The Special Meaning of Teal Pumpkins

0

Food allergy life isn’t easy, as I’ve written about in my past articles. Holidays, especially those centered around food (which to be honest is pretty much all of them!) are challenging. Halloween, a night for most that is filled with joy and spooky fun, can be a landmine of dangers for a child with allergies. This doesn’t mean that we as parents want them to enjoy this special tradition any less though. Being creative, playing pretend, spending time with friends, a few sweet treats – who wouldn’t want their child to experience this!?

A phenomenal movement has emerged over the past years to help food allergy children safely navigate this holiday that I want to bring to light because perhaps you haven’t noticed – The Teal Pumpkin Project. According to FARE “Teal Pumpkin Project is raising food allergy awareness and offering the option of non-food trinkets and toys in a separate bowl makes Halloween safer and more inclusive for all trick-or-treaters.” 

These bright pumpkins are beacons of safety for children suffering from food allergies. They can feel confident a fellow neighbor considers them and will have a toy or small trinket that the child can enjoy, and not another piece of unsafe candy they have to give to their sibling. 

This year, please consider joining the Teal Pumpkin Project by offering non-food items to help all children in your neighborhood to participate in the holiday. We in the allergy community recognize this is a bit outside the norm, maybe an extra step in your holiday planning so as always, we truly appreciate those who see families who go that extra mile for our kiddos!

Previous articleSorry, Did You Say Montessori?
Next articleTarget Trips and Mom Guilt
Scotlyn Phelps
Scotlyn is a New Jersey native, growing up as the oldest of four children with a large extended family (over 100 aunts, uncles and first cousins!) and a few miles from the beach. She now lives in Mount Pleasant with her husband and 2-year-old son. Scotlyn recently left a 12+ year career in Marketing and Event Planning to stay at home full-time with her son and begin a new venture in real estate investment. As a parent of a child with severe food allergies, she brings a unique perspective on navigating daily challenges, overcoming obstacles for our children and creative cooking. She enjoys spending time outdoors, one (or multiple) cups of hot coffee each morning and all types of live music!