Allergic toddler & non-allergic older sibling

[janasmama]

My dd has some favorite foods she likes to eat that contain allergens that may be causing my ds severe eczema. The food that I see a lot of moms feeding their allergic toddlers are not things she would be happy with, at all!

DS is only 15 months and wants what everyone else has so he doesn't understand that he can't have something.

How do you handle this if you have a similar situation?

[kjbrown92]

I have a 10yo with no food intolerances, a 7yo with 5 intolerances, and a 3yo with many more (I figured her's out when she was about 14 months old though). IT is difficult, but not impossible. Because most of the symptoms on my kids are stomach issues, I tell them that it's not their "happy food". That being said, dinners are always safe for everyone (we cook to the lowest common denominator on that one).

When the 10yo is at a friend's house, she can eat anything she wants. I also let her buy lunch every once in a while at school (they have things like calzones that she likes). And once in a while, DH will take her out for pizza because I don't make it anymore. My DS has eggs, which the youngest can't have, but she doesn't seem to mind since we rarely sit down all together for breakfast - everyone does their own thing. I try to keep stuff that she's not allowed to have either in the downstairs freezer, the upper shelves of the fridge or in the locked pantry. There is no food allowed outside of the kitchen/dining room (to avoid the older kid bringing a snack up to her room and then leaving it there for the little one to get into).

Try fiinding foods that everyone will love. I also find treats that my littlest one can have when the others are getting a treat (so far pretty much all I've found is rock candy, which isn't the healthiest, but they're tiny pieces, so not all bad).

Any of that helpful? Do you know the allergens you're trying to avoid?

[nick&jonmom]

My situation is opposite then yours, but maybe it will help. My older ds (6 years) is the one with the severe food allergies and my little ds (2 years) doesn't seem to have any allergies. What I would suggest, if you could get your family to cooperate, is to only offer snacks and most meals that all can eat. Since it is your older child who will have to make the adjustment, (how old?), it may work. Expecting a toddler to accept that everyone else can eat (A) while he or she eats (B) would be expecting too much in my opinion. Without knowing the foods you need to avoid, it's hard to make any suggestions, but I always have tons of snacks and meals that both of my kids can eat and there seems to be peace. That said, allowing your older child to indulge in the foods he or she likes but can't eat around the little one can happen during nap time or at an outing with a parent or friend or a birthday party. My little one does eat foods that our older one cannot eat, like ice cream, we just don't make a big deal about it and do it on the down-low so as to not cause a scene. What allergens are you avoiding? Maybe I could give you some suggestions for snacks and meals that may work for you and your family. Best of luck! The food allergy road is a difficult one, especially when some in a family don't have them, but it can be handled and peace can be had by all.

:, ,:, considering :, Mama to Nick (5-23-01) and Jon (12-21-05)

[Chinese Pistache]

I make sure to have fun treats/snacks that my allergic child can eat so she doesn't feel left out.