You've likely heard my story about my younger son's initial diagnosis. After the doctor confirmed my son was, indeed, allergic to peanuts, a nurse provided me with a resource sheet. There were very few resources listed on the sheet. It was six years ago, and if memory serves me right, there were two resources: the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network and Vermont Nut Free. I would add a couple more resources to that list for parents managing their child's peanut and nut allergies, and one of those resources would be The New Nut-Free Mom: Crash Course in Caring for Your Nut Allergic Child, an e-book authored by Jenny Kales of the Nut-Free Mom blog.
If I had a copy of Jenny's book back then, my learning curve with peanut and nut allergies would have been so much quicker and less frightening. Jenny is a calm voice of experience and reason in an overwhelming world of nut allergy fears, conflicting information and controversy. Her book helps steer parents and caregivers through all of the questions that arise following a diagnosis of peanut and/or tree nut allergies. It is really a treasure trove of valuable tips, accumulated through experience over the years.
Jenny's thorough handbook provides guidance on so many critical subjects, such as allergies at school, dining out, playdates, and educating others about your child's allergies. I think my very favorite chapter is Chapter 8 "What Does "Nut-Free" Really Mean?" It touches on a pet peeve of mine which is how the term "nut-free" is used differently by different people. Not surprising, that makes label reading very confusing at times. I am especially glad Jenny covered this in her book, because misunderstanding a label can be dangerous due to the risk of cross-contamination with some foods labeled as "nut-free". It's a term used loosely and I haven't read another allergy book which cautions readers about this potential problem.
It's been a number of years since my son's diagnosis, and I still visit The Nut-Free Mom blog on a regular basis to read Jenny's latest tips and discoveries. In fact, a box of Whole Hearts cereal is sitting on the table, thanks to a tip in one of her blog posts following the introduction of peanut butter Cheerios in the last year. I highly recommend The New Nut-Free Mom for those managing a child's peanut and/or nut allergies. It is an informative, easy-to-read, and easy-to-implement book of helpful tips and advice, from a mom who's "been there". If you are new to managing a child's peanut and tree nut allergies, you can't ask for a better and more thorough summary of need-to-know information. It's especially wonderful to have Jenny's wisdom so conveniently packaged in an e-book to take on-the-go too!
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