As many of you already know Halloween is almost here! Halloween is a favorite among many Americans, although it isn’t a nationally recognized holiday and we still have to go to work or school, Halloween is celebrated for its many elaborate traditions. The origin of Halloween dates back to Europe in the eighth century and has since become a secular community-based event characterized by child-friendly activities like trick- or- treating and carving spooky faces into pumpkins. The “treat” part of Halloween is not to be taken lightly. Children will come home from a night of trick- or- treating with buckets of candy. For many children, eating too much candy can lead to sugar high or a just stomach ache, but for those with a gluten intolerance eating too much of the wrong candy can lead to severe consequences.

Many parents believe that avoiding candy in general is the best way to keep a child safe from their allergy. However, there are many candies on the U.S market that are actually gluten free! I have attached a great article to share with your host family to assist in learning about safe candy choices. This will help your host kids partake in the joys of trick or treating and will protect them from the awful effects of their gluten intolerance.  Read this article for the Gluten Free Candy list: https://www.verywell.com/gluten-free-candy-list-562806.

• Remember to always double check the labels for ingredients to insure your child’s safety

To learn more about Halloween and some safety tips for Au pairs, look at my older blog posts found in  the archive.