<<Disclaimer:  Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

Lee Sawyer <[log in to unmask]> said:

We count our blessings - one of son's friends has a brain tumor and has
been battling it almost as long as Jimmy has been dealing with celiac.
Put in perspective, celiac doesn't seem that bad.

I think this really hits the nail on the head. We lose perspective and
our attitude can easily rub off on our kids. I have made this kind of
comaprison in talking to my son, on a number of occasions. It doesn't
take much to think of someone with more serious problems that we have.
I am thankful that if he had to be "inflicted" with a malady, this one
isn't so bad.

He was diagnosed at age 3 (he is now 8) and I made a decision for the
whole family that tho Yaniv is celiac, the rest of the family would not
be restricted to his diet. We are also far from "well off" and I also
don't have spare time to spend needlessly in the kitchen, so I have to
shop carefully and plan meals as efficiently as I can. (I trust this
list for good, tried-and-true recipes.) That means making bread and
cookies rather than ordering them from specialty shops, and probably
most important of all, ADAPTING RECIPES to the GF diet that we've been
having all along. That way, no one knows the difference.

For example, and this is really common sense, as a thickener I use corn
starch. I have taken from the list several bread mix recipes (flour
combinations) that, with some experimenting, I can make a cake that
EVERYONE can enjoy. I use rice as a "bed" for some wet casseroles
instead of noodles, which are expensive, etc.

We are a family of 5 and Yaniv is the only celiac. He gets his share of
goodies and I make sure that he feels a part of the family, even in
food things. When planning a meal that I can't adapt, like pizza, the
rest of the family eats regular gluten pizza and I make Yaniv GF pizza.
No big deal is made of his getting a separate plate.

Yes, part of the "success" in making your kid feel good with his food
is the efforts and planning of whoever does the cooking in the family.
The other element of success is how the other family members relate to
the celiac child.

May we all be blessed with the moral support of our family members so
that our celiac kids can grow up knowing that they aren't 'weird'.

Sharon Marcus