Halloween

Is Your Teal Pumpkin Spooktacular?

October 19, 2018 by Jay Stefani Leave a Comment

It’s that time of year again — the crisp fall air, leaves crunching underfoot, ghosts and goblins darting about, and terror striking in the hearts of parents of children with food allergies. Yes, it’s Halloween time, and peanuts, tree nuts, dairy, and other food allergens are just waiting to be innocently placed in your children’s trick-or-treat bags.

I’ve written before about my daughter (now 9 1/2 years old) and her food allergies. She has grown up very differently than I did. She sits at a separate lunch table at school. She brings an EpiPen or Auvi-Q wherever she goes. Restaurants are chosen after researching the menu and speaking with managers. “Special” food is brought to friends’ birthday parties.

Nevertheless, she has adapted. She has become a strong advocate for herself and her safety. She loves food and is willing to try new items (after a thorough review of the ingredients list, and questions so complete I’ve considered having her help me prepare for depositions). Still, there are situations that continue to elicit apprehension in her mother and me. One of the big ones is Halloween.

For the most part, friends, family, and neighbors have learned work-arounds for my daughter. And when back at home, my daughter is the benefactor of a trade-in program where she can swap any problem treat for a safe one we’ve purchased in advance. (Often, her chocoholic younger brother is the benefactor.) However, there is something we could all do to ease the anxieties for parents like me: Teal Pumpkin Project®.

The website offers a lot of very useful information, such as non-food treat ideas, ways to spread the word on food allergy safety, basic FAQs on the project, and many other great (and free) resources. I strongly encourage everyone to take a few moments to learn more about the Teal Pumpkin Project. Not only can it make Halloween safer for those kids with food allergies, it can also keep it fun!

What does it mean when you see a teal-colored pumpkin on Halloween?

October 1, 2015 by Jay Stefani Leave a Comment

Food Allergy Research & Education is back with the Teal Pumpkin Project

October 31 is just around the corner, which means our family is on the verge of decorating our home with creepy crawlers, spooky witches and teal-colored pumpkins. If you’re stumped by the teal-colored pumpkin part, allow me to introduce you to one of the coolest campaigns this side of the full moon.

Every Halloween season, hundreds of thousands of people band together in an act of solidarity, and, more importantly, to promote safety. Launched by Food Allergy Research & Education in 2014, the Teal Pumpkin Project asks households to make a simple pledge:

I pledge to show some extra kindness to the kids I know. I’ll get some non-food treats at the store, like glow sticks, bracelets, stickers and more! I will put my teal pumpkin on proud display, on my porch, in a window, or on a bale of hay. My teal pumpkin means I support children with food allergies, because all kids deserve to have a safe, happy Halloween.

Boiled down to it, the Teal Pumpkin Project is a great way to show solidarity for kids with allergies. To reiterate: Participants paint and place teal-colored pumpkins at the front of their doorsteps, indicating that non-food treats are available for those who meander by. Over 100,000 households have already taken the pledge and many more have promoted the campaign since its launch a year ago. As a parent whose child has allergies, it’s nice to see it pick up steam.

As I’ve talked about before, my six-year-old daughter suffers from a nut and dairy allergy. That inevitably makes for an interesting Halloween season in our household. Peanut-based treats, chocolate-covered peanuts and candy that’s been produced in plants that contain even a hint of peanut or tree nut-based products practically overflow on October 31, meaning our annual trick-or-treating adventures are even scarier than most. Of the many days in a calendar year, Halloween is the one day when temptation runs rampant. It’s a day when kids, presumably, feel they can test the limits, especially when their allergy-free friends are devouring Reeses Peanut Butter Cup after Reeses Peanut Butter Cup at a rapid-fire rate.

At least one out of every 13 children suffers from a food allergy, and the tiniest amount of allergen can mean the difference between a fun-filled night of spooky splendor, or one that’s truly terrifying. And let’s face it: Halloween is one of those holidays that can make anyone with an allergy feel like an outsider.

The importance of things like the Teal Pumpkin Project can’t be overstated. I’ve taken part in my share of Halloween adventures over the years, and the biggest issue is less to do with the actual candy than the morale of my kiddo. Making her feel included is a delicate balancing act; we don’t want her eating dangerous food, but we also don’t want her neglected when a friend gets to indulge in chocolate treats and delectable candy.

In line with the Teal Pumpkin Project, there are several ways to make all your trick-or-treaters feel like they’re getting the full experience. Here’s what the folks at FARE recommend: Glow bracelets, pumpkin stencils, cool trick-or-treat bags, Halloween stickers, non-latex bouncy balls and black and orange friendship bracelets.

Here are some other things to take note of:

Keep your bags separated. One for the candy crew and one for the non-candy crew, and make sure they’re separated with enough distance so one doesn’t contaminate the other.
Though many kids won’t say much more than “trick-or-treat,” it’s worth prodding them for a bit extra. Ask if they’re allergic to anything or give them a choice between a non-food item and a food item.
Diligent parents will keep an EpiPen with them. Scary as it sounds, you never know when you’ll have to administer one, even with a parent hanging out nearby. Nationwide Children’s Hospital put together a great video on the proper protocols. It’s a great intro/refresher on what to do in case of an emergency, especially if you’re a Teal Pumpkin participant.
Buy candy with clear labels and listings of ingredients. You’re thinking this is completely counter-intuitive. And yes, it is, but there are those who won’t be so willing to admit they have an allergy. Should the little devils sneak a piece, their parents should have an easy way to see what the ingredients are as they filter through their bags. This gets a little more complicated when “fun-size” packaging omits ingredient and allergy information from the individual items, instead placing it only on the main bag or box.
Be on the lookout for allergy bracelets. I talked about this in a previous post. They’re visible red flag and they’re important. If something unexpected happens, you can quickly identify the allergy and the proper protocol, assuming the parents have dashed off in another direction (maybe there’s another little goblin in their crew running around).
Consider keeping safe treats at home for an exchange program. Each year, after we finish our trick-or-treat journey, we sit down at the dining room table and go through our daughter’s bag with her, looking for potentially unsafe items. For each one we find, we let her swap it for a safe item. It’s become a fun way to avoid her feeling like we’re just taking her candy.

So you may be wondering, “Why teal?” Teal happens to be the color of food allergy awareness and has been used to raise awareness for more than 20 years. Hope you’ll consider painting at least one of your pumpkins teal this Halloween. You’ll be making it much more inclusive for my daughter and for thousands of others.

To learn more about the Teal Pumpkin Project, click here. The Teal Pumpkin Project and the Teal Pumpkin Image are trademarks of Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE).

Tips for Keeping Kids Safe on Halloween

October 28, 2014 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

Could Halloween be every parent’s favorite nightmare? On the one hand, nothing’s more fun than running around the neighborhood with your little ghouls and goblins, as they find the simple pleasure in dressing up for one night of the year, indulging the wildest parts of their imaginations. On the other hand, it’s a time to be extra cautious. It’s trick or treat, after all. We’ve all heard the horror stories of lost kids, tainted candies, and plenty of other convincing reasons to stay inside and wait for the trouble to pass by. But fear not: simple things can help you enjoy the night without so much as a blip, making sure Halloween remains the spectacularly delightful spooky holiday that we all know and love.

American Academy of Pediatrics keeps a running list of all the things parents should know heading into Halloween week. A great tip, and one we’re sure every parent will appreciate: keep the costumes bright and reflective. Halloween is a national holiday, but that doesn’t mean everyone takes the night off. A fluorescent sticker taped to the back of a cape or a set of pixie wings ensures two things: 1) people will see your child when they come a-runnin’, and 2) you’ll be able to identify your child should they scurry away from you. It’s also a great idea to consider using glow sticks, which will keep your child visible from a distance and help you avoid those Abracadabra moments of spontaneous disappearance.

The Center for Disease Control wants to make sure everyone has a S-A-F-E H-A-L-L-O-W-E-E-N. To do so, they’ve devised a clever acronym with 13 tips to help you remember some important safety measures. “S,” for example, stands for “Swords, knives and other costume accessories,” which should be “Short, Soft, and flexible.” “H” is for “Hold a flashlight while trick-or-treating. Click the link to check out the rest!

Another big Halloween fright for parents: food allergies. Don’t underestimate them. If one thing’s certain, temptation is at the heart of this delightful holiday, and children might not understand the consequences of consuming an allergen, or they might not even know the ingredients in each candy. Food allergies pose a great challenges to you and your brood on Halloween night. Though you and your child may be aware of the can and cannots of certain delectable treats, there’s little else from stopping your child from sneaking a bite of something they know they shouldn’t be eating, especially when it looks like everyone might be enjoying a bite of something sweet. Fox32 recommends a few things: Keep in close contact with your kids while trick or treating, even mentioning to those doling out sweet treats that your child may be allergic to things like peanuts, etc. Should you be attending any festive parties, it’s a good idea to talk with the hosts beforehand to get a sense of what they’ll be serving, and to find out if any alternatives might be better suited for those with special food requirements. Going through your child’s collection of candy at the end of trick-or-treating, and then trading out the bad candy for safe candy is a kid-friendly way to keep your little goblin happy.

Similarly, it’s a good idea to brush up on your makeup knowledge in the coming week. The Food and Drug Administration points out that several styles of Halloween makeup contain toxins that can cause things like skin rash and eye irritation. The old adage proves true in this case – when in doubt, throw it out. Should a tube of makeup, paste, or any other novelty creamer look or smell strange, it’s a safe bet that it’s time has come to pass. Don’t be afraid to say RIP.

Stay safe and have a happy Halloween!