Preschool Mother's Day Craft Made Me Cry...

[motheroftwins2010]

My twins are in preschool and I volunteered the other day and noticed they made colored pasta but forgot to inquire about it. My son has NCGS but thus far I haven't restricted play doh, pasta crafts, etc but he reacted so this morning at breakfast I asked what it was and if they washed their hands well afterwards. My daughter wouldn't tell me and was extremely hesitant to answer what it was and it hit me it was a mother's day craft. I told her if she didn't want to tell me she could tell her dad and she did in front of me, which was super cute. They made mother's day necklaces out of dry pasta! The school and teachers know I have Celiac. I volunteer weekly there and I was very sick and when I was finally diagnosed they asked me all kinds of questions. I know pasta on the skin can't be absorbed but putting a pasta necklace on is just too much for me if it touches my lips while going on I will react. I cried realizing that my kid's made this for me and they wouldn't understand why I couldn't wear it. They know mommy is "allergic to bread and pasta" but at 4 that's about all they can comprehend. My mother's instinct tells me to just wear it and deal with the issues but the anxiety that is induced about wearing a ring of gluten around my neck is huge. I sent a tupperware box to school with instructions to place necklaces inside and wipe down the outside of the box and place it in my daughter's book bag only. Our entire house is 100% gluten free I can't have CC or crumbs from a shattered dry pasta floating around in my kids book bags.

This is the first time I've cried over my diagnosis. In fact I've often considered celiac the autoimmune lottery winner of diseases but this hurt so bad. Am I overreacting?

[kareng]

You don't want to wear it because you will be busy and might break it.  But it will look lovely draped decoratively over the picture frames of pictures of  the kids high on the mantle.  Let the kids decorate their own photo with it. Or decorate a house plant with them.  You get the idea.  You can look at them and enjoy them.  It won't cc your house.  Or put them on the plant on the backporch.  Or maybe dad can rig something up like a windchime thing under the protection of an outside roof?  The kids could help.  Get a stick and some fishing line or pretty ribbon.  Hang them off the stick and hang from the ceiling.

 

This is a strategy you will need for the next 7 years or so.  They will make or pick out things for you that you wouldn't be caught dead wearing or prefer not to display with your nice artwork.  But it will look lovely in the guest bath or hanging on a nail in the masterbath, etc.  

[GottaSki]

I have one that my grandboy gave me -- he has Celiac Disease and just washed his hands after making it -- it passed from him to his mom to me -- we all have celiac disease (teacher forgot to let Mom know they were making them -- otherwise she would have provided gluten-free macaroni).

 

I agree with Karen -- accept all handmade gifts from children -- just with precautions.

[IrishHeart]

Believe it or not, my mom still has the elbow macaroni gold -spray-painted popsicle stick "jewelry box" I made for her in kindergarten (a gazillion years ago)

 

It's never cracked or broken and she considers it the best gift she ever got (besides me, of course) 

 

Accept the gift. Unless you have a contact wheat allergy, it should not pose a problem for you.

 

But if you choose not to wear it, display it somewhere very special to enjoy it every day.

 

I'd give anything to be receiving  a pasta necklace from a wee one for mother's day. Enjoy it! 

[nvsmom]

My middle son gave me a painted, dry noodle necklace a year or so ago.  I decided to display it prominently in my car from my rear view mirror so he gets to see it every time we drive somewhere (and I didn't have to wear it LOL).  As an added bonus, it makes my very average minivan a little bit easier to spot in a parking lot.  

[Nikki2777]

Can you ask them to dip it in clear nail polish and set it out to dry before sending it home?  Maybe that will make it less vulnerable?

[LauraTX]

If you don't want to wear it but want to display it and make the kids know you appreciate it, you can probably spend around $20 or so and buy a small shadowbox that goes on the wall, put two hooks in there and hang the necklace nicely in it, and keep it on the wall.  Maybe put a picture of the kids in the middle as well.  Also like Karen said, draped somewhere nice looking would be a good solution, too.

 

The other thing you can do is, once you get it, go make an exact replica of it with gluten-free pasta and try to pass it off as the original one.  Maybe ask the teacher to borrow the same paints and string used, etc.  Of course that is a little overboard, haha.  But I completely understand how you feel- I would not wear it either.  

[Questore]

My twins are in preschool and I volunteered the other day and noticed they made colored pasta but forgot to inquire about it. My son has NCGS but thus far I haven't restricted play doh, pasta crafts, etc but he reacted so this morning at breakfast I asked what it was and if they washed their hands well afterwards. My daughter wouldn't tell me and was extremely hesitant to answer what it was and it hit me it was a mother's day craft. I told her if she didn't want to tell me she could tell her dad and she did in front of me, which was super cute. They made mother's day necklaces out of dry pasta! The school and teachers know I have Celiac. I volunteer weekly there and I was very sick and when I was finally diagnosed they asked me all kinds of questions. I know pasta on the skin can't be absorbed but putting a pasta necklace on is just too much for me if it touches my lips while going on I will react. I cried realizing that my kid's made this for me and they wouldn't understand why I couldn't wear it. They know mommy is "allergic to bread and pasta" but at 4 that's about all they can comprehend. My mother's instinct tells me to just wear it and deal with the issues but the anxiety that is induced about wearing a ring of gluten around my neck is huge. I sent a tupperware box to school with instructions to place necklaces inside and wipe down the outside of the box and place it in my daughter's book bag only. Our entire house is 100% gluten free I can't have CC or crumbs from a shattered dry pasta floating around in my kids book bags.

This is the first time I've cried over my diagnosis. In fact I've often considered celiac the autoimmune lottery winner of diseases but this hurt so bad. Am I overreacting?

Got to Home Depot or a Craft store for clear spray paint or sealer...comes in gloss and matte!  Hold it on a pencil to spray...dries very quick!!!

[nvsmom]

I doubt you need something to seal it. As long as you don't suck on the necklace, you should be fine. Besides, not many of us wear a noodle necklace for long.  

[IrishHeart]

I doubt you need something to seal it. As long as you don't suck on the necklace, you should be fine. Besides, not many of us wear a noodle necklace for long.  

 

 

I was wondering...too heavy? doesn't match many things? smells like glue?   kinda jabby, pointy and scratchy? 

 

I still think it's a fabulous gift! 

[kareng]

Wonder what she decided to do?  We gave her lots of good suggestions and advice ( to not worry about the pasta necklace being in her home).  We Celiacs have to alter plenty of things in our lives, it seems a shame to fret over something that isn't going to harm us.  Hopefully, she had a nice Mother's Day.  

[nvsmom]

I was wondering...too heavy? doesn't match many things? smells like glue?   kinda jabby, pointy and scratchy? 

 

I still think it's a fabulous gift! 

For me it was string, that glittery scratchy kind? Gave me a rash.... the noodle part was fine.  LOL 

[motheroftwins2010]

Sorry I didn't reply earlier I've been busy. My fiance, the twins's dad, went to talk to them when he dropped them off and they really felt bad about it and apologized he told them it's not the end of the world but it's just an uncomfortable situation and so they gave my kids beads to put on the necklaces. They are hanging but the kitchen door to the garage so we can see them every time we come home. They also had all of the kids plant marigolds and make cards super cute. I am no gardener I could kill a fake plant so I hope I don't ruin the marigolds!

 

ETA: Just FYI I did say in the original post I knew skin contact can't cause a reaction but I react when this sort of this just touches my lips and putting it on and taking it off puts it very near my lips so of course I didn't plan on "sucking on a necklace" but I'm extremely sensitive and react to contact on the lips even if I try to wash my mouth with antibacterial soap immediately...

[kareng]

For me it was string, that glittery scratchy kind? Gave me a rash.... the noodle part was fine.  LOL 

 

 

At Xmas, mine made these necklaces out of packing peanuts, wads of foil (beads) and yarn.  I put it on the Xmas tree.  There was no way I was wearing that thing!  lol  They liked that.  One year, for Fourth of July, they made a red, white & blue pasta necklace.  I hung it up on a vase and it stayed for about 2 years until it faded so bad, I could get rid of it.

[kareng]

Sorry I didn't reply earlier I've been busy. My fiance, the twins's dad, went to talk to them when he dropped them off and they really felt bad about it and apologized he told them it's not the end of the world but it's just an uncomfortable situation and so they gave my kids beads to put on the necklaces. They are hanging but the kitchen door to the garage so we can see them every time we come home. They also had all of the kids plant marigolds and make cards super cute. I am no gardener I could kill a fake plant so I hope I don't ruin the marigolds!

 

 

Marigolds like lots of sun.

[IrishHeart]

Marigolds like lots of sun.

 so they get nice and big and stinky.  

[nvsmom]

 

ETA: Just FYI I did say in the original post I knew skin contact can't cause a reaction but I react when this sort of this just touches my lips and putting it on and taking it off puts it very near my lips so of course I didn't plan on "sucking on a necklace" but I'm extremely sensitive and react to contact on the lips even if I try to wash my mouth with antibacterial soap immediately...

I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sound glib about that. I do really think it would have been fine as long as it wasn't put in your mouth. I'm glad that it was all worked out fine.    Marigolds are nice to plantin a vegetable garden - they supposedly help keep pests away but I can't comment on that as the hare in our neighbourhood likes to eat the flowers.  LOL 

 

BTW, antibacterial soap isn't needed to remove gluten as gluten is just a protein and not a loving organism - regular soap would work just as well.