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Gluten-Free Nation Magazine I Spring/Summer 2019

.J\-t Raising Our Celiac Kids�r ....

IT'S PARTY TIME!!! Parties & Celebrations - How to navigate them as a parent or caregi er

of a child with celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity.

by Katarina Mollo, MEd, RDN, LDN

STEP 1 :

The key with birthday parties is to com-

municate early with the host and discuss

your child's needs. Ask what foods and

drinks will be served and if any activities

This past week my

9-year-old daughter had

a total of four - yes four

birthday party invites!

While she is blessed with

great friends, I must ad­

mit this made me feel

very overwhelmed. Birth­

day parties are supposed

to be fun and joyous oc­

casions for kids, however

when you are a child with

celiac disease, or a care­

giver of a child with celiac

disease, birthday parties

can also be very stressful

and anxiety-provoking

events. You definitely

need to plan ahead as

it is hard to do things with

a moment's notice.

When my daughter receives a party invite

I always go into Gluten-Free Mode so I

thought it might be helpful to share what

my Gluten-Free Mode means! The follow-

ing are the steps I go through for parties

and celebrations, as well as some tips to

make navigating parties easier. will involve food. Give suggestions on

10

Balloon illustration:

Erik Svobada/

Shutterstock.com

foods that are gluten-free that everyone

can eat.

I find that text messages are a good way

to start the conversation. Most invites will

have a phone number these days with the

prompt to RSVP by text or email.

www.nationalceliac.org