Family Making Fun Of Us !

[CarlaB]

I like both of those. I know that you of all people know exactly what I'm talking about. The funny thing is, the one that told us yesterday that we were weird, fessed up in the next breath to "trying" the diet and said she "didn't feel any different" so she figures she isn't "allergic" to glutens.

How about, "I'd rather you think I'm a hippie than be sick."

[mommida]

Most of the people I've met here are great, and if it's because of a gene -I wouldn't trade that gene for anything else in the world.

Holy crap, I feel like hugging a tree!

Who else is going to stock up on a LOT of gluten free alcohol for the holidays?

Don't worry they have to knife out of your back at least long enough to carve the turkey. Then hopefully they will stuff their pieholes with food and won't be able to speak, at least momentarily.

L.

[marciab]

When my neice made fun of me at a Japanese restaurant for being so careful about my food, I reminded her that "celiac is genetic". I loved watching her mouth drop open. I wonder if she has been tested yet ...

Hopefully, your family will come around once they get used to all of this. Marcia

[Mamato2boys]

How about, "I'd rather you think I'm a hippie than be sick."

Yup, I like that one too.

[Jestgar]

Maybe you could find a sort of hand-held whoopie cushion and make disgusting noises all day one day while you're around them. Everytime you make a noise, just apologize because you accidently ate a little bit of gluten the night before.

Would work better if you could find some appropriate accompanying scent....

[CarlaB]

Maybe you could find a sort of hand-held whoopie cushion and make disgusting noises all day one day while you're around them. Everytime you make a noise, just apologize because you accidently ate a little bit of gluten the night before.

Would work better if you could find some appropriate accompanying scent....

I am laughing!! My dad had a remote control whoopie cushion and put it under the chair his MIL was sitting on. He was in the other room and his MIL and FIL were sitting together. He kept activating the whoopie cushion and they kept blaming each other for it!! I don't think there was a smell though!

[Guest cassidy]

I am right there with most of you. I'm pregnant now and I have already decided on attachment parenting, baby wearing and co-sleeping, oh, and a natural birth for which we are taking Bradley method classes. My MIL thinks I'm crazy.

They thought my diet was crazy as well until we all went out to eat one night and I asked the chef about the food and they said it would be safe. I got really sick at dinner and we were all spending hte weekend together so they saw how long my reaction lasted and what gluten really did to me.

These people that are making fun of all of us - I bet we wouldn't trade places with them for anything. Adults who are not open minded, especially to family members, are not people I would chose to have as my friends, nor would I want to be them - even if they can eat gluten.

I try to look at where the comments are coming from. If they are people that I don't really respect, then I try to blow it off. My true friends have bent over backwards trying to make me feel welcome.

[gabby]

These things you are enocountering sound like celiac-slurs to me (much like racial or religious slurs) which are never funny and are never done in any other vein except to cause ridicule and shame. I don't respond to any kind of slurs in a humorous way.

Here's my suggestion on how to deal with your SILs. Tell them:

If a 'hippie' refers to a mom who will do anything to help prevent her son from developing cancer later in life, then I guess you should really call me a 'super-hippie."

Peace-out

[weathertopmama]

Really? I have found a board with OTHER attachment parenting, breastfeeding, cosleeping, homeschooling, babywearing Celiacs???? I thought I was nearly the only one in the world LOL

#1. is this one of those weird dreams where I'm on the internet and it doesn't make sense?

#2. do any of you people live near me???

[CarlaB]

Really? I have found a board with OTHER attachment parenting, breastfeeding, cosleeping, homeschooling, babywearing Celiacs???? I thought I was nearly the only one in the world LOL

#1. is this one of those weird dreams where I'm on the internet and it doesn't make sense?

#2. do any of you people live near me???

ROFL, where do you live, you freak? It's a weird dream where you're meeting other weird people like yourself on the internet!!!!

[weathertopmama]

LOL I'm in Indianapolis! I was AP when AP wasn't cool haha and I never do quite get used to the fact that there are many more of us these days

When I start dreaming about 'the internets' I know I'm spending too much time online

[almostnrn]

Well the only thing I can say to any of you sweet people who have such nasty family members is GRRRR. I chose that word because any other words that come to mind would probably get me kicked off the board for life! I just don't get being nasty peroid but ESPECIALLY when a child is involved. You can all come and hang out with my family!!! I am proud to say we just like having fun together, life is too short for it to be otherwise!

As far as how other kids will treat your son....I think when you raise a child with love and care and they are comfortable with who they are (diet included) a nasty comment will be a rareity. It sounds like all of these things apply to you for sure. My daughters best friend is on a very strict dairy free diet and you know it has never been an issue for any of the kids I've ever seen around her. Remember, kids can indeed be cruel, but they can also be a heck of a lot more accepting than the majority of adults in this world. If it is a non-issue to him it will be a non-issue to his friends.

Yippee, I made it all the way through without one swear word!!!

[dragonmom]

What a life= you can't be skinny enough, rich enough or eat enough twinkies. Go figure.

[Ursa Major]

Really? I have found a board with OTHER attachment parenting, breastfeeding, cosleeping, homeschooling, babywearing Celiacs???? I thought I was nearly the only one in the world LOL

#1. is this one of those weird dreams where I'm on the internet and it doesn't make sense?

#2. do any of you people live near me???

Well, I USED to be one of those, too! I homeschooled my two youngest daughters, until I had to send Susie to school three years ago, because I simply had no energy and was not doing a good job anymore.

My mother-in-law told my husband after the fourth child that she was going to disown him and cut him off completely if we should choose to have another baby. But then her husband died, and the next kid came a year after she had remarried, and her new husband loves kids.

Fortunately, this far nobody in the family, not even my nasty mother-in-law has said ANYTHING negative about me being on a gluten-free diet!

Mamato2boys, you might just have to tell them, that you won't be doing any visiting until they can manage to respect you and your family for who you are, rather than making fun of you for an illness none of you chose to have.

[tarnalberry]

I'm sorry they're doing this.

Have you had a *serious* conversation where you tell her "Look, you're trying to be funny, but it's not. What you're saying is disrespectful, and hurtful. If this is all you think of it, please keep your feelings to yourself, and stop hurting our feelings. Ryan needs to not feel ostracized because of his health. Even if you don't disagree, I expect you to be respectful." And then don't let her get away with disrespectful behavior. It may create a strain for a while, but it seems like one is already there, if under the covers.

[babygirl1234]

i know how it is to be made fun of because you eat diff then everyone eles and cant have anything reg come in con with the food we eat so anyway i was at my aunts house for a early thanksgiving and my uncle was moving the trukey off the rack to put it on the top rack where the stuffen was and do you know what that little sorry for saying this but i havent had anyone tell me this when cooking a meal where something cant come in con with a glutien fllied food as he was moving the stuffen he looks at me and says " we been kissing your butt(not the word he used ) for weeks now" what the heck is worng with people i mean come on its not our fault we cant have food with glutien in it grrrrrrrrrrrr this just ticks me off when your family cant understand that in order for me from getting sick they have to be casitous when making someting with glutien in it not to get it on the turkey or where it is because 1 little drop of stuffen my body and me will be sick

[debmidge]

I rather enjoy being labled a "hippie-freak" (yes for other reasons I've been labeled a hippie - I think it's because my motto is "love people, use things" ). Hippie-freak is a compliment! Means I am not part of the herd mentality.

It's hard to deal with the ignorant; I think the aforementioned suggestions should be used in responding to them; but keep in mind that we are all the masters of our destiny and if true we must at the end of time review our lives with our Maker and some of us will have to explain why we did the uncharitable things we did. They'll have a lot of 'splaining to do!

Hey, let them know "instant Karma" is gonna get them!

[Nooner]

Hey, let them know "instant Karma" is gonna get them!

My thoughts exactly!

So many great retorts already. I'd try them all, see which one sticks... okay, not the best idea...

The SILs sound like they probably act like this about anything outside of what they consider normal. So don't take it personally. They'll move on to something/someone else when they get bored.

What about the other family member with celiac? Do they have any tips on how to deal with the family? Maybe they can give everyone a piece of their mind.

I think Ryan will turn out just fine. Remember being a kid? We all got teased for something. Nobody was exempt. It probably won't even be for food. He'll be the only kid eating good tasting, unprocessed food. He'll also be healthy, so he should be able to deal with it just fine.

Hang in there, Mamato2boys!

[Mamato2boys]

You know, I've laughed out loud several times at some of the responses I've gotten here. I think my coworkers officially think I'm nuts now. It's great !!

I honestly can say that I've never been to a website where I felt so understood and so welcomed - you guys are the BEST ! I also found it funny (and surprising) that so many of you are also into AP, breastfeeding and babywearing. It's great to have so much in common. Aiden (my youngest) will be four months old on the 29th and just LOVES to be swaddled. In fact if he wants to go to sleep and isn't swaddled he'll cry until I do it.

Anyway, I digress....thanks so much (as always) for all the support ! I knew you guys would "get it."

My thoughts exactly!

So many great retorts already. I'd try them all, see which one sticks... okay, not the best idea...

The SILs sound like they probably act like this about anything outside of what they consider normal. So don't take it personally. They'll move on to something/someone else when they get bored.

What about the other family member with celiac? Do they have any tips on how to deal with the family? Maybe they can give everyone a piece of their mind.

I think Ryan will turn out just fine. Remember being a kid? We all got teased for something. Nobody was exempt. It probably won't even be for food. He'll be the only kid eating good tasting, unprocessed food. He'll also be healthy, so he should be able to deal with it just fine.

Hang in there, Mamato2boys!

You know, I haven't thought to ask him (the other family member). I'll have to do that. He's a pretty blunt guy (which I just love), so I'm sure he'll have great input. You're right about my SIL's too. I think that overall they're wonderful, but a tad immature - and who isn't in their 20's ? Not that that excuses them being hurtful, but I think they just don't realize they're being hurtful because I haven't said anything.

As far as Ryan goes, if nothing else, he's definitely going to have size on his side, lol. My husband is 6'4", I'm 5'8", and at Ryan's 3 year checkup he was 38" and 42 lbs. (off the chart in height, and 95th percentile for weight). Not that I condone bullying AT ALL, but maybe kids will think twice before teasing him. You are right though - EVERYONE gets teased for something while in school.

[Audiori J]

Maybe smile and hand them some information;

From the US Department of Health and Human Services, Gluten page 10.

Open Original Shared Link

From the American Academy of Allergy, Athsma and Immunology;

Open Original Shared Link

Information from Harvard Medical School;

Open Original Shared Link

Mayo Clinic;

Open Original Shared Link

The idea would be to show that this is an actual serious condition, that you have educated yourself on the subject and that its not just some 'hippie' fad. Once you have shown that this is an issue that deserves some respect, you could appeal to them to help protect the child from what actually can be harmful.

[CarlaB]

LOL I'm in Indianapolis! I was AP when AP wasn't cool haha and I never do quite get used to the fact that there are many more of us these days

When I start dreaming about 'the internets' I know I'm spending too much time online

I lived in Indy for ten years! NE, near Fishers, back before 96th street was so developed.

Ursula, I know what you mean, when I had #4, the family just didn't get it.

[SchnauzerMom]

I'm sorry your family is treating you badly. Hang in there, your health is more important than they're good opinions. This is the first gluten free Thanksgiving for my DH and me. We are going to my mother's house. She doesn't totally understand but she's not condemning either. I'm not sure what DH's family will be like. We'll see them at Christmas.

[prinsessa]

I had some problems with my ILs when I first found out I was gluten intolerant. It got even worse when I found out my kids were also gluten intolerant. I just told them that they can't have gluten because it could make them sick and that was that. If someone said something rude to me, I just ignored them. I think they saw they weren't going to get a reaction out of me and dropped it. They have become much better recently. I don't really care what they say about me behind my back (if they do say anything), but I just want them to respect my decisions.

I am surprised there are so many AP parents here. That is another reason my ILs think I am strange. My mom did AP when we were younger, but there wasn't a name for it then (or that I ever heard).

[jerseyangel]

I rather enjoy being labled a "hippie-freak" (yes for other reasons I've been labeled a hippie - I think it's because my motto is "love people, use things" ). Hippie-freak is a compliment! Means I am not part of the herd mentality.

It's hard to deal with the ignorant; I think the aforementioned suggestions should be used in responding to them; but keep in mind that we are all the masters of our destiny and if true we must at the end of time review our lives with our Maker and some of us will have to explain why we did the uncharitable things we did. They'll have a lot of 'splaining to do!

Hey, let them know "instant Karma" is gonna get them!

This is why I like you, Deb! Instant karma--yes! Or as I like to say, what goes around, comes around

I hope you and your husband have a Happy Thanksgiving!