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 called Parents: How to Talk Turkey (and Food Allergies) at Thanksgiving.
Melanie discusses the tender topic of eating challenges for children during holiday gatherings. She imparts some gentle wisdom on how to talk to family members regarding food preparations.
Her example considers how Aunt Apathy may comment on a child with a significant food allergy. “Can’t you just give your kid a pill for that?” This opens the door to having 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 ensure kids with special dietary needs enjoy the holidays (gluten-free, peanut allergies, diabetes, etc.)? Please let us know your tips for making this Thanksgiving healthy, happy, and peaceful for all!
