Jereann Zann (AKA Celiac Mama) shares some great ways to help your children develop positive feelings surrounding their food allergy or intolerance. Do you have any tips to share? Comment below!

Depression and sadness can follow when a child feels alone or excluded. It’s important to learn how to recognize it in your child and help them develop positive coping strategies. Here are four celiac disease and food allergy stigma reducing strategies that have worked for us.

1. Alternatives to Food

Educate yourself and your child about food alternatives that are safe. Having alternatives to popular foods your child will see others eating will make them feel less left out. Educate them that there are alternatives so that when they see something they’d like to try, to tell you so that you can prepare one that is safe for them. Knowing that they can come to you, not only creates trust with your child but also reduces their urge to try other people’s snacks because they know they can get one later that won’t make them sick.

2. Role Playing

Practice what to say when someone offers to share a snack or asks them why they can’t eat what others are eating. Good examples include “Gluten makes me feel sick so I don’t eat it” or “I feel healthier when I don’t eat gluten.”

Another good skill to teach children with celiac disease or food allergies is assertiveness. Help them learn to say “no thank you” to unsafe foods, as well as feel confident asking someone what the ingredients are. For young children, I don’t encourage accepting treats after asking about ingredients because the other children often don’t know what the ingredients are…of course an exception here would be the child’s teacher who has hopefully been educated by you before the school year starts.

Remind them that we’re all different – no two people are exactly the same and that’s what makes us special and unique. Give examples – hair and eye color, height, different food allergies in others, some are fast, some are slow. Tell them how many other people have food allergies and that they can still have fun with friends and food.

3. Encourage a positive relationship with food

Anxiety and fears toward food can develop when children have celiac disease or other food allergies. In our experience, the best way to do this is to cook with them in the kitchen making healthy meals and sugary treats on occasion. I also encourage taking them grocery shopping to places that have a lot of gluten free or allergy friendly options, and letting them get excited (like any other child would) about picking out a new snack or food to try.

4. Manage your own anxiety

Children are like sponges and they pick up on anxiety. If you as a parent or caretaker are  having difficulty controlling your own anxiety, seek support from family, celiac or allergy support groups, or speak to a professional. There is no shame in experiencing feelings of anxiety, but the real strength is recognizing it so that you can develop positive coping strategies and move past it.

Jereann Zann is proud mom to a 4 year old daughter with celiac disease and a dairy allergy. She is a celiac disease advocate and the creator of Celiac Mama (www.celiacmama.com), an online resource for families of children affected by celiac disease or gluten intolerance. Her website provides information for the newly diagnosed, handouts for parents to bring to schools, advice on managing anxiety, building confidence, and reducing stigma, tips for GF outings, and many gluten free recipes for babies, toddlers, and families.