Mom’s Vibe
Halloween Fun for Children with Food Allergies
By Marci Lutsky
Having a child with food allergies can be stressful. But even more so at Halloween. Candy is being handed out left and right and this can be extremely dangerous for a child with food allergies. No matter what the allergy is, parents need to be extra vigilant during this time of year. One small bite of something that your child is allergic to can send him or her into anaphylactic shock.
Luckily, there is a great event coming up on Oct. 28th called Addy’s Trunk or Treat that parents of kids with food allergies can be assured, is a safe environment. This event is open to everyone in the community, not just those with food allergies.
Shara Gadomski, owner of Happy Heart Corner yoga, art and cooking studio in Northfield, created this event last year in response to her daughter Addy’s peanut and sesame allergies. She wanted children to be able to partake in the fun of Halloween without possibly eating foods that could pose a health threat. Children come in costume and walk around to collect non-food treats from businesses, organizations and people handing out treats from the trunks of their cars.
This year Gadomski will be holding the event from 12-3 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 28th in the parking lot of the Linwood Exchange at 2110 New Road.
If your child has food allergies and you do plan to go trick or treating, it is recommended that you look for houses with a teal pumpkin. The teal pumpkin project was started by the Food Allergy Research Foundation to help identify houses that will not be handing out food-related treats. You can go onto www.foodallergy.com to see a list of houses or to register yours. Need some ideas of non-food treats? Head over to the dollar store and pick up glow sticks, pencils, bubbles, whistles, spider rings, playing cards, stickers and bouncy balls. These are all things that kids will enjoy.
Even though I don’t have a child with food allergies, I still love the concept of non-food treats being handed out at Halloween. I feel like the candy season lasts several months. In early October there is a tradition in my neighborhood where the houses get “booed.” A giant ghost gets put on your door and a basket of treats is left on your doorstep. This happened to us last week, which kicked off daily requests to eat a piece of candy. Then comes Halloween when kids get loaded up with bags of candy. I try to be flexible and remember what it was like to be a kid, but I cannot stand the thought of my children consuming all of that candy. For the past few years I’ve allowed my kids to eat some candy for a few days and then we have donated the rest. Keep an eye out for places in your community where you can drop off candy or check www.halloweencandybuyback.com.
If your business is interested in participating in Addy’s Trunk or Treat, send an email to thehappyheartcorner@gmail.com for more details. Join your community in creating a safe space for children with food allergies to enjoy Halloween!
Marci Lutsky is a local mom of six-year-old twins and can be reached at veggingattheshore@gmail.com.
