Talking Allergies

Hi Karen,
You know, being a designated "bad guy" is a helpful position at times - both for parents and kids. My kids have more than once used me as their excuse to get out of something they really didn't want to take part in but didn't want to be seen as wimpish or have the dreaded title of "un-cool". I have given them permission to use me as their excuse and its helped them to back out of things that weren't comfortable or situations in which they knew we wouldn't approve. Using that label can also help ease the tension between relatives when they put your kids in unsafe positions. "Sorry, I'm the designated bad guy right now and (my child) can't eat that". But the school situation...yah, been there, done that too - especially when treats are brought into the room - I often volunteered to bring the entire class a safe treat so that my child wouldn't be singled out. We also made a point of doing that for Halloween, Christmas, Valentine's and Easter etc. But hey, you'd think the teacher would have got the message!!! Staying for lunch was always a problem too as sometimes another class would eat in my daughter's room while they went elsewhere to eat (the logic of that escapes me!!!) - we solved it by adding masking tape to the perimeter of my daughter's desk that said "Nut Free zone" and brought in our own bottle of spray cleanser to be used to clean it off after lunch. This allergy stuff is truly never ending - but for me it isn't that hard because I'm also nut allergic so I grew up with it. However, its huge for parents, siblings and relatives who haven't an allergic background.

Karen - forgot to say that I love the idea of the parent's T-shirts - maybe add a menacing face and add the words "wanna make something of it?" Too bad the kids t-shirts couldn't be equipped with a mini hammer to whop those who refuse to heed its warning!!!

Hi Pepper, I sometimes wonder if Epi pens won't soon just become an accessory like cell phones, blackberries or iPods.