Had a strop because of allergies

[mum2twoloudbabies]

ds (2) is allergic to dairy, soya, wheat, egg and peanut. To top that he is also extremely picky no potato, very few veg now, will only eat ham, decided last week he will no longer eat free from pasta or sausages. In contrast dd (4) will eat anything or at least try it.

After a full day out Friday and Saturday I was again pre-preparing ds food for another day out Sunday and I had a meltdown full on tears and sobbing. I find it so stressful to be constantly thinking what we can take with us. I'm terrified he'll go hungry, I actually had a nightmare Saturday that I had run out of food taken with us and he was hungry but I couldn't get anything he could eat (frankly ridiculous).

I'm normally very positive and unphased by his allergies but this sudden refusal of his usual staples and the constant planning is getting me down. Still feeling rotten about it today.

How do you all cope with days out? Pickiness?

[freefrommum]

I thank my lucky stars that my 2 are not picky eaters (DD coeliac, DS allergic to milk, wheat, eggs & nuts) but I do still have total meltdowns occasionally at the unfairness of it all and when I just can't seem to cope anymore. This morning for example I fought my way through the traffic to drop DS at childminder's then more traffic to take DD to school then childminder phoned to say I'd forgotten DS's soya milk so then had to go back through the traffic again to go home, get soya milk, drop off then join traffic AGAIN to get to work -arrrggghhhh!!!! Cue full meltdown in the car on the way to work - not a good start to the day.

I particularly hate the fact that eating out is no longer a pleasure but something to dread. DH can't understand why I feel this way as I always loved eating out but now avoid it as much as possible. It's just too much stress and hassle. And yes, trying to think of suitable foods all the time is exhausting and bloody stressful and I wish that I could just pop into a shop/cafe and buy a sandwich or something that my kids could eat. But I can't and that's hard. However, I do usually try very hard not to let it get to me, especially in front of the kids as I want to try to make their lives as 'normal' as possible.

So, no useful advice I'm afraid but just wanted you to know that you're not on your own, I feel the same way too. It's unfair, frustrating, scary and bloody exhausting having kids with allergies. Oh how I miss being spontaneous and not having to plan every trip out of the house like a military operation...

[mum2twoloudbabies]

Glad I'm not the only one. And all that stress before you even get to work!

Ah spontaneity, a thing of the past. It was bad enough with dd when I had to have all the baby kit with me all the time rather than just purse, keys, phone!

[AnitaBlake]

I'm the same. I hate eating out, its the having to ask that drives me barmy. There's a place that has an actual allergy menu, so you can see what you can have, but the service is rubbish and its well-overpriced. And you still gave to ask for the damn menu!

I take packed lunches everywhere, my friends constantly asking if she can have this or that, I try not to think on it but still......

[mum2twoloudbabies]

I love a good meal out and I think it's really important that my children know how to behave in that type of environment but it is stressful. I take pack up for ds at the moment but as he's small it's not too bad can't imagine what looks and reactions I'll get when he gets older. Plus of course he always has to have something cold because nowhere will warm anything up 'elf and safety!

[vvviola]

I had a similar strop recently (DD2, aged 1 is allergic & has recently become very fussy, DD1 aged 5 has yet to meet a food she won't eat ). As said strop was caused by DH mentioning that the spaghetti bolognese was a little bland it may have been but that's not the point the strop also included me yelling "you don't understand how hard it is to shop and cook for this family" and words like "taken for granted" and "unappreciated".

Yep. Not my finest hour

Just wanted to let you know you aren't alone. I'm a lunchbox packer too, but DD2 has started refusing my offerings now, so I need to experiment a bit more again.

[mum2twoloudbabies]

It can be so stressful. But I think ds has been reading my mumsnet because today he decided to eat chips for the first time ever so maybe we are swapping pasta for chips not ideal but it's the first form of potato he has ever eaten. Wonder if this will spread to baked and mashed ? I'd put money on it not doing.