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Hi,

Wow, I got over 30 responses to this and they are still trickling in.
Since most of the responses share the same general tune, I decided to go
ahead and summarize what people have shared with me.

PRESCHOOL....

1) Many people had their child in a day care/preschool setting prior to
receiving the CD diagnosis.  Many reported that these care providers
were very good about adapting the diet to meet the child's needs and
ensuring that the child maintained the diet at school, largely because
they knew how ill the child was and did not want to perpetuate that.

2) Several reported that because of the CD diagnosis, they kept their
child home longer (no preschool) until they felt more comfortable
sending the child out in the real world.  The reason behind this is
preschoolers are more likely than older children to not know which foods
are acceptable and which foods are off limits.

3)  The ones that were sent to preschool suggested researching
preschools very carefully, interviewing the teachers and directors to
ascertain their level of understanding.  They also stated that the more
expereince the school has had with food allergies, the more they will be
likely to follow the GF diet to a "t". They also recommended giving the
staff a list of acceptable items for the celiac child to have, like for
snacks, birthday parties, and also to give them recipes for play dough
subsitutes.

4) Many parents make cookies/cupcakes ahead of time, freeze them and
give some of these in a shoebox with the celiac child's name on the box
for the school to keep in the freezer in the event of a birthday party
or unannounced celebration at school.  They also suggested keeping a
stash of acceptable candy/crackers with the celiac child's name at
school for the same reasons.

5) Some parents suggested telling the preschool teaachers/director to
not give the child anything at all unless it's okay'd by the parent
first.  Others stated to tell the school not to give the child anything
but fresh fruits/vegetables and anything else must be cleared with the
parents first.

6) Some recommended finding schools where the child has to bring in
their own snacks/treats/lunches, because this way it was less worrisome.

7) Some parents stated that they volunteered to bake the GF products for
the class, that way each child had the same exact item, and the whole
class was GF for snacks.

8) A couple mentioned that when their teachers had a list of acceptable
GF snacks, those teachers would go out and buy those snacks and the
whole class had the same foods, therefore the celiac child felt no
differently.

9) I also got some responses questioning why I wanted to send my young
toddler off to preschool when  "home is where the heart is"?  If I am a
stay at home mom, why does my child need to go off to preschool?

POTTY TRAINING...

1) Many parents stated that their celiac child did not train completely
til they were 3 or older, largely due to the diahrrea complications.

2) several parents suggested working with the presschool staff to allow
the celiac child to wear diapers longer than they typically allow,
stressing to the teachers that diahrrea in underpants is a lot less
desirable and more difficult to clean up than diahrrea in diapers.

3) Many had celiac children who were not yet potty trained and were
anxious to hear about the process.

4) Some parents suggested having several potty chairs at key locations
throughout the house for the celiac child, ie) in places where the child
is likely to spend most of his time...and as the child gained more
control and confidence that he/she will make it, to gradually move the
potty chairs closer to the bathroom until they are indeed in the
bathroom.

5) Quite a few indicated they had no trouble potty training their celiac
child, especially if you wait until they're truly ready.

6) A few stated that all children have accidents and the celiac really
isn't any exception.

MANY THANKS TO ALL OF YOU WHO RESPONDED AND SHARED ALL OF YOUR TRIALS
AND TRIBULATIONS, ETC.  IT'S GREATLY APPRECIATED!!!

Robin in CO