I know trick or treating is a ways off yet, but I was just wondering if any other moms out there have had experience with a kid with allergies and trick or treating. My daughter is almost 21 months old and is allergic to milk, all dairy products, eggs and peanuts. We've been doing pretty good with it...we found out when she was about a year old...we've even found good recipes for cakes and things. However, I want to take her trick or treating this year and am not sure how to go about it. I mean, do I just pick out what she can eat from what she gets (since she probably won't care or understand yet anyway)? Or just walk around and not really go up to doors and just buy her candy she can have? Or what? Our pediatrician and allergist say there's a good chance she could outgrow all of them, except peanuts I guess is not as likely. But anyway, please let me know what you would do, or what you have done. Any advice on this would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
My son is two months away from being 2 . and thankfully I haven't given him anythign he's allergic to. But, I would just pick out what she can and can't have It would be rather diffcult to go door to door telling poeple what candy to give them because they may not have anything she can have.
I am in the same boat with my son. He is very allergic to peanuts, tree nuts and seeds. Stephen will be 3 for Halloween this year and I decied that he could trick or treat, but only in our neighborhood where everyone knows him and his allergy. I am also going to give my neighbors candy they can give him. I know this sounds pushy but most of the parents understand. Stephen can not even have anything that is processed in a plant and that is like everything, Some of my neighbors are going to hand out fruit snacks or stickers. I am so glad you posted this. Thank you, I hope I've helped a little.
I agree with the other two responses. Let her have the fun of trick or treating, but go early and when you guys get home, you can recycle the candy that she collected and give it out to the trick or treaters you have at your house, then have some treats that she can handle waiting for her. We always recycle candy because I have three kids and always end up with WAY too much candy in the house. To be perfectly honest, it normally seems like my husband and I end up eating most of the candy that we collect anyway.
Happy Haunting! :)
L.
I dont have any experience just a thought on the subject. What if you still brought her out to trick or treat and then when you get home when she's not really noticing you can switch out the candy to something you have bought that you know she can have. So she still feels like it's her candy that she collected.
The Milwaukee County Zoo has several days where they have BOO at the Zoo. You can find out when on the web site. Your child can experience the zoo and they give out cookies and other things there too. Otherwise I would just seperate out the candy when you get home. At that age they aren't really interested in candy too much anyway. Since peanuts are in almost everything it is probably safer to buy your own treats.
It is kind of neat to see your child trick or treating. My youngest will be two in October and I can't wait.
Hi A.. My three-year old daughter is allergic to milk and eggs.
If you want your daughter to have the experience of trick-or-treating, go ahead and take her. Just remove the candy she cannot have. You don't seem to think that she is at the stage where she will care, so it shouldn't be a problem. If she does question you, explain why she cannot eat these things. The thing that was difficult with my daughter around the age of two was that she would see people eating cupcakes or cookies, and she would really want one. I just had to explain why she couldn't eat these things, and I also stopped eating them. She always wanted to try what mommy was eating, and I didn't want to keep having that problem. She would get so disappointed. At age three, however, my daughter understands why she cannot eat some things and doesn't even have a taste for things like cakes and most cookies. Continually making or buying vegan bakery items can get expensive. I don't anticipate having food problems with her until she starts school. That's going to be a challenge. Some treats my daughter really enjoys are gummy bears or gummy worms. There are also some cookies out there that don't have milk or eggs; gotta read the label. Good luck with the peanuts, though! I don't have experience there.
I know several children on special diets. One of my friends prepared ahead of time for Halloween. She shopped for appropriate treats for her son and then passed them out before-hand to neighbors. We live in a small town so it wasn't that difficult. Her son was able to trick-or-treat, and he only got appropriate treats. Your daughter is young enough that she probably would be happy getting even just a few treats, right? You wouldn't have to prep too many houses. Good luck and have fun!!!
Hi A., I would go with your first option, let her have the whole trick or treating experience, then pick out what she can eat. Lots of parents do that for a variety of reasons.
V.
I don't have any allergies to worry about either, but here is my advice. I would still go trick or treating. I have taken our kids at this young age, but we only go to the few people on the block that know my kids. (They are 2 and 4 now). If your child is starting to understand this allergy, you can maybe come up with a way of trading in her candy for the kind she can actually have. At that young age, it is really all about the parents too. They just think it is fun to dress up. If you don't have your heart set on trick or treating just yet, have her pass out the treats at your house while she is in costume. Everyone will get a kick out of your child all dressed up and passing out the treats. I have noticed that my kids actually liked doing that better. (so did I, no bundling up).
Good luck.
Hi Amy,
If I were you, I would just let her trick or treat and when you go home, go through her candy and pick out what she cannot eat. That way she gets to enjoy it like everyone else. Many parents don't let there kids eat any of the candy until they get it home anyway, so they can check it all and make sure it is safe. As she gets older you can tell her that. Have fun :) C.
I didn't take my daughter trick or treating until she was 3. I think that is a little too young to be giving candy. Just my opinion.
HI, My son has a ton of allergies, he is literally not able to eat anything unless I personally make it or watch it being made, while checking all ingredients. So, I understand your situation. This will be our second trick or treeting with him aware of the process. Last year I brought a bag of smartees, the one candy he can have. What I did was let him go to the door with his back, and when he got back I traded out his candy with a smartee. He was just 2 then, so wasnt really too aware. I dont know how this year will go. After the escond road of houses, my husband and I just decided to go home, since it was too hard. Like I said, I dont know what will happen this year.
Sorry to go off about my situation! Back to you, have you checked out FAAN? They always have ideas. My best recommendation is to take along candy your daughter can have and swap it out with the stuff she cant. Being allergic to nuts, I cant imagine there are too many treats that she'll get that she can have. The one thing I ran into last year was not bringing enough "safe treats", so at the end I didnt have any to give him. Thankfully he really didnt notice.
Good Luck! We sound like similar situations, Im just about 27 and stay home with my kids too. The allergies are always a battle, so if you ever want to talk let me know!
I would let her trick or treat and then switch what she gets for things she can have.
