Having a child on the Autism spectrum has caused me to think about situations that others may not. For instance, because she is on a gluten-free diet, I need to be very thoughtful when planning any kind of party, or sending her to any kind of party. Kids party planning is hard enough without the added bonus of trying to keep her safe from certain types of foods.
It is a lot easier to plan your child’s birthday party because you will be in charge of the food, so you know exactly what is going into your child’s mouth. The difficult situation is they attend one of their friend’s birthday parties. In this case, the control is in someone else’s hands. It is understandable to be worried in situations like this, but there are steps you can take to ease some of those worries.
The first thing you need to do is talk to the parents of the child having the party. Because restricted diets are a lot more common now than they used to be, I’m sure the parent won’t look at you like you’re an alien from another planet. Explain to them why your child is on a gluten-free diet, and the potential harm it could do to them.
During your discussion, find out what type of foods they will be serving at the party. Even though more people are becoming aware of gluten-free diets, they often don’t know what foods contain gluten. When they tell you what they are planning for the party, let them know which foods contain gluten.
Offer to bring the gluten-free alternatives for your son. As you probably already know, there are fabulous gluten-free recipes available that your child has probably already had at his own birthday parties. This will take some of the pressure off of the host because they won’t have to worry about accidentally preparing some gluten-free recipe improperly, and making your son sick. It will also free them up to worry about the food for the majority of the kids at the party.
Another important thing will be making sure there isn’t any cross-contamination of typical foods with your son’s foods. Cleaning hands and utensils between handling typical foods and gluten-free foods is necessary, and the host should know this. One way to ensure this is done is to offer to help at the party. Most parents will not hesitate to have an extra set of hands assisting at the party, especially when there is a child with special dietary needs.
Another way to have your child avoid the gluten-filled foods at the party is to get him nice and full before you send him to it. He’ll be less tempted by the food that’s bad for him if his belly is filled with food that is good for him.
Kids party planning should be about fun, not worry. The next time you send your child to a party, keep your worries in check by having a conversation with the parents of the child throwing the party. If they know your child’s situation, there is less of a chance of any diet slip-ups occurring. This accomplishes two things: your child will be safe and you will be able to send your child to the party worry-free.
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