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

Help Keeping Dd gluten-free At Vbs

kbdy

Recommended Posts

kbdy Apprentice
kbdy
Posted

I picked up my girls from VBS this afternoon & on the way home ydd tells me that she's hungry b/c they lost her snack.

I advised them of her having Celiac on the registration sheet, told both teachers & they said they understood the restrictions. I told them that I would bring her a snack each day so they didn't have to worry about it.

Well, today they misplaced her snack & then told her to eat their snack of pudding & cookies!!. Ydd said that she can't have that & the volunteers kept pushing her to eat it. Ydd said "mom, they kept telling me to at least take a bite, they wouldn't listen to me!" She was so sad.

Thank goodness dd knows what she can & can't have. I called the director as soon as I heard & the director tells me that it must've been a mistake. *Yeah, no kidding!* I told her that we can't have that kind of mistake b/c dd will get very sick. She kept repeating it was an honest mistake & tomorrow they'll make sure she has pretzels. HELLLLLOOOOO. She can't have those either!!

She also tells me that they had her playing in oatmeal & with play-doh. She knows that she can't use the play-doh, but didn't know that the "mud-pies" were made with oatmeal. UGH.

WWYD at this point? I'm planning on going in early tomorrow to explain again & I've made a button for her to wear that says "do NOT feed me, I have allergies"

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Pattymom Newbie
Pattymom
Posted

We finished our VBS a few weeks ago, I was the teacher for dd (4), so I brought her own snack and gave it to her each day. I did then run over to my son's table in a different group to take his snack away and give him one I had brought. I used the better than principle so they were always pleased with their snack. I had told the volunteers the deal and his snacks were labeled in the kitchen in a bag with his name, but alas the volunteers are teens overwhelmed with all the kids, so they never remembered to give it him, so I needed to give it to him myself. all the place settings were laid out so he always sat in front of a gluten snack spot, but after the first day when he saw what I brought was better, didn't try to sneak a bite (My 4 year old won't cheat, my 7 year old will, sigh)

It's hard with volunteers because so may our so busy and concerned with so many other things. Plus, it's only for a week, so it's nto quite like working with a teacher. I would talk to whoever is in chargeof her group when you drop her off, and then with whoever else looks like they are helping that group,about the serious risks, and whatdo for snack and other activities. If all else fails, you could always volunteer to help out, seldom do they refuse help at a VBS, then you have control over keeping your DD safe.

Patty

home-based-mom Contributor
home-based-mom
Posted
I picked up my girls from VBS this afternoon & on the way home ydd tells me that she's hungry b/c they lost her snack.

I advised them of her having Celiac on the registration sheet, told both teachers & they said they understood the restrictions. I told them that I would bring her a snack each day so they didn't have to worry about it.

Well, today they misplaced her snack & then told her to eat their snack of pudding & cookies!!. Ydd said that she can't have that & the volunteers kept pushing her to eat it. Ydd said "mom, they kept telling me to at least take a bite, they wouldn't listen to me!" She was so sad.

Thank goodness dd knows what she can & can't have. I called the director as soon as I heard & the director tells me that it must've been a mistake. *Yeah, no kidding!* I told her that we can't have that kind of mistake b/c dd will get very sick. She kept repeating it was an honest mistake & tomorrow they'll make sure she has pretzels. HELLLLLOOOOO. She can't have those either!!

She also tells me that they had her playing in oatmeal & with play-doh. She knows that she can't use the play-doh, but didn't know that the "mud-pies" were made with oatmeal. UGH.

WWYD at this point? I'm planning on going in early tomorrow to explain again & I've made a button for her to wear that says "do NOT feed me, I have allergies"

I'm assuming that your church bought one of the themed VBS kits? If so, everything is spelled out for them - snacks, crafts, everything. Either research on line or get the info from the director. Talk to the volunteers, talk to the director, call a special meeting, do whatever fits into your time schedule. I'm not sure how deep of an impression you can make at this late date. However, as Patty said, you could always volunteer as VBS people could always use another volunteer! :lol:

slmprofesseur Apprentice
slmprofesseur
Posted

My ds (2 yrs old) was in the nursery. I took all his food and snacks, although one night the nursery volunteer brought me a bag of gummy snacks to check and see if they were safe. Our VBS had a medical info section on the registration form to fill out. I read the section for all of my students..... Our church surprised me when they started serving salad at dinner. (That was all I could eat!)

debmom Newbie
debmom
Posted

I would ask them if they would push a child with a peanut allergy to eat peanuts. Usually people can understand the severity of that. Then if you can go in during the snack time to volunteer, I would try to do that for at least a day or two to help them set a pattern.

My 16 year old went to Georgetown University for a summer future medical student camp, NYLF, a few weeks ago. We arranged ahead of time for her to have plenty of food and I was assured that they dealt with gluten issues all the time and had gluten free bagels, waffles, breads, etc with a gluten free dedicated toaster for breakfasts. she found the gluten free toaster, but no food. After three days, she made an appointment to speak with the dietician, and was promised better availability, but that only helped for one day. After that, she would ask the workers for the gluten free food and was told each day that no one knew where it was and the dietician wasn't in. So I guess what my point is-- there are going to be issues all the time. I just sent her with two grocery bags of gluten free bars and baked goods since there wasn't a refrigerator in the dorm room. She ate that and salads at dinner and was fine, if a bit bored with her selections.

Archived

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

Go to topic listing

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Join eNewsletter
    Donate
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):



    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):



  • Recent Activity

    1. knitty kitty
      - knitty kitty replied to Jane02's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      9

      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      @Jane02, I hear you about the kale and collard greens. I don't do dairy and must eat green leafies, too, to get sufficient calcium. I must be very careful because some calcium supplements are made from ground up crustacean shells. When I was deficient in Vitamin D, I took high doses of Vitamin D to correct the deficiency quickly. This is safe...
    2. Jane02
      - Jane02 replied to Jane02's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      9

      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      Thank you so much @knitty kitty for this insightful information! I would have never considered fractionated coconut oil to be a potential source of GI upset. I will consider all the info you shared. Very interesting about the Thiamine deficiency. I've tracked daily averages of my intake in a nutrition software. The only nutrient I can't consistently...
    3. knitty kitty
      - knitty kitty replied to Jane02's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      9

      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      Hello, @Jane02, I take Naturewise D 3. It contains olive oil. Some Vitamin D supplements, like D Drops, are made with fractionated coconut oil which can cause digestive upsets. Fractionated coconut oil is not the same as coconut oil used for cooking. Fractionated coconut oil has been treated for longer shelf life, so it won't go bad in the...
    4. Scott Adams
      0

      Penobscot Bay, Maine: Nurturing Gluten-Free Wellness Retreat with expert celiac dietitian, Melinda Dennis

      until
      Hello! Join me and treat yourself to a four-day, three-night restorative gluten-free retreat in a peaceful, private coastal retreat setting near Penobscot Bay in Maine. Dates: April 10-13, 2026 Enjoy engaging classes...
    5. Scott Adams
      - Scott Adams replied to Jane02's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      9

      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      I do not know this, but since they are labelled gluten-free, and are not really a product that could easily be contaminated when making them (there would be not flour in the air of such a facility, for example), I don't really see contamination as something to be concerned about for this type of product.
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):

  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      133,327
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    dnamutant
    Newest Member
    dnamutant
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.6k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):

  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • knitty kitty
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      @Jane02, I hear you about the kale and collard greens.  I don't do dairy and must eat green leafies, too, to get sufficient calcium.  I must be very careful because some calcium supplements are made from ground up crustacean shells.  When I was deficient in Vitamin D, I took high doses of Vitamin D to correct the deficiency quickly.  This is safe and nontoxic.  Vitamin D level should be above 70 nmol/L.  Lifeguards and indigenous Pacific Islanders typically have levels between 80-100 nmol/L.   Levels lower than this are based on amount needed to prevent disease like rickets and osteomalacia. We need more thiamine when we're physically ill, emotionally and mentally stressed, and if we exercise like an athlete or laborer.  We need more thiamine if we eat a diet high in simple carbohydrates.  For every 500 kcal of carbohydrates, we need 500-1000 mg more of thiamine to process the carbs into energy.  If there's insufficient thiamine the carbs get stored as fat.  Again, recommended levels set for thiamine are based on minimum amounts needed to prevent disease.  This is often not adequate for optimum health, nor sufficient for people with absorption problems such as Celiac disease.  Gluten free processed foods are not enriched with vitamins like their gluten containing counterparts.  Adding a B Complex and additional thiamine improves health for Celiacs.  Thiamine is safe and nontoxic even in high doses.  Thiamine helps the mitochondria in cells to function.  Thiamine interacts with each of the other B vitamins.  They are all water soluble and easily excreted if not needed. Interesting Reading: Clinical trial: B vitamins improve health in patients with coeliac disease living on a gluten-free diet https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19154566/ Safety and effectiveness of vitamin D mega-dose: A systematic review https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34857184/ High dose dietary vitamin D allocates surplus calories to muscle and growth instead of fat via modulation of myostatin and leptin signaling https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38766160/ Safety of High-Dose Vitamin D Supplementation: Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31746327/ Vitamins and Celiac Disease: Beyond Vitamin D https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11857425/ Investigating the therapeutic potential of tryptophan and vitamin A in modulating immune responses in celiac disease: an experimental study https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40178602/ Investigating the Impact of Vitamin A and Amino Acids on Immune Responses in Celiac Disease Patients https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10814138/
    • Jane02
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      By Jane02 · Posted

      Thank you so much @knitty kitty for this insightful information! I would have never considered fractionated coconut oil to be a potential source of GI upset. I will consider all the info you shared. Very interesting about the Thiamine deficiency.  I've tracked daily averages of my intake in a nutrition software. The only nutrient I can't consistently meet from my diet is vitamin D. Calcium is a hit and miss as I rely on vegetables, dark leafy greens as a major source, for my calcium intake. I'm able to meet it when I either eat or juice a bundle of kale or collard greens daily haha. My thiamine intake is roughly 120% of my needs, although I do recognize that I may not be absorbing all of these nutrients consistently with intermittent unintentional exposures to gluten.  My vitamin A intake is roughly 900% (~6400 mcg/d) of my needs as I eat a lot of sweet potato, although since it's plant-derived vitamin A (beta-carotene) apparently it's not likely to cause toxicity.  Thanks again! 
    • knitty kitty
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      Hello, @Jane02,  I take Naturewise D 3.  It contains olive oil.   Some Vitamin D supplements, like D Drops, are made with fractionated coconut oil which can cause digestive upsets.  Fractionated coconut oil is not the same as coconut oil used for cooking.  Fractionated coconut oil has been treated for longer shelf life, so it won't go bad in the jar, and thus may be irritating to the digestive system. I avoid supplements made with soy because many people with Celiac Disease also react to soy.  Mixed tocopherols, an ingredient in Thornes Vitamin D, may be sourced from soy oil.  Kirkland's has soy on its ingredient list. I avoid things that might contain or be exposed to crustaceans, like Metagenics says on its label.  I have a crustacean/shellfish/fish allergy.  I like Life Extension Bioactive Complete B Complex.  I take additional Thiamine B 1 in the form Benfotiamine which helps the intestines heal, Life Extension MegaBenfotiamine. Thiamine is needed to activate Vitamin D.   Low thiamine can make one feel like they are getting glutened after a meal containing lots of simple carbohydrates like white rice, or processed gluten free foods like cookies and pasta.   It's rare to have a single vitamin deficiency.  The water soluble B Complex vitamins should be supplemented together with additional Thiamine in the form Benfotiamine and Thiamine TTFD (tetrahydrofurfuryl disulfide) to correct subclinical deficiencies that don't show up on blood tests.  These are subclinical deficiencies within organs and tissues.  Blood is a transportation system.  The body will deplete tissues and organs in order to keep a supply of thiamine in the bloodstream going to the brain and heart.   If you're low in Vitamin D, you may well be low in other fat soluble vitamins like Vitamin A and Vitamin K. Have you seen a dietician?
    • Scott Adams
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      I do not know this, but since they are labelled gluten-free, and are not really a product that could easily be contaminated when making them (there would be not flour in the air of such a facility, for example), I don't really see contamination as something to be concerned about for this type of product. 
    • trents
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      By trents · Posted

      Contact them.
×
×
  • 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.