October in New England means cooler weather, changing leaves and, before we know it, neighborhoods full of kids in costumes trying to fill their buckets with as much candy as possible. For families of children with food allergies, Halloween takes a little extra planning, but it certainly doesn’t mean a child has to miss out on trick-or-treating.
Probably the most important rule is also the hardest one for an excited child, don’t eat the candy along the way! Bring everything home first and go through it together. Read the labels, even on candy your child has eaten before. Miniature and holiday versions of familiar candy can sometimes be packaged or manufactured differently than the regular size version, so it’s worth checking.
Anything without a label is probably best put aside. The same goes for homemade treats unless you know exactly what went into them and how they were made.
And don’t forget the epinephrine. If your child has been prescribed an epinephrine auto-injector or Neffy nasal spray, bring it with you. Even if you’re just walking around your own neighborhood, this isn’t the night to leave emergency medication sitting at home.
One of our favorite suggestions for children is to make checking the candy part of the fun. When you get home, dump everything out and let your child trade anything that isn’t safe for something they really want. It could be safe candy, stickers, a small toy or even a little money. Instead of simply taking candy away, you’re replacing it with something your child gets excited about.
You may have noticed teal pumpkins on front steps around Halloween. The Teal Pumpkin Project began with Becky Basalone, a mother of a child with severe food allergies. She went on to become the Director of the Food Allergy Community of East Tennessee. In 2014, Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE) helped expand her idea nationally. It continues to be a vital educational community initiative across the country. A teal pumpkin lets families know that alternative treats are available at that house.
And no, participating in the Teal Pumpkin Project doesn’t mean you have to stop handing out Reese’s Cups. Just keep another bowl with things like stickers, pencils, temporary tattoos, bubbles or small toys.
If you are handing out candy, keeping everything in its original wrapper is also helpful. That way parents can read the label themselves. Food allergies are different for every child, and something that is safe for one child may not be safe for another.
Halloween should be about costumes, friends, neighbors and coming home with a ridiculously large pile of candy. Kids with food allergies already spend enough time thinking about what they can and can’t eat. With a little planning from families and a little help from neighbors, we can make Halloween easier and more inclusive without taking any of the fun out of it.
And if you’re wondering what to put in your alternative treat bowl, you really can’t go wrong with glow sticks!
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