My Husband Gave My Daughter a Potential Food Allergen Behind My Back

I am always worried about my kids trying new foods because I have so many food allergies- including shellfish, raw fruits and veggies, nuts and soy. Because of this, I haven’t given my daughter fish yet. I got over the hump and let her have peanut butter last year and thankfully she is fine with it. I’ve been waiting to let her try fish and half joke that when she tries it, we will be in the emergency room parking lot just to be safe.

Lately, my husband and I have been discussing letting her try fish and I agreed that the next time we were out and someone was eating fish she could try it— IF I HAD CHILDREN’S BENADRYL ON HAND in case of an emergency.

Last night was my husband’s birthday and since our son is sick, I suggested that my husband and daughter go on a daddy/ daughter dinner date.

When they came home, my daughter told me that daddy gave her Lobster!

My husband said his best chance of getting her to try fish was when I wasn’t there. And that he tested it out first by rubbing the food on her lips and waiting five minutes to see if anything happened. While I appreciate his thinking ahead to do his own version of an allergy food challenge, I’m also pretty mad that he was “reckless” in the sense that he didn’t have Benadryl on hand in case of an emergency. It wouldn’t have given him a “win” against me, but could have potentially caused an issue with our daughter, as she ate a food that is a common anaphylactic allergen.

What are your thoughts on this, my fellow moms?

Do you always have Benadryl on hand when letting your kids try potentially allergenic foods?

Lesson learned from this post: We can’t always control what our partners do with our kids when we’re not there. Both parents have equal rights over their children, but on major issues, parents should be aligned with how to deal with a situation. Sometimes things beyond your control will happen and you’re going to have to communicate your feelings in a logical way and not start an argument. Keep calm and co-parent on.