My Seven Year Old Hates His Diet

[GraceA]

My little one was diagnosed with celiac before he was two. Now he's seven, and things aren't going well right now. Anyone with school aged kids have any ideas?

He's depressed. He hates being different. I'm trying hard to be strict on his diet--he get horrid DH rash when he cheats. But I was slacking for a while hoping he'd cheer up. The opposite happened. And he's sneaking more stuff.

Real life situation: Bought him gluten-free oreos. Family had "real" ones. He was sneaking the actual oreos and now won't finish the package of gluten-free.

I've been on and off his diet too, while nursing him and his little sister. So I've tasted all this stuff, and these cookies were GOOD! The only reason I bought actual oreos for myself was the expense of his. Didn't want to "waste" them.

I hate cooking. I have tried setting up stuff for gluten free, but a lot of times he won't eat it. The family hates it. I'm tired of it all. Hm. Maybe I'm depressed too.

We also have pantry moths and they like to burrow into his gluten-free flours, etc. I do better with buying Pamela's mixes or the Gluten Free Pantry mixes right when I need them. But then if he wants something and I don't have anything on hand, he's tempted to cheat. Everyone else is eating pancakes, I don't want potatoes, I'll just sneak a pancake.

I cook him a lunch every day and deliver it. He has snacks at school. So even though he feels yucky about being different, school's not so much the problem (although he's quit eating his lunch 50% of the time). It's at home.

On the bright side, only 11 more years until he gets to be responsible for this himself. Woo hoo!

I contacted the local children's gluten free support group today by email. Will that help, if he meets some other children with his disease?

[CarlaB]

My house is gluten-free. Our whole family eats gluten-free at home. It's just easier on those of us who have to eat this way. It would bother me tremendously if everyone else were eating pancakes at home and I was stuck with potatoes!! I just make food that is naturally gluten-free -- meat, chicken, fish, eggs, fruit, veggies, potatoes, rice -- add to that Tinkyada Pasta. I also make Namaste brownies and blondies. They have pizza night on nights I'm busy. There's really nothing to hate about it when you're just not eating that many substitutes -- it's the gluten-free substitutes that aren't always good.

If you want real Oreos, hide them in a high up cupboard he would never look in, never get them out when he's home, bring home the groceries and put them away when he's at school, eat them when he's at school, etc. He may just be tired of being different, make home be the place he's not. The other kids can eat gluten food at school or friend's houses.

[Guest nini]

my daughter is 6 1/2 and I asked her specifically for advice for you and she said that "the whole family should be gluten free at home because it's not fair for him to feel different at home, the one place he should be able to feel safe."

"if somebody in his family offers him a gluten thing and he eats it he will get sick"

"make sure if he goes to a birthday party make sure to send him a cupcake for him and check on the foods and see if they are ok"

"when he goes to school send him a lunch box with gluten-free things in it and tell him if somebody else trades each others food then he will get sick"

"be sure to send food with him wherever he goes, even if you are not around"

anyway, my daughter said that she LOVES the gluten-free diet, that it is so much better than being sick all the time and she doesn't feel left out or different. We try to make her food as similar to what the other kids are having at school, in fact I met with the county dietician and her schools lunch lady and came up with a list of foods she can buy from school as well as bringing her lunchbox so that she can have hot veggies or fresh fruit or even a grilled chicken pattie or nachos, she gets hot dogs and hamburgers without the bun and I just send her a gluten-free bun or slice of bread that day...

I think a lot of it is attitude, if you feel put upon and that the diet is difficult and you resent it, he will too. I try to focus on what we can have, not on what we can't and I try to stick with foods that are naturally gluten-free and not rely on the gluten-free substitute products. Which oreo substitute cookies did you get? The midel ones are ok, but the Kinnikinick ones are the best!

Feel free to pm me anytime for suggestions for kid foods...

[kbtoyssni]

I agree with everyone else that having a gluten-free household would mean that he doesn't have the option to eat anything else and will lessen his feeling "different" than other people. If the gluten food isn't there, he can't eat it. Is the problem that he wants to be "rebellious" and not listen to you or is it that he really doesn't like the gluten-free food? If it's the second option, you may have to look at some of his favorite gluten foods and try to figure out a way to make them gluten-free and still yummy. There are tons of good gluten-free meals that you can make so if taste is the issue, you should check out the recipe section on this site.

Have you ever asked him to help you make meals? Maybe you should try asking him to help you plan the week's menu, take him grocery shopping with you, have him help you in the kitchen. He might feel more "ownership" over the food them rather than feeling like you're forcing him to eat stuff he doesn't like/want. Plus it's never to early to start teaching your kids to cook It will make things easier for him later in life when he does have to deal with this on his own.

I put my gluten-free flours in clear plastic tupperware. It makes them easy to store that way and stops the moths getting in.

Good luck!

[Ursa Major]

I agree with the previous posters. You need to have a gluten-free house for him to be happy. And since he inherited the celiac disease from either you or your husband (not infrequently it seems to be both), it would benefit the one who passed it on to him as well.

I like the suggestion of involving him in the planning, shopping, cooking and baking. Kids love doing all those things, and he'd have more control, and wouldn't feel like you're forcing him to eat food he hates.

See if you could have some frozen Amy's pizzas in the freezer, for when he feels like having something nice. Often it isn't really anything sweet that's wanted, but something 'normal', like pizza.

Tupperware is expensive. But I can buy good size, fairly good quality plastic containers at our dollarstore. If you want to starve those moths, and keep them out of your flour and other food, you need to seal it in plastic or metal containers. If you like to keep the mixes in their original paper bags because of the instructions written on them, get a larger rectangular container you can put all those little bags in.

[brendygirl]

I"m sure that's a hard thing to go through. I know how expensive the gluten-free foods and even the fresh naturally gluten-free foods are, so I bet that makes it difficult to think about putting the whole family on the diet.

Also, the diet is HARD. In the newspaper article I read it was described as the most difficult diet one can have. Asking an adult you live with to do it while you are around seems ok (adults have more control over what they eat out of the house and they've had most of their life to eat regular foods) , but asking kids to do it...I don't think I could.

I'm thankful for all those years I had of "normal" foods, especially since I grew up below the poverty line on food stamps and all. I don't know what I could've afforded to eat gluten-free. As it was we starved at times. We were so thankful for school lunch.

Also, I'm thankful to live alone. I think God timed my dx well- right after my husband left. Lord knows he'd never have given up anything for me and he'd probably have contaminated everything too.

[Nic]

Hi, my Celiac son is almost 6 year old (b-day on Friday). So far he is handling the diet very well and we are not a "gluten-free" household. But, we don't eat anything in front of him that we know he would like. For example, my husband loves donuts. Well if they are in the house they are hidden and only taken out after he is in bed. Any dessert that we eat as a family is gluten free such as ice cream or gluten free brownies. All of the cookies in the house are gluten free. There are plenty of ways to make meal time gluten free without changing taste. Have you tried the Ener-G bread crumbs? If you follow the directions in seasoning them they taste like the real thing with things like chicken nuggets, fish sticks, and I even make him mozzarella sticks and meatloaf. And he can eat pancakes too if you buy them gluten free. My whole family eats gluten free pancakes every Sunday morning (Gluten Free Naturals are better than Aunt Jamima's, you can find them on line). So even if your household is not gluten free, maybe just watch what is being eaten in front of him. Nothing is worse than feeling left out. Good luck.

Nicole

[Ursa Major]

Brendygirl, if you think the celiac disease diet is hard, you should try mine! I'd give anything to only have to cut gluten out of my diet. That newspaper article was as misinformed as doctors these days, when they say that the gluten-free diet is the hardest diet to be on.

There are many fresh foods that aren't expensive, if you stick to the basics. In fact, unless you insist on eating steak and exotic fruits and veggies, it's less expensive than all that processed stuff. NOBODY needs all those gluten-free breads, cookies, pizzas, flours etc. that cost an arm and a leg. If you have those only as a special treat, you shouldn't break the bank.

I know what you're saying about your ex-husband probably contaminating the whole house. That is what my husband, two youngest daughters and their friends do to me. I am often at the point where I feel like giving up, because I know I am being glutened continuously. If I complain, my husband tells me that it is my responsibility to keep myself safe, to clean things (they all leave their crumbs everywhere) so I don't get glutened, and cook my own food. Not one of them will inconvenience themselves for me. That makes me feel like I'm very important to them..........not.

[tarnalberry]

it does sound like he's feeling ostracized by his family at the moment. I'm not saying you are doing this to him, just saying it seems like that might be how he's feeling. additionally, if the rest of the family hates the food, why would you expect he'd like it? it may be that he needs tastier gluten-free foods - and that may require *some* cooking, though it needn't be a lot.

I would guess that some compromise in the house (so that he's not the odd one out so much) would be helpful, making sure that he always has safe food around (you wouldn't want to be in his situation either), and possibly even having him see a child psychologist. kids go through a number of years where being different is anathema, horribly wrong, for many of them, and having someone who knows the psychology behind it and can help give your child coping mechanisms for an unusual and stressful situation may be helpful for this case. (I can't stress strongly enough that I am NOT saying there is anything mentally wrong here. it's a question of getting age-appropriate coping skills and understanding from someone well-versed in the stages of development that he is going through now and will go through soon.)

[lonewolf]

I agree with pretty much everything that others have said. It really doesn't have to be that hard. I am off gluten, milk, soy and eggs and one daughter is off gluten and one son is off gluten and milk. I have two other kids and a husband who can eat anything. We make it work and everyone eats the same food.

You really should try keeping a gluten-free house and letting everyone else eat gluten outside your home.

What kind of food are you trying to make that everyone hates? All my kids like what I make and laugh when I tell them that some people think it's hard to be gluten-free or that the food tastes bad. Also, try keeping your gluten-free flours and mixes in the refrigerator or freezer, then the moths can't get them and they'll stay fresh.

Here are a few of our "normal" meals.

Roast chicken and baked potatoes

Meatloaf (use crispy rice cereal for breadcrumbs) and mashed potatoes

Hotdogs with either no bun or gluten-free bread or bun

Hamburgers (same as above)

gluten-free pizza

Tacos

Nachos

Teriyaki chicken and rice (I even make this soy free)

Spaghetti and meatballs with Tinkyada pasta

Macaroni and cheese with Tinkyada macaroni

Baked potatoes with all the fixings

Chicken rice soup

Bean soup

French toast made with Ener-G light tapioca bread

Pancakes, made from scratch, and sausage

Waffles and bacon

Tomato soup and toasted cheese sandwiches on gluten-free bread

Sandwiches made with rice tortillas

Chicken simmered in BBQ sauce, served over rice

Chicken Caesar salad with homemade croutons

Tamale pie

Chicken "fingers" baked in the oven with oven fries or tater-tot-like things

Swedish meatballs

Stew made with chicken, beef or ground turkey

Pot roast and potatoes

I could go on a lot longer and I didn't list any of the more complicated things I cook. I bake everything gluten-free using recipes from Betty Crocker or celiac.com and my simple, inexpensive flour mix. We just had company today for dinner and had a baked potato bar with taco meat, cheese, sour cream salsa, etc., salad and ice cream (or sorbet) sundaes for dessert. No one missed the gluten and it wasn't even discussed.

I would encourage you to look at learning to cook in a positive way - you will be sparing your son much pain in the future if you feed him well now. Maybe even have him help cook some of the "special" food and you might enjoy cooking more.

[Guest nini]

I disagree that the diet is hard, sure there is a learning curve to it, but once you get the hang of it, it's really not hard at all, especially if you are sticking to a diet of foods that are naturally gluten-free. Also, my family is currently on food stamps and very low income so therefore I am well aware of having to make that dollar go oh so much further. I cannot splurge on the gluten-free substitute products that I want all the time. I volunteer at the local health food co op by writing a regular article about gluten-free living for their newsletter and subsequently I get a substantial discount on my gluten-free foods PLUS I look for coupons and sales. I do most of the cooking at home and if my husband wants to eat a home cooked meal it will be gluten-free. He can have his gluten-free tv dinners and pizzas all he wants, but more often than not he chooses to eat what I'm cooking.

My daughter gets a say in what she eats, I give her two choices from what I'm prepared to make if I'm not making a meal for everyone. (Leftovers usually) I save all leftovers and freeze them. I keep my gluten-free flours and mixes in a large tupperware style container in my pantry.

Also because I volunteer at the co op, I get to sample a lot of the new gluten-free products that they are thinking about bringing in, so I don't have to pay for them to try them.

All I'm trying to say is, be creative, be positive, don't be afraid to experiment, but most important, you need to teach your son just how important the gluten-free diet is for his health, and if you don't take it seriously, will he? I take it very seriously and I am so proud of the way my daughter handles herself in regards to the diet.

We just spent the last 20 minutes going over the school menu for the week and comparing it with the gluten-free food list from the county dietician for the school system, and selecting her lunches for the week. She likes having a say so in what she gets for lunch every week and this small routine on Sunday nites gives her that sense of control over her diet. Her teacher tells me how impressed she is by how seriously my daughter takes her diet and how knoweledgable she is about it as well. She agrees with me that it's all about attitude and what I'm teaching her.

[angel-jd1]

In reguards to the moths in the flour. I keep all of my flours in the fridge. You could also keep a couple of mixes in your freezer for those times when your kiddo is craving something. Then you can just pull it out and he won't be tempted to cheat.

I think that if YOU show a positive attitude twards his diet , his attitude will change. If you are looking at his diet like a pain in the butt, he may be feeling that. You may never every say that directly TO him but kids are sooo intuitive!! They pick up on the most subtle of things.

It doesn't have to be hard. There are soo many foods that are naturally gluten free. Try cooking those for the whole family so that he doesn't have to feel singled out.

You CAN do this This is a great place for support and ideas. Post often!!

-Jessica

[skoki-mom]

I agree that the family has to be pretty much gluten-free at home. You say the family "hates it", well, imagine for a minute that you are the one committed to a life sentence with it. At least you get to eat whatever you want when you are work, when he is at school, when you go out for dinner alone or when you are out with friends. I am the adult in the house with celiac disease and 2 normally eating kids. My kids eat whatever they want for breakfast and lunch (they take lunch to school). However, dinner is strictly gluten-free. I refuse to cook 2 meals and given that my choices are so limited, I figure they can suck it up for one meal a day. I have a ton of gluten-free entrees that I make. Anything involving pasta I use gluten-free pasta and they eat it too (they actually like it better than regular pasta now). I only make gluten-free pancakes for everyone. I find pancakes are one of the better substitutes. Just don't keep temptations like regular Oreos in the house. I have had to give them up and I keep telling myself they aren't good for me anyway. As your son matures and takes more control over his own diet you will probably be able to bring these things back into your lifestyle, but for now, he is not showing self-control and as the adults I think you need to take charge and show him a positive attitude. Even at the age of 37 it really bugs me when my mom turns her nose up when I offer her something gluten-free and says "I'm not going to eat that because I don't have to". I hope the group you called will be able to give you some good advice and support for your son. Best of luck to you.

[GraceA]

Thanks everyone for your input. We had a family meeting earlier today. I proposed to my son that we go gluten free at home, except for a couple of products--bread and spaghetti. He doesn't care about bread any more or spaghetti--he's never eaten any except his own. Like I said, I've eaten all this stuff myself and don't feed him stuff I find "yucky."

Anyhow, he said that would be great. The main thing is, no treats he can't eat. I think you guys hit it on the head, especially the little girl who said he needs to feel the same and safe at home. (Sorry, I lost track of who said what.) My older daughter can be nasty about missing out on "regular" food. But I think she finally understands the importance of this.

Also a local lady with a little boy his age contacted me from my posting, so he can look forward to meeting him soon. I haven't resisted the diet on purpose. I don't mind, except when I'm in one of my anti-cooking phases. I have depression, and there are times I hang on by a thin thread. So what, right? Suck it up.

Anyhow, we mostly just eat rice and potatoes and corn in avoiding the wheat during regular meals. I have to accept I'm not going to make bread from scratch and keep trying new mixes. I bought a pizza dough mix from the Gluten Free Pantry--their stuff is usually good.

I wish I had tried to contact some other people with this issue in their lives sooner. I've felt alone for the past 5 and a half years. And so has my son.

>>I refuse to cook 2 meals and given that my choices are so limited, I figure they can suck it up for one meal a day.<<

This was one of my mistakes. I have made two meals often during this adventure. So no wonder I resent cooking! I was also caring for my mother in law, who made an issue of eating the meals. They bored her. Make that cooking THREE meals. Now she's living in a care center, so it's not so big a deal.

I never said the family hates the food. Somehow that got injected in here from other posts. However they do hate the pasta (I like it), but that was the one thing my son said doesn't make him jealous. I'm going to continue eating the pasta with him, as I have for the past year while nursing my baby. In fact, as I came off the diet to start challenging the baby's system, I feel awful. I plan on staying on the diet.

But he got it from my husband's family. Four documented generations of celiac. DH doesn't have it, but his sister does. His uncle, aunt, second cousins, etc.

[mouse]

Have you tried the Tinkiyada pasta. It is really good. I feed it to the my husband and granddaughter. They say they can't tell the difference. I am the one gluten free. I don't know if this is doable for you, but we bought a second inexpessive frig and keep it in the garage. The freezer part holds all my gluten-free mixes and my gluten-free flours (I have no regular gluten flour in the home). The refrig part holds gluten-free food items so I have them when I want to snack. My side by side does not have enough room for those things.

[Fiddle-Faddle]

I agree with everyone else--gluten-free household is the way to go!

I found some wonderful food-grade square plastic containers at Sam's Club--I think they also sell them at Costco--that hold about 20 cups of flour and stack really well. I keep bread-flour mix in one, coookie-and-cake flour mix in another, and individual bags of flours in an even larger one. I also keep rice in a larger one.

Do you have Annalise Roberts' Gluten-Free Baking Classics? THE RECIPES IN HER BOOK FOR CAKES, COOKIES, AND BREADS ARE JUST AS YUMMY AS ANY GLUTENY VERSION I HAVE EVER TRIED. She specifies one mix of flours for breads and another for cakes and cookies. I make her mixes 12 cups at a time and keep them in the plastic boxes. That way, it's just like having regular flour available. I also measure out a mix for pancakes/waffles into individual ziploc bags (I make 6 bags at a time), so all I need to add is eggs, milk, and oil--just like having bisquick!

Most of the flours (rice flour, tapioca starch, potato starch, and corn starch) are available very cheaply at Asian grocery stores. The only ones I couldn't find there and had to spend big bucks on were millet flour, sorghum flour, and brown rice flour, but I bet you could order them off the internet more cheaply than what they'd cost at the grocery or health food store. Or Whole Paycheck, I mean, Whole Foods.

I am the only celiac in my house so far, but since I do the cooking, I basically decided that I was not going to cook double meals. They have regular bread for sandwiches, but they scarf down the fresh lGFoaves I make whenever they can--they really are THAT good! They can't tell the difference betwween Tinkyada rice pasta and regular, and neither can I.

It's really not hard at all, once you get organized. I was only diagnosed last January, and I would be feeling very sorry for myself if it weren't for the help of the fantastic people on this board!

Carriefaith started a thread a while back with gluten-free dinner recipes, and Mike Sans GLuten just posted a recipe for pizza crust that looks really good and easy. Check the recipe section on this board, there are tons of great ideas!

One interesting thing I noticed--when my kids' gluten intake decreased, so did their occasional tummyaches and eczema. Maybe all your kids will end up feeling better off gluten! And life will be much easier and healthier for you. The Kinnikinnick gluten-free oreos are just as tasty as the originals, but so pricy--save them for a special treat, and make Annalise ROberts' chocolate chip cookies, they are amazing! I bet all your kids would be willing to help make cookies!

Tell you what, post whatever family favorite recipes you have, and I bet we could adapt it to gluten-free for you without batting an eyelash!

[kbtoyssni]

Sounds like things are looking up for you! I'm glad you've found another boy with celiac that your son can meet. That might really help him.

If your family doesn't like gluten-free pasta, you should try a different brand. I buy DeBoles brand and anyone I feed it to can't tell the difference. I think it's a pretty common brand since I've found it in several stores in different areas of the country. Everyone always mentions Tinkiyada pasta, too. I've never tried it but I hear it's fantastic all the time on this site.

I really like Food for Life brand bread if you're looking to buy some (you mentioned using mixes). This is also a brand I've found in several areas of the country.

Does your husband ever cook? Maybe he can help you out on those days that you just don't want to cook.

[Sweetfudge]

I know this lifestyle can be overwhelming, but it is possible!

On the days when you can't force yourself to cook, that's when you turn to the freezer! At least that's what I do. I have chronic depression as well, and I know what it's like, and how frustrating it can be when dinner time rolls around. But I really love cooking, so when I am in a baking mood, I make extras, and I freeze them! I try and make enough meat for 2-3 meals (granted, it's only me and my husband).

I also got a great tip from GFBetsy, who I must say is the pro at running a gluten-free household for one child in a family of 6! She has some great recipes Anyway, the thing she showed me how to do is to make bread and freeze it after letting it cool and slicing it. She also makes pizza crusts from her bread recipe, and freezes them. That has been a lifesaver for me, b/c I can whip up a couple of individual pizzas in no time!

This is the webpage she runs, and the bread recipe is on here: Open Original Shared Link

My husband doesn't eat completely gluten-free, but I try to make most meals gluten-free naturally. For breakfast he does have his own cereals, and for lunches I will make him regular ol' grilled cheese w/ campbells soup, but most of the time the only thing I ever make separate for him is pasta. He hasn't aquired the taste for gluten-free noodles even though I've tried to sneak them in a couple of times...lol. If he wants regular bread with his meals, he can toast it himself. That's my rule and he has his toaster and I have my gluten-free toaster. It's a tough thing to get everyone used to and on the same page, but once they're over the changes, things should run more smoothly.

I wish you luck! And keep visiting! There's so many smart people here willing to help!

[Ursa Major]

I have depression, and there are times I hang on by a thin thread. So what, right? Suck it up.

No, Grace, please don't think that way. Many of us are depressed, too, and we do care. I am glad you had that family meeting, and are going to figure things out. You will feel much better, too, when your son is happier. It sounds like you feel much better gluten-free, too, so running a gluten-free household will be good for you, too.

I am glad you came to ask for help, it looks like things are already looking up. I hope that your son and the other little boy with celiac disease will like each other. It would be easier for him if he had a friend who has the same issues. And maybe you'll find a friend in the mother, too.

[tarnalberry]

*shhh* I go through anti-cooking phases too.

This from the woman always saying "stick to whole, naturally gluten-free stuff, even if it means cooking".

The key to combining these two is realizing that whole, naturally gluten-free foods don't always require lots of cooking time.

Need a snack? Grab and apple and a jar of peanut butter - that's a pretty sizeable snack.

Need a substatial breakfast and tired of expensive gluten-free cereal? Make some cream of rice and add some jam, or scramble up some eggs (3 minutes, tops, for 4 eggs) and eat with rice cakes.

Need a quick dinner, and aren't starving? Grab some broth, heat it up with some frozen shrimp and some frozen veggies, add some rice noodles, and it takes as long as it takes to heat the frozen stuff and get the noodles soft. (The secret to making this one good is good broth. Get a broth or boullion you like, and this will work.)

Find other small things that don't take time, and don't necessarily count as "real" cooking. That, and when you do cook, make large batches so you can freeze stuff and always have leftovers for those nights when there isn't anything in the house. It's a different way of thinking about food/cooking if you're not used to it, and also one that takes time to adjust to (by "takes time" I mean on the order of six to twelve months of steady practice). But it's doable, and can be quite tasty.

[Guest nini]

I'm glad you are going to make the home environment mostly gluten-free, that will help him a lot.

Also, I wanted to share that yesterday I made Tollhouse chocolate chip cookies, I followed the recipe exact and all I substituted was the flour, I used Orgran's All Purpose gluten-free flour. For chocolate chips I used Enjoy Life's chocolate chips (cos that's what I had on hand)... Anyway, my non gluten-free hubby ate like 5 of the cookies when he got home last night, and my daughter was just thrilled that I made cookies for us.

Dinner consisted of tacos last night, a very very simple naturally gluten-free dinner.

In the beginning I tried cooking two meals one gluten-free for me and one not gluten-free for hubby and daughter (this was before I realized she needed to be gluten-free too) but I got sick of that really quickly and now I flat out refuse to cook anything non gluten-free for hubby.

[GFBetsy]

Just wanted to chime in with a little advice for making dinners: Check out the cookbook "Saving Dinner" by Leanne Ely. Most of the recipes are naturally gluten free, and those that call for flour or wheat products are generally easily modified (use corn tortillas instead of flour, etc.). Her recipes are WONDERFUL to eat and easy to cook. See if your local library has a copy. Or check out her website, Open Original Shared Link. I LOVE that book. And my family loves the recipes I make from it.

And about the depression: It is possible that you have celiac, even though your husband's family has it too. Especially because you felt yucky when you went back on gluten. And one of the symptoms of celiac is depression. Considering that you just finished nursing a baby, it is also possible that you are suffering from post-partum depression. A former college roommate of mine just told me that her OB just told her (here I go with my "Urban Legend" descriptions again . . . I swear it's true! Honest!) that the most common symptoms of Post-Partum "depression" are irritability and loss of sex-drive, NOT depression. But (it seems to me, anyway) those particular symptoms lead to depression, anyway. I hate myself when I'm mean. I've also found that low progesterone levels (which also can be a result of having children) lead to that irratability, etc. Either way, celiac or post-partum related, go in and see somebody about your depression. Life isn't meant to be a long round of miserableness. Since I started taking progesterone, I feel SOOOOO much better. I feel capable of dealing with my house, my children, and all the other things life throws at me. All of these things require involvement on my part, but I no longer feel that being involved requires a super-human effort on my part. Making dinner is much more fun when I'm not depressed, that's for sure.

Keep up the good work! Talking to the rest of your family was a great step! And if you ever want any good treat recipes, or even to chat, please PM me or just start another thread . . . We all love to share!

[wifeandmomofceliac]

My 8 year old has been gluten-free since before her 2nd birthday. Despite having no real memory of Gluteny foods, she still goes through "grieving" periods when she wants to be like her friends. In addition to having a gluten-free household, I think giving her gluten-free foods that she can share with others helps her to feel like she "fits in". So when teachers ask for a snack to be sent in, we send gluten-free chips, or something else "mainstream" that everyone will feel comfortable with. She loves to share her food. It drives my very frugal mom nuts that I serve only gluten-free cake at celebrations. She acknowledges that it tastes great, "but it just costs so much". Well, so be it. I choose other ways to be frugal, and let her share her goodies to her hearts content.

[galaxygal]

Open Original Shared Link

Here is a link you might enjoy. I am making them for my husband right now.

Janet

My little one was diagnosed with celiac before he was two. Now he's seven, and things aren't going well right now. Anyone with school aged kids have any ideas?

He's depressed. He hates being different. I'm trying hard to be strict on his diet--he get horrid DH rash when he cheats. But I was slacking for a while hoping he'd cheer up. The opposite happened. And he's sneaking more stuff.

Real life situation: Bought him gluten-free oreos. Family had "real" ones. He was sneaking the actual oreos and now won't finish the package of gluten-free.

I've been on and off his diet too, while nursing him and his little sister. So I've tasted all this stuff, and these cookies were GOOD! The only reason I bought actual oreos for myself was the expense of his. Didn't want to "waste" them.

I hate cooking. I have tried setting up stuff for gluten free, but a lot of times he won't eat it. The family hates it. I'm tired of it all. Hm. Maybe I'm depressed too.

We also have pantry moths and they like to burrow into his gluten-free flours, etc. I do better with buying Pamela's mixes or the Gluten Free Pantry mixes right when I need them. But then if he wants something and I don't have anything on hand, he's tempted to cheat. Everyone else is eating pancakes, I don't want potatoes, I'll just sneak a pancake.

I cook him a lunch every day and deliver it. He has snacks at school. So even though he feels yucky about being different, school's not so much the problem (although he's quit eating his lunch 50% of the time). It's at home.

On the bright side, only 11 more years until he gets to be responsible for this himself. Woo hoo!

I contacted the local children's gluten free support group today by email. Will that help, if he meets some other children with his disease?

[Jodele]

if you want cookies that you do not have to make I found to die for cookies they are glutino gluten free zebra dreams they are so goood.. I could eat the hole box if my girls did not steal them.

My husband who saids that he has no gluten problem loves them also. They are from germany and if you had german chocolet it is to die for. much better than american. they are like oreos but better. they also make one like the trix cookie it is good also. I agree with everyone else that the pasta tinkyada is the best. For pancakes and walfle mix I have to say kinnikinnick is the best gluten free hands down. I think it is the best against gluten mixes. They also make a bread and bun mix that is easy and fast. all you add is liquid and the mix and bake and comes out very good. we use this as hambuger buns. you can get the english muffen rings works great as small burger. this mix is called kinni-kwik bread and bun mix by kinnikinnick. kinnikinnick has a pizza crust in the freezer section that is very good little expences but very good and kids love to make their own pizzas. Cereals we get little einsteins or mickey mouse club by general mills. If you can find it there is also spiterman 3 limited cereal that is gluten free he might like that one better. there is a ton of stuff out there to get for him that is gluten free. You can get things that are gluten free, like fast food french fries by oreida my kids love it. if you need any more ideas please feel free and pm me.

Jodele