Right on the heels of Halloween comes another possible sensory challenging celebration: Thanksgiving! This relevant and timeless blog from Melanie Potock (a Speech Language Pathologist that specializes in feeding disorders) is entitled Parents: How to Talk Turkey (and Food Allergies) at Thanksgiving.
Melanie discusses the tender topic of eating challenges for children during holiday gatherings and imparts some gentle wisdom on how to talk to family members regarding food preparations.
Her example of “Aunt Apathy” commenting on the child with a significant food allergy…. “Can’t you just give him/her a pill for that?” opens the door to have a conversation about how to manage food allergies, avoid hurting Aunt Apathy’s feelings regarding her cooking and still promote the positive social/emotional bonding time that defines this holiday for so many families.
How do you handle a child with special dietary needs? (gluten- free, peanut allergies, diabetes, etc.). Please let us know your tips for making this Thanksgiving healthy, happy and peaceful for all!
