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