This past summer, contributor Megan Lavin’s teen son signed up for a special church camp. It wasn’t your typical outdoors sleepaway camp. For this event, young people from around the globe come together – and stay and dine at a college campus.
While an exciting idea, Megan felt her son with multiple food allergies wasn’t quite ready to order a week’s worth of meals from a cafeteria on his own.
Her brilliant solution to bolster his allergy management skills? Mom’s dining out boot camp!
For this episode of Megan’s Minute, she walks us through how she and her son stepped up his skills. This way, he would be ready to take part in the For the Strength of Youth event (FSY for short).
Her son had been to an outdoor camp before, and the family dined out at places vetted for allergies. But the difference was, Megan or her husband usually did the ordering for the kids.
But for FSY, her son would be ordering food on his own from a cafeteria – for 13 meals in a row. It was time to step up his dining out game. And the intensive training came with a bonus: getting to order at the teen’s favorite allergy-friendly chain restaurants.
Allergy Dining Boot Camp: The Plan
The plan was this: for months leading up to the camp, Megan would wait in the car, while her son went inside. She was nearby, in case any difficulties arose. But as she notes in the video: “It was on him to handle the whole ordering process, from start to finish.”
“This was big for him,” Megan says. “My son is quiet and very respectful, so asking follow-up questions isn’t something that comes easily.” But mom’s flying solo training really helped.
The teen with food allergies got used to asking questions including: “Is this gluten, dairy, and nut free?” Plus, he double-checked before accepting his meal.
Watch as Megan describes the wonderful time her son ended up having. She does confess to overpacking, with a carry-on full of safe food just in case!
Megan acknowledges what every allergy parent knows: “letting go is hard.” But she wants to find ways to give her son get the chance to participate in milestone events, like this camp.
“I hope this encourages you to find a way to make it work,” she tells other parents. “With planning, practice, and maybe a little overpacking, it really can be possible.”
Join Allergic Living monthly for a new installment of Megan’s Minute with Megan Lavin, the creator of the Allergy Awesomeness blog. Follow her on Instagram and Facebook.
More Megan’s Minute Videos:
Visiting LEGOLAND with Food Allergies
Allergy Mom Video: Our First Cruise with Food Allergies was a Hit
Tips for an Allergy-Safe Halloween
Allergy Mom’s Crisis over Summer Camp Menu Options
How to Host or Attend Big Parties with Allergies
Allergy Mom Video: My Son Starts on Xolair for Food Allergies
Food Allergy at School: Self-Carrying Epi Matters
How to Stay at a VRBO and Have Great, Safe Food
