Do people tease you or brag about stuff you can’t eat? Well if they do that is perfectly fine and normal. I get teased all the time, even by my friends. One friend takes her scraps of bread, candy and rubs it in my face. I am very sad and mad that I can’t eat the food and mad that my friend would do that to me. Three girls (all my friends) try to make me eat gluten or tell me to try their donut because it is so good. But I don’t.
Do you guys know why they do that to me?
The answer is that they want to see what happens when I eat gluten. I only say you don’t want to know and I ignore it. That is what you should do too if the same problem is happening to you. This way they will leave you alone. Though it is hard, you should ignore them. If they are being really rude, tell an adult.
If this is happening to you, please, please, please write me a comment and I promise to write you back personally. If you have any ideas to blog about or happened to you or a friend. It even could be a neighbor.
Please write a comment and share with the world and me.
Thanks for reading folks
From,
Lexi
Lexi Gluten Free Kid 
Dear Lexi
Thank you for posting such a clear message about what you come up against with your friends. It seems so silly, but people sometimes have their heads buried in the sand and they just do not realize the impact of what they say. I believe that friends would never REALLY want to see you get sick, they just have a hard time understanding how something that seems ok for them, is a problem for you. So they’ve got a ‘show me’ attitude.
They just aren’t thinking very clearly.
You are ABSOLUTELY on the right track, and what you are doing will continue to allow you to feel good, think clearly, and have your body grow strong.
You Rock Girl!!!
Dr. Tom O’Bryan
That must be super annoying. You are very strong to not give in to the peer pressure. The world needs strong people like you who can stand up to other people. I would never want anyone to eat something they can’t eat. Lexi, you are an inspiration and hope to other kids with allergies. I believe in you.
Hi Lexi,
I’m 6-years-old and my friend begs me to eat the lunch from school, even though my mommy packs me a healthy lunch every day. Other friends have teased me about the food my mom packs and it hurts. We don’t eat gluten or dairy or grains in my house, and my friends think that’s weird. I really liked reading your story. Thank you.
From
Payton
Ms Lexi,
It has been a long time since I was 10… but I do see that our society is so into foods that have Gluten and Dairy in them.. and that Food is SO intertwined with the social .. fun.. in our lives. I Applaud your grown up attitudes! Ignoring is good, but perhaps some education of your ‘friends’ is needed too. Ask the grownups in your circle that care about you to help you with what they need to learn and how to tell them so you don’t get food with gluten in your face. That makes me sad and mad… it is so not needed! Preparing is good.. and I do understand the hurt you feel in passing up something that looks/smells good…but again, I applaud your ability to move on! Stay Strong… You are So on the Right track! 🙂 >Susan
After I posted the above, I remembered a ‘story’ on TV about a little boy that was ‘bullied’ by other boys because he stuttered. A man told him a story about a similar situation… it seems to help the ‘bully’ understand the ‘difference’ and to be more ‘respectful’ a loyal friend/or sibling was employed to help set the stage. The Bully was ‘warned’ that the boy that stuttered was capable of going off the deep end and that the Bully didn’t want to push him to that point of no return! Of course the ‘Bully’ didn’t listen so the little boy with the stutter was to insert an Alka-Seltzer(Make sure it is gluten free and safe for you!) tablet in his mouth… it started to foam out his mouth, He shook his head, made some roar noises, and charged at the bully. Of course the ‘bully’ retreated FAST.
Now, I don’t know if this is safe for you (gluten-free), but with the help of those who DO get the seriousness of this situation, an Impact of great proportions needs to be made on those around you who ‘don’t get it’ so they truly become your friends and help ‘protect’ you!… otherwise, are they really the friends you want?
Unfortunately, there are a lot of unaffected people out there that can NOT see the problem… You can feel it, your body and health are important, and PIE in the Face, (Even if you try not to eat it) is not safe for you.
Be creative, but help them SEE your problem! Stay strong and Safe! > 🙂
a web search indicates that it is produced in a facility that uses wheat… use your own mind on using AlkaSeltzer. http://www.alkaseltzerplus.com/faq/is-alka-seltzer-plus-gluten-free/
I am a 9 years old and I found out I had celiac when I was 6. My mom and two brothers also have it. My mom and me just read this and I feel the same way a lot at school. I really wanted to tell you so she allowed me to. I really liked what you wrote.
I know how you feel! I can’t have gluten, or corn or dairy. I was at my friend’s house, and his younger brother, who was annoying, he had some popcorn and was rubbing it in that I couldn’t have it. He was bragging that I couldn’t have it. I just didn’t like it. Pretty soon after that I just went home.
~Andrew
HI Lexi,
My name is Grace. I’m 8 years old and I am gluten, egg and dairy free. I really liked what you wrote and I sometimes get laughed at during lunch at school. How long have you been gluten and dairy free? It’s nice to know there are other kids out there who are experiencing the same things I am. Thanks for sharing your story.
Truly,
Grace
Dear Lexi,
My name is Lauren and I’m 9 years old. Sometimes at school I’m really tempted to eat something that I know isn’t good for me. At school I see my friends eating candy and dairy and gluten. It’s hard not to eat the unhealthy food they are eating. What keeps you from giving in and eating bad food?
Thanks for telling us your story.
Lauren
Way to go Lexi. I am very proud of you with all of your accomplishments in life. You are very head strong and I hope you always stay like that. I love you.
Your sister,
Naomi
Dear Lexi,
I didn’t have to start eating gluten free until I was already a grown-up, but when I was your age I was allergic to chocolate. It would make me stop breathing and I would have to go to the hospital. I got teased all the time by other kids at school. Christmas was the hardest because Christmas candy is almost all chocolate or candy canes. And back then all the candy canes were peppermint flavor and I *hate* peppermint. I remember bringing some carob treats my mom made for me to school once, and the other kids thought they had “caught” me and they wouldn’t believe it wasn’t chocolate and they called me a liar for days after that. Why would ANYBODY lie about being allergic to chocolate????
I think the kids really don’t understand. My best advice to your readers is to find other kids who also have allergies or foods they have to avoid. It doesn’t have to be the same foods you can’t eat. Kids who know how serious a food illness can be are less likely to make fun and more likely to stand up for you. And they’ll probably be glad to have a friend who “gets it” too. If there aren’t any kids in your school you can get together with, maybe talk to your parents about finding or organizing a club in your town where you can meet new kids who have Celiac or allergies. You can go out and do something fun that doesn’t involve food, like playing games or going to a park or zoo or whatever you’ve got in your area that would be fun.
-Elizabeth
Lexi, your blog post was very touching. Sometimes it is hard to be gluten free, but it’s what we have to do. Your attitude is an inspiration! I’m proud to have you be a voice for the kids that are gluten free! Keep being strong and keep blogging.
Thanks for your story, Lexi. My son also couldn’t eat the things others ate at school, and what’s worse was when it’s the teachers who were (and still are) giving out “treats” for birthdays, or “rewards” for a job well done, and it’s toxic stuff. He would be the only one without a cupcake on his desk.
I’m working on my end to help change what’s considered a good reward! Keep up the blogging and awareness campaign!
Lexi, it must be so tough when your friends tease you, but you are strong because you know that eating gluten will hurt you. I have been gluten free for three years, and even though I am an adult, I know that it would hurt to have my friends tease me at school. I met a little girl, probably 5 of 6 years old, on Sunday in a Sunday school class I was helping with. She couldn’t have many things, like corn, dairy, beef, and nuts. She had brought her own snack so she wouldn’t be left out when the other children ate theirs. I didn’t hear anyone tease her. Maybe someday it will be much more common to not eat certain foods, but I think that there will always be people who will ridicule our choices. Maybe you will be someone who explains how gluten (and other allergenic foods) can hurt people. You could be a great spokeswoman! Stay strong!
Hi Lexi,
Kudos for being strong. Have you tried sharing your snacks with your friends so they can see how tasty they can be?
My son, Daniel (11) and I have celiac. We’ve been gluten-free for 2 years now. Daniel hasn’t been teased, but he does feel left out when other kids bring birthday treats like cupcakes or the class gets a “reward” of donuts. If we know ahead of time, I can send him with his own treat, but often we don’t know. So he always knows that he can get a treat at home. I know it’s probably hard for him sometimes. At lunch though, he often has kids wanting to trade him for his food that he brought – but he won’t trade! There are so many yummy gluten-free foods out there and I think his classmates are sometimes jealous of his lunch.
Lexi, good job on being strong. I am sorry that your friends aren’t handling things very nicely. Know that you are being a great role model and so awesome for sharing your story with others.
Really, yes, this is for me too. No one sees the pain it causes. Thanks Lexi, maybe you will be a crusader for real change. I see you already are helping others see the best way to respond. thank you and good luck and blessings
Jaya
Lexi, thank you for sharing this with the world. We are also a gluten, grain free family and have tons of similar experiences to share. But the most important part I personally wanted to tell you, is that there is no doubt any more that gluten in not digestible for any human… sadly everyone one at a time will have no other option but join this lifestyle. And then they will see you as a cutting edge person or even a trendsetter, not weird anymore. Hopefully this will happen not to late for their health!
I am sure you saw all the awesome interviews at TheGlutenSummit.com thousands of people are getting on board and add to the proven concepts in science!
Keep writing!
Dear Lexi,
I was dairy free in school and I can remember being teased about drinking ‘baby milk’ because the can of soy milk had a picture of a baby on it. What my mother did for me was to cut the label off so I just had a plain can.
I’m sorry to hear that your friends are pressuring you and teasing you about your food restrictions.
Good for you for recognizing that your health is more important than what your friends want you to do.
Keep the faith!
Sincerely,
Shana
Lexi,
Thank you for teaching other children and adults about how it feels to not be able to eat everything. When more people know and understand, social situations will get easier for you. Joss has gotten teased like you have, but as long as you both stay strong and explain your foods to others, they will begin to understand.
Dear Lexi,
I think you are a very smart and courageous young lady. Thanks for sharing your experience with the rest of us. I hope your friends learn to understand why you cannot eat wheat and support you like friends should. Maybe you could start a campaign at your school to raise awareness for food allergies and sensitivities and let everyone wear a special wristband or ribbon to support those of us in the world who have to navigate this challenging condition. I think people tend to make fun of things they do not understand or things that make them uncomfortable. I don’t think they really know how hard it is endure that kind of teasing. Even someone saying that the food you are eating smells bad is hurtful. When I was a child and I brought lunch to school, some of my friends laughed at me and told me my broccoli smelled like farts and I was so sad and embarrassed to eat my lunch. It hurts. Awareness and education might help people understand and not feel the need to poke fun. Good luck and thank you!
Linda
Great post, Lexi!
Lexi I am going to show this to my daughter, who is very much like you. She is 10. Hopefully you two can talk!
Hi Lexi, I am a Granny to a 10 year old girl, and an 8 year old boy who are Gluten, Dairy free also. It is very hard for them too, but with friends such as you, it is becoming easier. Thank you for your blog. I will show it to them. They will love it!
Hi Lexi, I work with your Grandma Linda. I have learned some wonderful things about you over the years from her. I certainly know what it is like to feel left out of things because similar problems have happened to me. It sounds like you are handling the problems that go along with restrictions and people’s lack of sensitivity better than most people, even grown-ups. I am sure that your experiences will serve you well in the future because you will have practiced doing what’s best for you even if few people understand it. I hope that when I finish growing up I can be like you 🙂
Hi Lexi,
I am gluten/wheat, dairy/casein, corn, soy, sugar and grain sensitive! I do not have celiac but non celiac gluten sensitivity. The other sensitivitis I mentioned are probably in large part because of all the gluten I ate over the years and what it’s done in my gut. So sweetie, you are SO very smart to avoid what your friends offer and only eat what you know is safe for you. It is sad that friends would tease you, but it sounds like you handle it perfectly. Always believe in yourself and know you never have to do anything just because someone else wants you to. Also know their are tons and tons of friends out there who would not tease you. I don’t know you but am so proud of you for starting a blog about what you’re going through! It is a great way to connect to others with similar issues as well as just get your feelings and frustrations out. It is never good to keep negative emotions inside! I hope you keep staying strong and true to yourself because you are awesome and an example for all kids everywhere!!!!!!!!
Lexi, your Youngstown Family is so proud of you. At Kravitz Deli, We have a number of customers who are gluten and dairy free. We have a sandwich named “Candice” which we make on top of fried potatoes with their choice of deli meats and sauerkraut. As a side, we use a chopped vegetable salad made with olive oil and lemon juice.
Maybe you can come up with a gluten/dairy free sandwich that kids would like and we can call it a “Lexi”
Lexi, I can’t tell you enough how proud I am of all that you have done to help other kids understand that their personal feelings are real. It helps to know someone else somewhere is going through similar experiences. You are a strong voice for Gluten Free kids everywhere. Keep up your blog and your support for others!!!!Grammy
Lexi, Some people are very insensitive. Even your friends may someday decide do go gluten/dairy free for their own health reasons.
I had quite a time of it at college, where the dining hall at my student residence mislabelled gluten free and dairy free meals up to several times a week toward the end of my stay. The head chef stated that “a little bit of gluten that gets through the deep fryer won’t hurt” and insisted that “the couscous is gluten free” even though I knew it was made from wheat.
Something I learned from that experience is that we have to be our own advocates. Some people will work to misunderstand us no matter what we do or how important and real a public health issue is. I wish you all the best.
Your a true inspiration to others who have food sensitvitys thank you for sharring your story!
Hi Lexi
my name is Mackenzie, I live in Qatar. I’m 7 and started on a gluten free diet a little while ago. My friends tease me about gluten too. I love your pages. Thank you for making me feel not so alone.
Thanks
Mackenzie
I get questioned all the time, as if people think it’s just a trend or all in my head since I have pretty much tried everything per doctor’s orders and so far, this diet, probiotics and the right supplements have been incredibly helpful! I have Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, POTS, Chiari malformation in the brain, fibromyalgia, ADHD (all go together a lot of times) and other things. I practically am not taking any medicine now and just chose a different lifestyle. I will always have these things but the symptoms have calmed down dramatically and the best part is I am not poisoning my body with medication or gluten. I am still trying to figure out how to perfect the diet since I am new to this.
They’re just jealous that you can do it and they can’t. After all, it is very hard to be consistent with the diet, especially in our culture of wheat and grains and flour. Hats off to you, Lexi, for sticking to your guns. Apparently this teasing has only made you stronger and more determined. The only way to go when it comes to this type of behavior. Kudos 😉
Hi Lexi,
You are so strong! Be proud of the way you are taking care of yourself. My granddaughters (six and three) are gluten free and it makes me sad that someone might treat them badly at school. Thank you for telling your story. I am going to share it with them.
Thanks,
Dr. Glenn
Lexi, I’m a mom with 2 gluten free kids. One day my 10 year old son didn’t eat his hummus because another boy thought it was gross. We talked, and it turned out that his “friend” did many things to try to control other kids around him. I bought the book “My Secret Bully” about a girl whose long-time friend is often mean to her. “Friends” who do things to hurt you on purpose are not really your friends. Sure, sometimes we all do things without thinking about the effects on others, and when we realize we hurt someone we love, we apologize and try to not do it again. But someone who does this all the time is not being a friend. After we talked about this, my son decided to take hummus for lunch the next 3 days in a row. When the other kid said, “That’s gross! I won’t sit by you if you open it,” my son replied, “Ok. Sit somewhere else. It’s my lunch, and I do like it.” This experience has given him confidence to stand up for himself and not be pushed around. Last week he took broccoli, carrots, and ranch because he knew the other boy hates them. He enjoys grossing him out by eating healthy food that tastes good. He decided that he really didn’t care if the mean kid wanted to be his friend or not. What would happen if you told your friends that their behavior hurts your feelings and makes you sad? If they aren’t willing to stop treating you this way, would you find new friends who are nicer? Or do you really like them enough to put up with their bad behavior? You are an amazing and brave girl. I’m buying your book for my kids!
Thank you for your advice and kind words. I’ve read the book “My Secret Bully” before and it made me feel more confident myself. I am still friends with my friends because they have stopped teasing me when I told them it hurt my feelings. We all have our own personal needs and we have to accept everyone for who they are. Good luck to your 10 year old boy.
good luck,
Lexi