extremely grateful. It means I do not need to educate the school or her teachers about the seriousness food allergies. I'll keep you updated on our journey and how she does. I will also post photos of the homemade placemat she will take to school with her. Feel free to use the idea and enjoy the last days of summer!!

New town, new food allergy challenges.

We've been in NYC for over six months now but I continue to struggle with finding safe "basic" foods for my daughter. In our previous home I knew just where to go to find her rice milk, pasta, safe chocolate chips, cake mixes, special snacks, and even pizza delivery. When we moved to NYC I had to start over which caught me off guard. Most of her items were not readily available at the local grocery story and if they did carry something I needed it would cost twice as much. My in-laws actually drove to New Jersey to find her Rice Milk and bought a case of it which helped tremendously. Since my kids drink 1/2 a gallon a day-I really needed to find it close by and for a reasonable price, which, thankfully, I managed to do. However, I have to order her Enjoy Life chocolate chips and Cherry Brook Kitchen mixes on line and pay for shipping since I can't find them here. It took me several days, phone calls, and emails to find safe pastas that she could eat (my mother in law is Italian so this was a must). Now Alexa is asking for pizza delivery. I make safe pizza at home but she's wanting a pepperoni pizza delivered. She doesn't ask for special food items very often so when she does I try my best to accommodate her but this one is proving to be a challenge. We live on an island on the East River so our delivery options are limited. NYC pizza places will not deliver here. The local pizza place uses eggs in their crust so they're out and so far the other delivery places from Long Island City are unsafe for various reasons. I will continue to call around and search for that perfect pizza place, but it make me sad that a simple thing like take out pizza is such a challenge for a food allergic child.