Jump to content
  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.




  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):



    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):


  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

We Can Host Young English Speaking Gfkid In France


marfil

Recommended Posts

marfil Newbie

Hi,

Following my previous topic :

I'd like to propose hosting an English speaking gluten-free kid (about 12/13, preferably boy) here in France (Lyon) in June 2006 for 2 or 3 weeks.

I have 2 boys : 10 and 12. My eldest is gluten-free (and caseine free and other stuff free). Both have been learning English since they were about 7 and the speak pretty well. We all speak English in the familly.

The kid we receive could go to my youngest child school (which is a primary school, but even if he is in middle school, it's easier to organise and better because it's a small private montessori school and I know they are glad to receive English speaking pupils for a few weeks because all kids there learn English and they have a native English teacher, so it would be nicer than the middle school my eldest kid goes to probably).

July would be harder to organise since they are on holiday already but we are not, and they are at the mountains with my mother (but eventually end of June/beg of July would be possible, if that's more convenient).

We live in Lyon and usually during week ends we go to our holiday home in the Vercors (which is a very nice place in the mountains not far from here, in winter we ski and in summer we hike or swim).

Then in return "hospitality" I'd like my kids (both together if that is possible) to travel to the American/English kid's familly summer 07, also for a couple weeks.

We would garantee gluten-free meals and respect of diet.

If anyone is interested, please contact me (mail is martine@a2ms.com).

Kids could exchange mails and get to know each other before the travel.

bye

Martine


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



Jnkmnky Collaborator

I don't have a kid I'd be willing to let travel w/out me just yet, but your propsition is interesting. I wonder if it would work better during the summer months *June-August* when school's actually out of session. Involving schools gets complicated if not working through some specific organization.

jenvan Collaborator

what a great offer Martine!

marfil Newbie
I don't have a kid I'd be willing to let travel w/out me just yet, but your propsition is interesting.  I wonder if it would work better during the summer months *June-August* when school's actually out of session.  Involving schools gets complicated if not working through some specific organization.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

No, not this school, which is why I thought it was good (it's a small private montessori school and I know the headmaster well).

The problem with July / August is that we either would not be on holiday (our kids are with my mother during this period, she does speak fluent English too though, but is a little old, so it might be a bit difficult for her to take care of a 3rd kid) of the 3 weeks we are on holiday we are abroad. But June is a nice time (or end of June with my be one week into July) because the hosted boy could go to school with my youngest, and I'm sure he'd like it because it's a very nice school and they do not work much at the end of the school year anyway, + he's have an opportunity to meet lots of French kids too. When I was a kid I had an opportunity to attend an American school a few weeks during my own holiday (school holidays are different from one country to the other) and I remember it as a very good experience.

  • 1 month later...
Kim Explorer

Martine:

What a wonderful idea! I don't have any children myself, but it sounds like a great idea to do an "exchange." I hope that you find a family with a child the right age. Good luck.

I will be in Paris next summer with my niece - if you have any suggestions, I'd really appreciate it.

Happy Holidays.

Kim.

tarnalberry Community Regular

I did something like this (but it was a homestay, not an exchange program) when I was 10. I stayed in Chanteny-St. Imbert for a month in the summer. It was a FABULOUS experience! We also hosted a number of students (older, and with varying levels of success) from a number of countries (Japan, Thailand, Spain, France). It can be a very rewarding thing to do.

  • 4 weeks later...
garlicmojo Newbie

Hi Martine,

What a fabulous idea. My 2 boys will be 7 and 10 this summer, which unfortunately is younger than what you are looking for. I would still be willing to take your boys the summer of 2007 in the hopes that my boys could head out to France in '08 or even just for the chance to enjoy children from another country. We were in Blois 2 summers ago to stay with my Father in Law.

Both my boys are gluten-free and French is my first language. I am just starting to speak to them in French again as I have been remiss since my oldest was 4 or so. We live in Vermont, by the way, only 1.5 hours to Montreal where my parents live.

I would at least love to keep in touch and see if we could work something out in the future.

Michele


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



  • 4 weeks later...
marfil Newbie

Hi Michele!

I saw your mail just now (I do not connect to the forum very often unfortunately)

I'd be willing to receive your 10 year old kid in June if you think he is mature enough to spent some times without his familly (it much depends on children, at this age, it would be ok I guess only if he's used to travel already, like in summer camps for eg, otherwise it would be a bit young). My younger kid is 10 also, so it would be great !! I understand your boys first language is English but you would be also interested in them learning French as you are of French canadian origin, correct? That sounds find too because mine are French but I want them to keep learning English so (Michel is 12 and Sacha is 10, only Michel is on a gluten-free diet)

If you think it's too young for him to travel this year, your proposition sounds fine to me too. If you could for eg host my boys say 2 or 3 weeks in summer 07, we could host your the same during summer 08 (we have a summer house in the French alps and we could all go there, I'm sure the boys would have fun together.

Please let me know to my private mail : martine@a2ms.com.

Bye

Martine

Hi Martine,

What a fabulous idea. My 2 boys will be 7 and 10 this summer, which unfortunately is younger than what you are looking for. I would still be willing to take your boys the summer of 2007 in the hopes that my boys could head out to France in '08 or even just for the chance to enjoy children from another country. We were in Blois 2 summers ago to stay with my Father in Law.

Both my boys are gluten-free and French is my first language. I am just starting to speak to them in French again as I have been remiss since my oldest was 4 or so. We live in Vermont, by the way, only 1.5 hours to Montreal where my parents live.

I would at least love to keep in touch and see if we could work something out in the future.

Michele

Martine:

What a wonderful idea! I don't have any children myself, but it sounds like a great idea to do an "exchange." I hope that you find a family with a child the right age. Good luck.

I will be in Paris next summer with my niece - if you have any suggestions, I'd really appreciate it.

Happy Holidays.

Kim.

You mean suggestions for gluten-free shopping ? I just posted a reply on this topic, where to find gluten-free shops in France (most health food store now sell gluten-free products, it's where I usually shop). You'll find my answer in the forum. I hope you have a wonderful stay in France! We are in Lyon, not Paris, but if you need any help you can email me at : martine@a2ms.com

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):



  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      131,684
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    Betty Siebert
    Newest Member
    Betty Siebert
    Joined

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):


  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.4k
    • Total Posts
      1m

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):




  • Who's Online (See full list)

    • There are no registered users currently online

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):



  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Scott Adams
      I'd go with a vodka tonic, but that's just me😉
    • Rejoicephd
      That and my nutritionist also said that drinking cider is one of the worst drink choices for me, given that I have candida overgrowth.  She said the combination of the alcohol and sugar would be very likely to worsen my candida problem.  She suggested that if I drink, I go for clear vodka, either neat or with a splash of cranberry.   So in summary, I am giving ciders a rest.  Whether it's a gluten risk or sugars and yeast overgrowth, its just not worth it.
    • Inkie
      Thank you for the information ill will definitely bring it into practice .
    • Scott Adams
      While plain, pure tea leaves (black, green, or white) are naturally gluten-free, the issue often lies not with the tea itself but with other ingredients or processing. Many flavored teas use barley malt or other gluten-containing grains as a flavoring agent, which would be clearly listed on the ingredient label. Cross-contamination is another possibility, either in the facility where the tea is processed or, surprisingly, from the tea bag material itself—some tea bags are sealed with a wheat-based glue. Furthermore, it's important to consider that your reaction could be to other substances in tea, such as high levels of tannins, which can be hard on the stomach, or to natural histamines or other compounds that can cause a non-celiac immune response. The best way to investigate is to carefully read labels for hidden ingredients, try switching to a certified gluten-free tea brand that uses whole leaf or pyramid-style bags, and see if the reaction persists.
    • Scott Adams
      This is a challenging and confusing situation. The combination of a positive EMA—which is a highly specific marker rarely yielding false positives—alongside strongly elevated TTG on two separate occasions, years apart, is profoundly suggestive of celiac disease, even in the absence of biopsy damage. This pattern strongly aligns with what is known as "potential celiac disease," where the immune system is clearly activated, but intestinal damage has not yet become visible under the microscope. Your concern about the long-term risk of continued gluten consumption is valid, especially given your family's experience with the consequences of delayed diagnosis. Since your daughter is now at an age where her buy-in is essential for a gluten-free lifestyle, obtaining a definitive answer is crucial for her long-term adherence and health. Given that she is asymptomatic yet serologically positive, a third biopsy now, after a proper 12-week challenge, offers the best chance to capture any microscopic damage that may have developed, providing the concrete evidence needed to justify the dietary change. This isn't about wanting her to have celiac; it's about wanting to prevent the insidious damage that can occur while waiting for symptoms to appear, and ultimately giving her the unambiguous "why" she needs to accept and commit to the necessary treatment. This article might be helpful. It breaks down each type of test, and what a positive results means in terms of the probability that you might have celiac disease. One test that always needs to be done is the IgA Levels/Deficiency Test (often called "Total IGA") because some people are naturally IGA deficient, and if this is the case, then certain blood tests for celiac disease might be false-negative, and other types of tests need to be done to make an accurate diagnosis. The article includes the "Mayo Clinic Protocol," which is the best overall protocol for results to be ~98% accurate.    
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.