Camp.

I'm in the middle of my fourth week working as a camp counselor this summer and have learned two things so far:
1. Kids are exhausting, and
2. They know a lot more about food allergies than they did when I went to camp as a kid.

I'm fortunate enough to work at a nut free camp, so I do not have to worry about my kids eating nuts at lunch and snack time. Making this announcement at the beginning of the week also gives me the opportunity to explain the rest of my allergies to my campers, telling them that they can eat the other things that I am allergic to as long as they wash their hands after they eat.

When I was a kid, I was the only camper with allergies. Most of my friends already understood my situation, but anybody that I didn't know before camp started usually had no idea what food allergies were or how to keep me safe from my allergens. The changes in kids at camp now compared to ten years ago when I was a camper are fantastic, and it warms my heart to know that my campers already know what food allergies are and how to be safe and prevent me from having an allergic reaction.

My kids are also great because they ask a lot of questions. I have a different set of campers every week and its cool to know that every Friday I send home a different group of kids knowing a lot about jewelry or fashion design (the two camps I teach) AND a whole lot about food allergies.

Knowing how well informed these kids are about food allergies makes me optimistic for the future of food allergy education. While it is important to fund research and work towards finding a cure for food allergies, there is no way to tell how long that will take. Educating children about the importance of food allergy safety is the best way to help create a safer world for those with food allergies, and I am glad that I have found a way to incorporate that education into my summer job!