Birthday party coming up, invitation, all kids of the class are going, you want to go, we want you to be part. How can we help and support you so that you enjoy parties unless your food allergies.
There's absolutely not one answer but there is one spirit: positive! Go! Participate!
You feel often like an outsider.
You're still so small, so little and yet you feel already that you are different.
All children run towards the Birthday table, and they all stretch out for the treats. You stay back, big blue eyes, staring, playing with the air between your fingers, turning away.
Difficult to imagine what's going on in your head. My head tempt to be warm, my feelings get sometimes ambivalent.
I wonder what it means for a child not to participate, standing alone. Does it give you an exhausted feeling? Surrounded by lots of kids but on your own?
We talk about it, together with you. Every time when there is a special occasion, we talk and explain and try to focus on the question: why you are different from the others.
Are you different?
Yes.
Your body reacts in a different way and gets sick from healthy food. You are different and special. You have specials needs like a diet and medications and about both you need to speak, ask, tell your friends and explain them about yourself.
The more you explain, the better they will understand and, you know, they probably will come up with their stories. About themselves, their siblings or their parents who maybe are allergic to cats and dogs. You will find out that in any group of children there are minorities and those make the group interesting, rich and so colorful.