Food allergies are growing more common, and kids are the ones being diagnosed frequently. While many people are familiar with peanut allergies since they are usually anaphylactic, there are plenty of other foods children can be allergic to.

When this occurs, parents become food allergy parents, a select group of people who have to protect their kids from being contaminated and teach them how to navigate in the world. Its' a hard job, but when a child develops a food allergy, parents don't have a choice.

Being a food allergy parent means enduring judgment from others who don't understand the dangers our kids face as well as having to research endlessly to make sure our kids aren't exposed to anything that will harm them. It means preparing food to take to parties and saying no to fast food drive in food and many popular types of candies.

One of the hardest parts of being a food allergy parent is helping other people understand what does and doesn't help us and our kids. Since food allergies affect a child physically, but being left out of eating experiences and fellowship takes an emotional toll, food allergy parents have to find a balance. They also need support from those in their lives.

There are plenty of things that food allergy parents wish other people knew. If the following information was common knowledge, life would be so much easier for those who struggle when certain foods become the enemy.

15 It's Not All About Peanuts

Yes, peanut allergies are extremely serious, and since peanuts are in almost everything, children with peanut allergies have to be especially careful. There's a reason some schools have implemented a no peanut policy. Peanut allergies usually have the potential to land a child in the hospital or worse.

However, there are many different allergens that kids have problems with. The top eight allergens are: eggs, milk, tree nuts, fish, soy, shellfish, wheat, and peanuts. All of these can cause anaphylactic reactions, and they can also do long-term damage to a child's body when ingested.

It's important to take all food allergies seriously, not just peanut allergies. Many kids have multiple allergies, causing their eating choices to be even more limited. It's always important to listen when a parent or child is explaining what they are allergic to and how they will react. It can save a life.

14 We're Not High Maintenance

Before our kids developed food allergies, most of us were pretty chill about food. We didn't micro-manage every meal or make restaurants hate us with our special requests and lists of questions. Now we don't have a choice.

Parents of food allergy kids are not high maintenance people. We will just move heaven and earth to ensure our children are safe. That means reading ingredient lists, calling manufacturers, and refusing foods we fear may cause our children to suffer.

We teach our children to do the same thing because it's essential for their survival. Our kids must become advocates for their food needs, and that may mean inconveniencing people who don't understand the importance of verifying ingredients. That's what it takes for food allergy kids to stay safe, and it's always great when those around us are supportive as opposed to judgmental of our requests.

13 We've Heard Alternative Theories

People mean well, and we know that. Whenever someone finds out a child has a food allergy, there is often quite a bit of advice thrown to the parents, most of it useless.

There are those who believe the only way to cure food allergies is to repeatedly expose a child to the offending food. For those of us who have kids who can be killed by the food, this is not a great idea. There are also people who imply that we caused our kids food allergies by not offering them the right foods as babies. Honestly, we've heard it all.

Thanks for the concern, but what food allergy parents need are partners who will help them ensure their children stay safe. Family and friends do best by us when they follow our instructions and resist the urge to place blame. Despite all the theories about food allergies, no one fully understands why some kids develop them and some don't. Theories meant to blame us are not helpful.

12 Not Anaphylactic Doesn't Mean Safe

There are children who have anaphylactic reactions when they come into contact with a food they are allergic to. This is a horrifying situation where children can stop breathing and die within minutes if not properly treated.

However, not every food allergy leads to an anaphylactic reaction. That doesn't mean it's okay for a child to ingest the food. Children with Celiac disease cannot eat gluten because gluten works like a poison in their system. It causes the body to attack itself, leading to an increased cancer risk that lasts for years if a child even swallows one crumb. It can also cause vomiting and diarrhea that land a child in the hospital.

The symptoms of gluten exposure may not show up immediately in a child with Celiac, unlike kids who have anaphylactic reactions. That doesn't mean it's not serious. Long-term exposure, even in small quantities, can shorten a person's life substantially.

11 Trust Is An Issue

Our kids are our everything, and when we find out they have food allergies it shakes us to our core. Food is a huge part of life, and a child with a deadly reaction to food has to endure the risks of ingesting the wrong thing every single day.

That's why we tend to hold our food allergy kids close, especially in the beginning. We have to teach them to function in the world on their own, but we also have to protect them when they are too young to advocate for themselves. Some people understand this and others view as overprotective helicopter parents.

Food allergy parents usually end up being the best teachers who enable their kids to go into the world confidently, the opposite of helicopter parents. We just have issues trusting anyone else with our kids before our kids can fully speak up for their own needs, and that is normal. Trust becomes an issue when trusting the wrong person can mean a bad outcome for our children.

10 We Don't Want Anyone To Cook For Us

Food is love, and many people believe it is necessary to cook for those they love to show hospitality. While this is a nice gesture, food allergy parents will likely pass.

When children have food allergies, parents have to know what is in the food they consume, and they can't trust just anybody to prepare a meal for them. Even if a person doesn't use the offending food in the recipe, cross-contamination is a huge issue. Even a crumb of gluten can cause someone with Celiac to have a reaction, and people who have to avoid peanuts need to avoid foods that were even manufactured in a facility that handles peanuts. It's that serious.

Let food allergy parents prepare the food unless they specifically ask someone else to. Otherwise, all that food someone worked to cook may end up going uneaten by the people it was made for.

9 Allergies Aren't The Same As Mild Reactions

Food allergy parents often hear strange comments when telling people about their child's health issues. When explaining that consuming dairy causes a food allergy reaction in a child, they sometimes hear a parent try to empathize by saying something like, "Yeah, too much sugar makes my kids puke." It's not the same thing.

Food allergies cause physical damage to a child that can lead to long-term health complications. It's not the same as getting sick from binge eating Twinkies or something like that. Kids with food allergies have been tested and have to change their lifestyle to stay safe every day.

Though it's normal for people to try to empathize by sharing their own experiences, it's better to listen to food allergy parents and follow directions than it is to pretend to know about something. Ask questions and learn instead of faking understanding.

8 Our Kids Are More Than Their Allergies

Having a food allergy does not mean a child is defined by that. Because food is something that we need daily, children diagnosed with food allergies often end up feeling like they are labeled and no one sees them as more than a diagnosis. That's not the case.

Kids with food allergies can lead normal lives. They just have to do it while exercising extreme caution. They may be the geek or the class clown. They may play sports or be great artists. Food allergy kids are just normal kids with some specific limitations in the eating department.

It's important for people to accommodate a child with food allergies while getting to know a child beyond their allergies. Though kids with food allergies have to think about what they eat, they develop a system and want to share more about themselves than just their food issues.

7 Parties Are Hard, But Don't Leave Our Kids Out

Birthday parties and school celebrations are difficult, but food allergy parents will do whatever it takes to make sure their kids are included. Please don't leave kids with food allergies out of celebrations. Let us know when a party is coming up, and food allergy parents will do the work behind the scenes to make sure our children are accommodated.

Food allergy parents often find out what is going to be served at a party and provide safe options for their kids of the same food. For example, if pizza and cupcakes are on the menu, mom or dad can make an allergen-free version at home and bring it to the party for their children. This means they will have food that looks the same but is safe for them to consume.

Don't try to accommodate a food allergy child without first talking to the parents. Most parents prefer to provide food they know is safe as opposed to risk it.

6 Food As A Reward Is Awful

If we could change one thing about how society views food, it would be to adjust people's views of food as a reward. Yes, kids love receiving candy and other treats when they do a good job, but candy as a reward leaves our kids out, and if we don't send them with their own stash, they never receive rewards for their accomplishments.

Pencils, stickers, or other fun items work great for rewards. With an increase in food allergies, food just doesn't. We don't expect the world to accommodate our kids, but it is important for teachers to think about including the whole class when it's time to offer prizes. If everyone can't partake, it's a bad idea.

Plus, viewing food as a reward can set up bad habits in the future for kids. If they view food as a prize instead of sustenance, they may not have a healthy relationship with food. This is true for any child, whether they have food allergies or not.

5 Food Allergy Bullying Is A Thing

Parents teach their kids not to be bullies by training them not to hit or use verbal abuse. However, a new form of bullying is on the rise: food allergy bullying.

During food allergy bullying, kids use a food that a child is allergic to to taunt or harm that child. It's cruel and dangerous, and it leaves food allergy kids feeling like outsiders no matter what they do.

Food allergy parents want every mom and dad to teach their kids not to be food allergy bullies. It may seem funny to sneak peanuts in the lunch box of a child who has a peanut allergy, but it can be deadly. Throwing bread full of gluten at a child with Celiac disease can cause problems if it hits them in the face, and none of this is funny to the child whose body will suffer due to these pranks.

4 EpiPen Use Is Not A Casual Encounter

There are many people who have a misunderstanding of what an EpiPen is for.  When a child carries an EpiPen, it's with the hope that it will never need to be used.  Of course if a child comes into contact with an allergen food and they have an anaphylactic reaction, they definitely need the EpiPen, but it's still best if that doesn't happen.

Some people believe that using an EpiPen is a casual encounter that has no repercussions.  However, when an EpiPen is used, a child then has to visit the hospital and be monitored.  They can't simply go home and hope all is well.

That's why food allergy parents desperately need other people to understand that avoiding allergens is always the first step in keeping a child safe.  Using an EpiPen does not need to be a common occurrence.

3 It's About More Than Food

It would be nice if all we had to worry about was food, but food allergy parents have to deal with so much more.  Certain allergens can be found in beauty products and other unexpected places.  Anything that comes into contact with a child's skin that could then get into their mouths is a risk, from shampoo to nail polish, from Play-doh to paints.

It's never safe to assume that anything is allergen-free, which makes being a food allergy parent extremely difficult.  Kids who take art classes need the ingredients verified before they can attend.  Even parents who try to make ingredients, like homemade paints and doughs, usually use flour, making the creation off limits for kids with Celiac.

Makeup and hair gels may also have allergens in them, and any child who attends a princess makeover party will likely need to bring gluten-free nail polish. Allergens are in everything.

2 Crumbs And Kisses Matter

Food allergy parents know the stories of kids dying because of exposure to allergens, even small amounts.  A woman who was allergic to peanuts died after kissing her boyfriend.  He had eaten a peanut butter sandwich before they kissed, and the exposure to peanuts killed her.

When a child has a food allergy, it's not just what is on their lips that matters.  When they start dating, potential mates must make sure not to have any crumbs on their faces or lips before kissing.  If someone has a peanut allergy, it's not a bad idea for the person they are dating to avoid peanuts completely on the day they will see the person with the allergy.

It sounds like overkill, but people with food allergies really can be killed by these kinds of mistakes.  That's why food allergy parents raise their kids to understand the risks and to only choose partners who understand them as well.

1 We Never Stop Stressing

The life of a food allergy parent is full of stress, and it never really stops. Sure, we calm down a bit as our kids start taking ownership of their own health, but we still always feel responsible for what happens to them. Did we teach them enough? Do they remember the guidelines? Did we send them with the right foods so they won't be left out?

It's hard to relax when the simple task of eating can lead to deadly consequences. So much of life and socialization revolves around food, so food allergies are a risk at every turn.

When people in our lives support us and try to help with this journey, it takes some of the strain off of us and we can relax a bit more. Just knowing there are people in our lives who understand the severity of the situation helps us feel less alone.

Sources:  Mayoclinic.org, Babble.com, Citymomsblog.com, Insideedition.com

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