Feingold Mamas...How do you handle social experiences?

[bisous]

DS1 has Type 1 Diabetes and ADHD. We just LOVE candy holidays--NOT! Anyway, Easter is almost here and I've purchased treats from Trader Joes to fill up the kids' Easter baskets. We don't go crazy but they DO get mainly candy. Stuff isn't exciting to them and we can't afford the cost. Instead we make the kids eat a hearty, healthy breakfast and then feast on their TJs candy baskets.

Anyways...

MIL wants to do an egg hunt with the cousins. There will be LOTS of candy there and I'm sure that family will not want to do all TJs treats. How do you handle this? Especially with a 7 year old that loves skittles more than life but reacts horribly to dyes in foods?

[pinkmomagain]

You can simply have your children turn in the candy they find for approved treats (candy or not) that you supply.

One year dd1 was on a restricted diet during Halloween. I had her turn in her candy for x amount credit at the store Claire's (which was very cool to her at the time).

[kristenk]

One year when I was young, some friends stayed with us for Easter. The younger daughter was diabetic. That year, the Easter Bunny put coins in all of the eggs. We still had candy in our baskets, but the hunt was candy-free.

[MamaMolly]

We face this at Halloween with food allergies and also do a swap for approved items. It works out fine.

[mikala]

Not a Feingold mama so no BTDT but I wondered if it was possible to take along your own treats and "trade" them for whatever he gets at the hunt? I wouldn't deny him the social experience if you can work out an agreement with him beforehand that he has to bring his treats to you and he'll get something else in return.

[maestramommy]

Friends of mine with kiddos who have FAs always trade their treats for something they can have. The kids have gotten used to it. As long as it's a real treat they are happy.

[wimama]

I generally bring something to substitute any treats at any social gatherings. So I bring chips, candy and a cupcake to birthday parties. For candy centered holidays I substitute the contraband candy for other candy or something else. For Valentines day right after we started FG, we traded that candy for a Toy Story Funtainer. He needed one for his lunch box and he wanted the cool Toy Story one. For Halloween this past year I brought out a Playmobil Ghost pirate set I had in my present stash. A bit overboard, but I thought fitting because they were GHOST pirates. I usually order special candy online for Easter and Christmas. He doesn't get much candy the rest of the year, so I splurge on those two holidays as far as candy. This year DS will get some Lego Minifigures in his eggs and probably some coins. In his basket, will be candy.

It was funny, when his aunt asked him what the Easter Bunny was going to bring him he said money. I guess the $2 in spare change he got last year in his eggs made an impression on him. He didn't even mention the candy or Lego bunny he got. :rotflmao:

[JBaxter]

My mom knows the list. She only does feingold approved items small trinkets and coins. They have cool playdoh eggs now too.

[crl]

Ds has food allergies. For birthday treat bag loot and Halloween, we swap. For Easter, I skip the neighborhood egg hunt. Just not worth the effort for me. I'd have to supply my share of the eggs and then I'd have to turn around and swap ds for all the stuff he can't eat from the eggs provided by others. For a family event I would probably make the effort. Is there something your ds can have that he likes more than the skittles? I'd have that ready to swap and be sure to warn him ahead of time.

Catherine

[daisymommy]

Something else you could try is getting one type/design/color/shape etc. of egg just for your son, and filling them with his special treats. Then there would be a rule that everyone had to leave those eggs for him to find.

I know with my son (on Feingold) he gets so excited when the candy is in his hands, even if he can trade it for something acceptable, he gets upset and starts begging to eat it anyway. It's hard for him to resist the temptation to contraband candy :)

So, for a few years we have done an egg hunt with the neighbors kids, and everyone has their designated egg color. It makes it fun and an extra challenge to find "their eggs" and keep the other ones a secret if they see them. This also allows for young kids to have age appropriate candy and older kids money or hard candy, or FA kids their special candy.