Anyone have tips on how to safely be with a young child with a severe dairy allergy?
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My mother got to meet her great-granddaughter three months before she passed away. We didn’t know it was that near at the time, hoped for a few more years. I think GD met one great-grand on the other side of the family, too. Also no longer with us. GD won’t remember, but it was special for the elders for sure!
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DS and DIL flew to Puerto Rico with their first baby when he was about 6 months old so he could meet his Great Great Grandmother. She was bedridden and in her upper 90s but they got a good picture with the baby, great great grandma, and all the extended family. Sadly she passed while they were pregnant with the second baby. Of course GS will have no recollection, but he’ll always have a photo with a great great which is pretty special.
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@mom60 My 5 year old GD is anaphylactic to both dairy and egg. My D, her mother is also anaphylactic to peanuts, so I have dealt with food allergies for 37 years.
Feel free to send me a PM with your questions and/or concerns.
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Thank you.
Also allergic to egg. I’ll PM you.
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S1 and DIL and the two grands live in a new development – houses close together, mostly young families with young kids. GD started kindergarten this Fall and takes the school bus home every day. She has discovered that there are a gazillion kids in the neighborhood, and every day after school, she asks if she can go to This One or That One’s house to play. Of course the answer is almost always yes, but they’ve encountered a problem: After a while, the kids will, en masse, decide to go to someone else’s house. S1 and DIL are almost always fine with that, but they insist on having GD tell them where they are going first. That seems perfectly reasonable, but GD gets caught up in the moment and forgets to tell them. Of course at five years old, she doesn’t have a phone to call them. S1 said they’ve “grounded her” for several days because she hasn’t told them. I feel so bad for both GD and her parents!! It’s not like the olden days when kids were free-range.
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We flew 2.5 yo GD and her parents (along with H & me) across the country to spend a week with my 90 yo mom. Mom lives in a senior living home, but we’ve found a lovely rental on a lake close by that everyone enjoys. It’s close enough that we could visit “the home” and mom could show off her great granddaughter.
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GD and H’s niece’s daughter were the last 2 babies born in the family before MIL (their great grandmother) passed. MIL not only got to meet the babies, but both little ones have the same middle name - in honor of her!
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My GD’s preschool pictures are here - and I can’t believe how grown up she looks. Seeing the picture of a big girl smiling next to last year’s picture of a toddler is jarring - it’s a reminder of how quickly time passes and how important it is to enjoy every day.
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So far 2.5 yo GD’s preschool pictures have been mug shots. Stranger danger? Hasn’t done any better with Santa.
BUT at (aunt) D’s wedding a few weeks ago she was the star of the show. Maybe turning a corner!
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It is always a balancing act, and especially a 5 YO. I imagine the parents have gotten to know the families well. The grounding hopefully will lead to responsible behavior (no repeat of forgetting to inform parent of location).
DDs were a bit older before we allowed treading out beyond our property, and it really was outside on our street only. I was SAHM, and when they were young, even if they were in our yard - I would caution them if they were outside w/o me outside, they were to stay at the top of our driveway or in our backyard - and if an adult stranger approached from the street, to immediately come inside. I would watch through our back windows, seeing them in the yard. DDs did not go to the public school that kids on our street went to. DDs were about same ages as our close friends across the street, so when they got old enough, they were doing things with those two kids and then a few others added to those two.
A high school classmate had their toaster cause a house fire. I didn’t ask her details, but they lost almost everything.
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Last week some of the elementary schools had a bike to school day and I thought about the Bike Bus on this thread. There were a lot of complaints on Next Door with people upset about the roads being closed or slow. Really, it was ONE DAY.
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I have not been on Next Door for a long time. People who are on Next Door should have been aware of the roads being closed or slow for the one day - and if they were not – make accommodations so the next generation has some experiences, and don’t be so selfish!
Many are quick to complain!
Last week, a crossing guard in my town (60,000 people a suburb of a larger city) was hit by a vehicle in front of the K4 elementary school! Very badly injured (taken by ambulance and was in serious but stable condition).
All people need to allow for time on school days with school zones.
Yes, we are in a growing area, more traffic, and it takes time for some roads to be widened. People do have to leave the house earlier for work.
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My 5 year old GD started kindergarten this year and is blossoming. She is a sponge and very much like her father; she retains everything she learns word for word. My D always jokes that my SIL is full of facts that no one else would know. Tell GD once and it sticks and is the law! Change how you do something, nope, that will not do; you must do it the same way you did it 3 years ago. This kids remembers everything.
My husband and I have always used the word potty for the dogs; each and everyone of them knew what that meant. Well, GD informed me when I mention to her to go potty before we leave the house, that potty is a preschool word and I should not use it. Seems her teacher does not allow the word potty in the classroom, so that means I am no long allowed to use it! GD prefers bathroom, or toilet like on Bluey! Every time I slip up and say potty, I get reprimanded. 
SIL is British, so of course pronounces some words differently. I also get corrected there if her preferred pronunciation is different that mine.
It’a bad enough that my D corrects me, now I have a mini her doing the same, but oh how I love this little version!
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I got caught in the British way to say a word and the US way to say a word when GD1 was in kindergarten last year - their school has Anglican background/some teachers. I don’t remember the word, but when these little ones have such amazing retention abilities…
Looking forward to seeing them in about 5 weeks - get infused with happy and joyful energy. The youngest GD2 will be 17 months old, and lots of changes since mid-June, and also will see lots of changes with GS2 who turned 3 in August. GS1 is in kindergarten now, so excited to hear all his school news. GD1 is so bright and is a trailblazer to her siblings.
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Grandma Lesson #???
It’s become a tradition that when a new winter coat is needed, I buy during the Primary sale, whatever color and size is needed. GDalmost6 needed a coat, so I dutifully picked out a new one, “jelly” color, for her, as requested. Her last coat is in fine shape and would go to GS3.5.
However, GS, at 3.5, realized Grandma had gotten something new for his big sister, but not for him. Much tears and sadness.
Upshot–new coat, “clementine” color as requested, is on its way.
So that’s the lesson: Hand me down is fine, and much of what both of them wear, but not when Grandma is buying for one and not the other!
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Reminds me of my first grade year. My teacher was from Boston and so I used to read aloud with a Boston accent-- despite never having been to or anywhere near Boston in my life. My mom thought it was hysterical. DIdn’t have a Boston accent at any other time–only when I read aloud.
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Don’t serve any food you prepare. Have the parent send any food with the child, along with plates, and utensils…
People with severe food allergies are used to doing this.
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I have really always made a point to have each grandchild brought something at their very young ages and try to make each one feel special. The special pro football team T shirts, their dad’s college T shirts - on the oldest 3 for now. Sometimes inexpensive extra small items for the younger grandkids. GS2 was very excited about a smaller sized foam football. My Orlando based adult daughter who goes to Disney World all the time wanted the Macy’s Disney ‘I’m with the Band’ plush clip on for her backpack (she has a lot of Disney clothing items - but this particular item had to be purchased through Macy’s), and while I was at it, I got her the T Shirt ‘I’m with the Band’ (she was in college marching band for 4 years). Since I was ordering from Macy’s (and have a Macy’s credit card/extra benefits), I got something Disney for all 4 children - they will be excited. Thankfully the clothing pieces were discounted (who pays $58 for a legging and T shirt for girl size 8-10?) and I got free shipping, otherwise wow on the prices. When kids get to be teenagers, there usually are more expensive gifts on their wish list for Christmas. At their current young ages, the grands are excited about pretty much everything they get – it helps that they have very little screen time (and the advertising of items). DD1/SIL said we had the correct number of things for the Gkids at Christmas, so I am targeting that level again.