Wednesday, June 10, 2009

They know their stuff! They're not stupid.

It really pisses me off when one of my children does a good job of advocating for him or herself and the adults in charge won't listen! I encourage them to speak for themselves and advocate for their needs in a polite but confident manner. When they try and get ignored or rebuffed, it's tough to get them to try the next time.

My son knows his allergies and he is good about being cautious about what he eats. He knows what is likely to contain dairy or egg and to be careful of unfamiliar foods or baked goods. He typically stays well clear of all types of nut products.
Likewise, my other son, who is allergic to dairy with moderate reactions, knows pretty well what to be careful about. My daughter does not have any food allergies, but she knows about her brothers' allergies and she knows how to clean up and be careful if she eats any nut products.

I guess some adults just think all kids are stupid. This week all three kids are taking some art classes. It's actually a little art day camp. The director was informed about the allergies of my sons and I gave her a list of snack food ideas that were safe. Yesterday, when I picked them up they told me that the leader was making all three of them eat Sun Chips and the rest of the kids got potato chips and Doritos for snack. My daughter LOVES Doritos and HATES Sun Chips. She told the leader that she didn't have food allergies and that she can eat Doritos, but the woman refused to believe her. Also, Sun Chips were not one of the snack ideas that I gave the director. AND both boys can eat potato chips - which they spoke up about, but were not trusted.

Obviously, this camp leader doesn't know anyone with serious food allergies, because if she did she would know that a person seriously allergic to a food would NEVER lie about being able to eat that food. I had to go in this morning and straighten her out.

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