Complaints from a Food Allergy Mom
Feb 12 2010 in All Site Articles, Food Allergy News by Ruth LovettSmith
A food allergy friend (Debra Legg from 9t05to9) emailed me recently to tell me that she received a hit on her website from an interesting search.
The search was “Ruth Smith allergy complaining”
I immediately burst into laughter because I found it a bit amusing that one would be looking for all my allergy rants and complaints. I asked my husband if it were him. If it was, he didn’t admit to it.
I honestly thought I was the only one who googled myself, so I got to thinking about what someone would perceive as a complaint. I don’t really think of myself as a complainer so much as I do an advocate.
So I did what anyone would do and googled “Ruth Smith allergy complaining”
Honestly–I didn’t find anything too exciting. The original searcher must have been sorely disappointed.
What I did find was an old forgotten post titled
Reader Question: What to Bring to a No Food Birthday Party
I had forgotten about this article and the numerous comments I got roped into. My goal/quest/agenda has always been about education and awareness. I really honestly tried with this one. I’ll admit, some of my comments got pretty hot. Thankfully I knew enough to finally put an end to it and post my last post.
Wouldn’t you know that upon posting my last post I never returned to the article again and I never saw the following comment:
“Full disclosure: I initially came onto this site to find ideas that could possibly assist me in ‘fighting the no cupcakes (sweets) in the classroom rule’, and my child does not have any allergies *to my knowledge.”
“*Ruth – Of course you have an agenda, and I thank you for parting with your experiences and viewpoint because before I came onto this site it truly was just about a cupcake, and not about a child. So consider this a victory – if only a small one, each kid in my son’s class will be happy to receive a book and a pencil for his birthday this year.”
(If you’d like to read the full comment click on the title of the article above and scroll down to comment 63.)
So all I can say is wow-thank you anonymous searcher! I won’t argue over complaint versus advocacy. If it gets results, it gets results.
The kind friend (Debra) who originally sent me the email said:
“Personally, I’d wear such a search as a badge of honor.”
You know what, I think I will!
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9to5to9 said on February 12, 2010
That’s GREAT! And it also inspires me to keep doing what I’m doing – blogging, ie, complaining – because if our posts help one person to realize it’s about a person, not a confection, we’ve done good for the day.
Tricia said on February 12, 2010
That is awesome! Thank you so much for doing what you do.
I have to tell you that I actually had a lady talk to me about my son’s allergies. She asked me to never be that over protective mom who doesn’t let him do anything (I don’t ever limit him but I do protect him). She proceed to complain about a mother who sent her son to a birthday party with a big sticker reading “I’m allergic to peanuts” and was complaining that it was silly and offensive to her (thinking that it was saying she’d forget). This absolutely floored me. I couldn’t believe she would complain of such a thing. I simply replied to her with “Until it’s your child you’ll never see the world as we do” and walked away.
Ruth LovettSmith said on February 12, 2010
Debra–I guess one persons idea of a blog is another persons idea of a complaint….soapbox and all!
So glad you shared because it does inspire us to keep doing it. For every 10, 20, or 100 people that think it’s a complaint–1 will get it.
A mom said to me today:
“changing the world 1 mom at a time” :)
Ruth LovettSmith said on February 12, 2010
Tricia–I’m truly floored for you!
I still go and stay at birthdays because it never fails–each and EVERY time a well meaning adult will give him a piece or cake or a cupcake.
I’ve even taken it away to find someone else handing him another piece!
I’ll parent my kid the way I see fit and others can practice their parenting on their own child. :)
jenny said on February 12, 2010
Keep complaining, Ruth!!!! I think of it as educating, not complaining and it’s why I do what I do.
And remember that quote about “well-behaved women never make history” or something like that. Sticking up for our kids is a good thing–keep up the great work! :)
Ruth LovettSmith said on February 13, 2010
Jenny, thanks so much for your comment and great quote!
I think I’m getting better and better at this thing called complaining…er…advocating! :)
Thanks for all YOUR great work!