TIP of the WEEK: Food Security During Home Visits

Maintaining food security during the holidays is hard, plain and simple. Maintaining food security when your child is visiting for a home visit is even harder because it is out of your everyday routine which is why it is the most written about topic on The Tip. You are busy, stressed, worried about how your child will tolerate the change in routine and wanting to keep the peace. Here are some ways to make this week as enjoyable as possible for you and your family:

• Take time before your child comes home to "PWS proof" your house. If your child only visits during the holidays then have someone who is not as familiar with your home as you are to do a walk through. You have locked the fridge and moved the extra canned foods to a secure location but did you remember the can of loose change you keep on the shelf? Have you removed the candy dish from the dining room table and taken the younger siblings gummy vitamins from the top of the fridge?
   
• Do you have a plan for the holiday party if your son or daughter cannot maintain safety? Don't go with a group that will all have to leave if you do. If the party is 2 hours away, have a plan to stay in a hotel if need be. A 2 hour drive with a child with PWS who is escalated is trying at best and dangerous at worst. Staying over at someone else's home even for one night is risky even if you have explained the need for security. If you do not live this life, you don't get it. Period.
   
• Schedule time with your other kids so you can be alone with them. This is their holiday too and if you want to maintain or develop a healthy relationship it cannot be all about their siblings needs.
   
• Find some time for yourself. This is so important. If you live close to your residential provider ask if you can hire a staff person for a few hours to come to your home and watch your child while you take some time to be alone, run errands or attend a party that may be too stressful for your child.

The holidays can and should be fun and festive. I am trilled to announce that over Thanksgiving we had minimal weight gains for our students and adults who went home. Parents and extended family did a phenomenal job maintaining food security and with that we also saw very few behavioral issues during and after their visits.

We wish you all a very happy holiday and want the safest and most enjoyable time for you and your family. You deserve it!





Submitted by:
Patrice Carroll
Manager of PWS Services

Related Posts:
Holiday Fun at Latham
Traditions
Surviving the Holidays

TIP of the WEEK: It's Not Just About the Calories

Many of you have asked that I talk in greater detail about getting through the holidays, specifically about how to explain to family members (grandparents in particular) about their child's diet. How many of you have heard the following- "It's only one cookie",  "It's a special day", "He's thin", "You don't need to worry about his diet anymore", "You're being too strict", "Just this once."

Grandparents want to spoil their grandchildren and in many cases that includes food. Not giving their grandchild special treats goes against their nature, especially when that child is saying that they're hungry. Will one extra piece of cake ruin their diet and make them gain 5 pounds? Probably not but it's not just about the calories. We have an obligation to create an environment for our kids where they can thrive and that includes managing their expectations regarding food. When our kids know what they are going to eat, how much and when, they can relax, they can focus on the rest of their lives. When extra, unexpected food is introduced they feel anxious, stressed and out of control. Giving a child or adult with PWS more than what they were told that they would get creates anxiety and anxiety leads to unwanted behaviors. You are no longer grandma or grandpa, you are a food source because you created an expectation. You want your grandchild to want to see you for your love and comfort, not because you might slip them some treats that they shouldn't have. Spoil them every time you see them, with presents and hugs and your company, not with food. If for no other reason than the more secure their minds are about what they are going to eat, the better behaved they will be. "Just this once" hurts them. It makes them feel unsafe and anxious and that is the last thing that you want your grandchild to feel about you. And if you think that this isn't fair, you're right. It's not fair that they can't have what the other kids have and that we have to be so careful about what we give them, but it is our reality and sticking to it will make your grandchild and your whole family better for it.

Submitted by:
Patrice Carroll
Manager of PWS Services