What Tia Mowry wants parents to know about peanut allergies this Halloween
Moms like Mowry aren't trying to be the "peanut police" or a helicopter parent. They're just trying to keep their children safe.
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“It’s really important that we have co-protectors out there, other parents or people who don’t have children who can empathize and educate themselves about the seriousness that comes along with having a child with a peanut allergy,” Mowry tells Motherly.
Mowry says a lot of moms of kids with peanut allergies feel judged by people who don’t understand how serious allergies can be, and a recent survey backs her up. According to a national survey by DBV technologies, about 48% of parents with kids who have a peanut allergy are concerned about being perceived as overprotective.
The thing is, moms like Mowry aren’t trying to be the “peanut police” or a helicopter parent. They’re just trying to keep their children safe. That’s why Mowry is talking about Cree’s allergy, whenever she can. When people understand where she’s coming from, judgment gets replaced with empathy, and Halloween gets a little easier for her family.
“It would make me incredibly happy if I knock on a door and my son says ‘Trick or treat’ and there’s a parent there who says, ‘Okay this is a jack-o-lantern with peanuts in it and this is one without’,” she explains.
You’re not alone, mama
For parents who are feeling judged, frustrated, or anxious about the potential for accidental exposure during this candy crazy week, Mowry has some advice: “I just want moms to know that they are not alone. There are 1.5 million other children out there living with this allergy. And even if you don’t have a child living with a peanut allergy, let us all come together and work as co-protectors here and empathize with the families.”The holidays are hard
If you’re a peanut allergy mama who feels like no one in your circle understands why you have to be constantly vigilant, it might be time to seek out some support from a professional or a group for allergy impacted parents because as Mowry points out, this upcoming holiday season can be especially stressful. “Halloween is definitley the hardest because you’re dealing with candy,” she explains, “But every holiday is challenging because every holiday is kind of built around food.”Co-protectors
For those of us who don’t have a child with peanut allergies, Mowry’s remark about the holidays is a good reminder to be compassionate (and careful) this holiday season. Peanuts are common in so many recipes, but we can all take care to leave them out of the dishes and cookies we plan to share. Let’s be co-protectors and make all the upcoming holidays a little less scary for mamas like Mowry.You might also like:
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