School Trips

[Schleebee's Momma]

New to the forum, new to celiac momdom.  Anyone out there have advice on sticking your celiac teen on a bus for a sixteen hour drive to Universal Studios for a chorus adjudication trip?  I just don't see how this is going to be possible.  They will stay four days then return home via another sixteen hour bus trip.  Universal does not guarantee gluten-free meals and I can't exactly pack a week of food.  And she can't exactly drive to a store while she is there.  I'd hate to have her miss out on the experience.  And I can't have her eat nothing but baked potatoes and grilled chicken salads all week.  What is with that and restaurants offering only those items gluten-free btw?

[MycasMommy]

There are many restaurants at universal right?

 

Open Original Shared Link

 

All you can do is a little pre research, print out the avaiable options and hope for the best that she doesn't get glutened. The only other thign I can think of is that you DO pack a week of food in a cooler... if she is staying in any kind of hotel they should have a mini fridge she can store thigns in and a microwave to heat up things.  She is a teenager and she will want to go out with her classmates though.  You have to let her fly solo here and there, how else will she prepare herself for being an adult?  This is something she will have to face all of her life. If she goes and gets glutened even with the safe options, she will be the one to suffer. That feels terrible to know as a parent but what other way is there>?

[MycasMommy]

oh here is another great article!

 

 

Open Original Shared Link

[Schleebee's Momma]

Thanks!  I know, bit of a worry wart only because we are less than six months since diagnosis and her small intestine is/was a MESS.  I totally agree with the flying solo thing, but I'm finding that accidental glutening is usually incompetence on someone else's part, not hers.  Still in a very frustrated state of mind with that sad state of affairs.  Glad to have found this forum.  Why reinvent the wheel!  THANKS again.

[bartfull]

This is a school trip? You need to look into a 504 plan. I don't have kids but you can google it. It falls under the disabilities act and it requires the school to accomidate her diet. You should look into this regardless of this trip.

 

If you don't have time to get this into place, talk to the teachers and chaperones of this trip and see if they can do something to help.

[MycasMommy]

Actually, that is a great idea Bartfull.  Go through the different restaurants there (or food carts?) and print off everyone's gluten-free menu options. Make 3 copies of it all. Hand one stapled copy to your daughter, and the other two to her direct chaperones.  You can speak to them about it. It LOOKS like (and I may be wrong) that just about every restaurant there will have some sort of gluten-free option. So almost anywhere her classmates want to go, she should be able to get something there. Its good for the chaperones to know if they are the ones deciding where everyone is going to eat though.

[Schleebee's Momma]

She already has a 504, for the adhd that has suddenly disappeared since her diagnosis and new lifestyle.  I had the diagnosis included back in the fall, so she should be covered.  The teacher has sent me the trip coordinator's email and I'm in the process of finding out the itinerary now, including which restaurants they will be eating in.  Although most people don't understand the gravity of the situation and it is easier to just deal with myself.  On a side note: I don't let her eat at the school as they are completely clueless and I don't trust them to give her proper nutrition since they think ketchup is a vegetable. So she is used to packing her own food.  But for the trip I'm going to see if Amazon grocery delivers to the hotel once I have that info.

[kareng]

If they are going on a bus, maybe she could take a cooler and a box of food?  Find out if the hotel has micro waves and ask for a fridge for her room for "medical need".  Freeze things like scrambled eggs or chili that she could eat in the am or the evening when she is at the hotel.  Pack some things to make a sandwich to take for lunch.  Go Picnic makes little meals like a Lunchable that are easy to pack.  You can get little packets of PB or hummus or almond butter to eat with crackers or carrots

[celiac293]

It might be worth trying to find out whether there are any kids, teachers or chaperones from any of the other participating choruses who have to eat gluten free too.  I have two kids with celiac, and while I haven't yet found any classmates who have celiac, I have been pleasantly surprised to find three of their teachers who are gluten free.  Those teachers have been an enormous help with school trips.  Good luck!

[nvsmom]

Pack a BIG cooler.

 

I've sent my grade 7 son away to cadet camp a couple of times and the cooler is a help. They do have some gluten-free food but giving him some extra muffins, loaves, nuts, granola bars, crackers, and Chex was a big help to him.  I even sent along extra fruits and lunch meats to help fill him up. It's doable.

 

 I have also lived out of a cooler for a few days - it isn't too hard if you pack more than enough. 

 

Plan ahead and it will be a great time for her.  Best wishes.  

[gilligan]

What about those freeze dried backpacking meals?  Add hot water and stir.  The ones I had pre-celiac were really good, and I know they make gluten free ones now.  They are light weight and don't take up much space.  If nothing else, she could eat one in the morning, snack during the day, and eat another one at night to keep from getting hungry.  The last thing anyone needs is a fun trip that goes sour due to getting glutened.

[StephanieL]

Amazon Pantry is a service where you can send a large box anywhere in the US for $6.  We used it on trips to Boston and Orlando in the past year.  We did have fridges at both hotels so I sent things like hemp milk, cereal, bread and sunbutter.  Snacks too (chips and tortillas and the like).  It is well worth the $ for the peace of mind to know my DS had food there ready for him when we got there!

[mamaw]

You already  got  some  great  ideas  here... all I wanted  to  say is  ---- it is wonderful  that  ADHD has  left  your  child after  going  gluten-free... wish other  parents  would  consider  gluten-free  for  there  kids!

It  is  also  wonderful  that  you  are   aware  of life with celiac  , your  child  is  very lucky  to have  concerned parents, I  see many  who care  less about  their  kids  well being....

With  pre-planning &  some  of those  good suggestions  , she  will be safe  & have a great  experience..... can you go as a chaperone?That  way  your  mind  we also be at  ease...