Food allergies are especially difficult to handle with children, because aside from the stress of searching and preparing meals devoid of the offending food items, there are also other issues that are sometimes beyond the control of parents.

My son, barely four, has learned to accept that there are food items he cannot eat. He knows, sometimes from experience, that nuts, cow's milk and some types of seafood make him ill. To a certain degree, that comforts me, knowing that even in my absence, he can actively participate in making sure that he avoids eating offending foodstuff. His teachers from kindergarten tell me that he himself declares which food he can or cannot eat, making the situation a whole lot easier.

Of course, he also sometimes feels envious not being able to partake in birthday cakes with hazelnuts, for example, but we've been lucky that we've been surrounded with people who acknowledge and make a few adjustments taking his food allergies into consideration. Often, he'd be offered something else in exchange, which already makes him feel better and less left-out. When he's invited for play-dates, other parents already check with me beforehand, and makes it a point to serve snacks that are safe for him.

It is scary, letting our children out there, in the care of people who are not as familiar with our kids' food sensitivities as we are. But we cannot keep them cooped up and under surveillance 24/7. But until our kids can fend for themselves, all we can do is explain, explain, explain. To our kids, to their caregivers, to other people in their vicinity.

Oh, and yeah, a dose of antihistamine on stand-by won't hurt either.

Do you have a child with food allergies too? How do you explain it to him/her?