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Food allergies are stressful. If your child (or you) lives with allergies, this isn’t a surprising statement. You may, however, find comfort in knowing that you’re not alone in feeling the stress. One study from the University of Maryland found that 41% of parents reported that their child’s food allergies had a “significant impact on their stress levels.” An earlier study out of the UK found that children with peanut allergies had more anxiety and lower quality of life than their peers who had Type 1 diabetes. Other studies point to the impact of allergy-related stress on marriages and work....

From Thanksgiving turkey to Easter hams, there are specific foods we tend to associate with individual holidays. When you’re a food-allergy family, of course, those traditional meals get adapted to accommodate your family’s food restrictions so that everyone can safely enjoy the festivities. That can be challenging enough when you’re dealing with recipes that have been passed down through generations of cooks. Now imagine trying to adapt foods specific to religious traditions! That’s the unique challenge allergic families preparing for Passover face, particularly for those with egg, nut, wheat or gluten allergies. That’s not to say it’s impossible, of course....

Bunnies and chicks. Chocolate rabbits and colored eggs. These things are staples this time of year as families start getting ready for Easter. For most folks, traditions like coloring eggs and munching on milk chocolate rabbit ears is a given. Those things aren’t impossible for allergy families, but they do require a little bit of creativity. Coloring Eggs For an egg-allergic child, dipping hard-boiled eggs into plastic cups of brightly colored dye is probably a tradition you’ll want to nix. Here’s the good news: You have options. Eggs made of plaster, plastic, papier-mâché, wood and dye-able ceramic can be used...

When your allergic child started school, you did your homework. You learned about 504 plans. Throughout elementary, middle, and high school, you got to know the school nurse, the administration and the classroom teachers. You consulted the allergist. You worked out a plan. You feel confident that you’ve provided a safe environment for your allergic child. Of course, allergic children grow into allergic teens and allergic teens grow into allergic young adults who may be college-bound. This is a whole new ballgame. Life Skills First Even before anyone in your family is ready to consider using the word “college” in...