Gluten Smooches

[Aligray]

Hey there!

I have a question??? It may be silly OR it may be a good one

Anyways, what do we do about kisses from our kids or significant others when they are not gluten free?

Do they have gluten in their saliva?

Do they need to brush their teeth?

What is the protocal?

Thank u!

-Ali

[darlindeb25]

Ali, it's not a silly question! It's a hard one for everyone to deal with--it's a very real issue for a celiac. It is very easy to be glutened with a kiss. I never have been, but it's not because I was too careful, it's because I have been lucky. I have 7 grandkids and one on the way (just found out a week ago, I am so excited). There were many a time when a grandbaby would come at me with a kiss or kiss me without me see it coming and you never know what they have in their mouths. Then there are those of us who are dating and have to face the dating world, trying to explain this all to a new date, without making too much of it, yet making it serious enough for them to understand it's a very real issue.

Some say they try to teach the kids to kiss on the cheek.. Any man I date, I explain celiac disease to in the beginning. I am of the opinion, they will understand from beginning if they really want to be with me, if not, now is the time to walk away--I am not going to change, this is me, this is the way it will always be, careful is the name of the game. It just has to become a part of our everyday life.

So, yes, be careful. No, don't freak out. Love those little ones. Hug them tight, kiss their cheeks, but remember, they wear their food too!!!!! As do some adults!!!

[Guhlia]

I agree with Deb, absolutely you need to be careful. I've gotten in the habit of hugging my daughter and giving her eskimo kisses more than "real" kisses. This works well for us and then I don't feel like I'm missing anything. I get my fill of kisses in the morning before she eats any gluten at school. As for adult loved ones, I generally just skip kisses altogether unless I know what they've eaten. My hubby respects this as he watched me literally dying because of gluten. I think a kiss on the cheek though would probably be safe. I'm just really paranoid about getting glutened.