Christmas Time as a Coeliac Parent

Here we go again, this is my second year as a parent to a Coeliac (now 2!) at Christmas time and it is not without it's challenges!

The first thing to overcome for my school aged children are all of the school events and random gifts.

I have one girl who loves chocolate and one girl who loves lollies. The chocolate lover is really great with knowing which ones are safe for her, and where she is unsure she will pass. She's 11 and has been dealing with Coeliac Disease now for 18 months. Where she struggles is when the random cakes are brought in. So for her, we bake gluten free brownies together at the start of each term, and we individually wrap them, send them to school and they'll store them in the freezer. She is happy with this as it means she doesn't miss out on those random events when they occur.

My youngest daughter, the lolly fiend, is a lot more difficult. She's only been diagnosed Coeliac for around 4 months now, and has literally no self control. She's 8 years old, so there's a level of expectation that is right for that age. However, it doesn't stop from stressing me out about what she eats when she's away from me. If there is a lolly in front of her, she will go for it, then ask afterwards. In addition to this, she can be a little dishonest, so the truth is always a bit sketchy. With kids, it's an extremely delicate balance I've found between not totally scaring them about the disease, but equally making sure they know what is safe for them. We talk about gluten being poison for their bodies, and that seems to make it really simple, however that impulsivity still gets in the way and derails the safe eating at times.

The other part that is hard is all of the Christmas parties and school events with food trucks and tables full of food.

So, what do I do?

With the food truck events (which seem much more frequent now!), my process is as follows:

• I will always take a look online at the event and see which trucks are going to be there.

• I will then message them and ask them about their gluten free food and their safe practices explaining I have Coeliac children.

• If I'm unhappy with the answers, then I will prep my kids to say that we are not going to be eating at the event, have fun, and we will get something afterwards.

• Otherwise I'll take our own food, which isn't usually as fun as what their mates are eating.

• Hot chips are the devil! So many times my kids just want to share some hot chips with their friends, and so often they are unsafe due to the fryers being mixed. That's a hard one!!! I'd love to manufacture a quick fryer for these trucks that can heat up quickly and serve safe chips! Maybe a 2025 project!

With other social events, family/friends Christmas parties etc I do the following:

• Reach out to the organiser and ask what they are planning food wise.

• I'll offer to bring a few options that my kids can have

• Sometimes I'll even have to bring sauces as I'm unsure if the condiments will be ok. (those sneaky BBQ sauces with their gluten additives!!).

• I'll take a set of my utensils so that the people serving know that those servers are only to be used on gluten free foods.

• Lastly, I make sure I have a dessert covered for my kids too. So often people can be so great with the main meals, but dessert can be overlooked.

Finally, this time of year I bake, bake and more bake! I'm not an excellent baker by any means, and I've had to relearn since cooking for Coeliac's, however, if I can have some stored cookies, brownies and cakes in the freezer, then I know I can grab one as we leave for a party and know my kids can enjoy a treat too.

There aren't many short cuts in this Coeliac life you can take, but I will say doing these few things can really help assist with the feelings of missing out that Coeliac's experience regularly, and above all as their mum they know I have their back, and am preparing them for life as a Coeliac. beyond my care.

All the best to you all over this festive period and I hope you are able to navigate the world of parties without gluten sneaking in there.

Much love,

Marissa x