Our girl stopped sneaking gluten-containing foods at school about two weeks ago. It helped smooth out what had started as a very rough school year for her.
After over a week of great “green” days– and it was SO nice– it all went to hell.
On a field trip on Tuesday, she scored and ate a few Nilla W@fers from a classmate, and also a Clif bar, despite having an overflowing lunch and snack bag full of all kinds of great choices. Since then, she’s had major tantrums and uncontrollable tears. Screaming at parents who work in the classroom and dare to suggest that she stop reading and join the class or ask if that food choice is really something that is gluten-free. She’s having a hard time with the basics (like feeding herself at lunch time), which of course can make anyone cranky.
So, I continue to struggle with how to best support her and her unique biology. I have started a visual calendar at home where we are tracking what she eats (or days when she chooses not to eat) and how she feels that day, and how easy or hard it is to stay calm and control her behavior. I’m trying to show her the pattern that I have seen emerge after she ingests gluten, and I think she’s starting to “get it” (even though she seems embarrassed and doesn’t really want to admit that there might be a problem tied to the foods she so desperately wants to eat).
My husband and I are taking a P.E.T. class (Parent Effectiveness Training) and are working on our active listening skills. It is good timing as we are putting our news skills to use daily.
Cynthia
October 10th, 2009
Hi,
I was good “seeing” you guys briefly on Skype! We used/use the P.E.T. book/philosophy at the kids’ preschool. Powerful stuff. I feel like when I take the time and patience to follow that, it returns huge dividends. I need to return to the book for a refresher, though, since we’re having some new sibling issues that I’m having a tough time handling!
I can also recommend http://www.parentingfromtheheart.net/index.html That site has a lot of great resources to augment P.E.T.
Much love,
Cynthia
Linda
October 13th, 2009
Hi Tonya! Thanks for stopping by my site. Can you even believe that I am still cycling? I got the best IVF insurance from my last job a mere 14 or 15 days before they laid me off so I’m on Cobra and am cycling til it all runs out. I’m doing the full blown immune protocol as always and hope that eventually something sticks.
I am amazed to see how big your little boy is. I remember when he was just born…wow! He is beautiful! I also read about the kids’ dietary challenges. I’m allergic to dairy and egg whites (less so) and it is very hard to eat with just the dairy restriction. I cheat when I’m not cycling because I just adore my cheese way too much. But gluten can be terrible for children…and the protein structure in gluten is just two amino acids different than the protein in casein (you probably already know this) so one allergy tends to go hand in hand with the other.
I hope you are doing well!!!
Nico
November 29th, 2009
Wow, this dietary stuff sounds SO hard. You seriously are an amazing mom, both in all the time you’ve taken to do all these dietary trials with your kids, and in trying to get your daughter to understand what’s going on. I’m sure it is not easy, but you sound like you’re doing all the right things.
Elaine from 1st Babies
December 11th, 2009
I’m sure it’s not easy trying to get your daughter to understand everything. But, I can tell from reading some of your posts you are a loving and caring mother and someday sooner than you think she will repay you in more ways than you know.
All the best
Elaine