Celebrating Georgia, Jack's Loving Non-Celiac Sister Turns 10!

Georgia and Jack have been buddies since day one.  Only being 17 1/2 months apart they are very close and Georgia has always taken care of her little brother.

Jack's sister Georgia is turning 10!! We will have a child in the double digits! It's crazy and scary at the same time. BUT, she's a pretty sweet girl with a big heart and we will celebrate in a cupcake and cookie kind of way!

With Valentine's Day approaching, we are also preparing for Georgia's birthday as it's on the 13th.

When I bake at home, it's ALL GLUTEN-FREE. BUT, being that Georgia was wanting to take cupcakes to her class today, I asked what she wanted and she wanted cupcakes. I usually bake GF ones, but with 3 snow days this week and making 40 gluten-free pancakes for Jack's class, I opted to buy some super cool "gluten" ones from the store. See, she's not 100% gluten-free. She eats what I make at home and has some gluten-free

Georgia and her Lil' Bro, Jack - August 2007

Georgia was only 3 1/2 yrs. old when Jack was diagnosed at 2.  At a young age, she learned to say, "Jackie can't have that."  She always watches out for her brother and understands that sometimes we can't have certain things because we don't want Jack to feel left out.

Two Peas in Pod - Georgia and Jack - Fall 2010

So with that said, here are some tips to help siblings transition as well and to be supportive:

1. Make sure to say "thank you" to your child for giving up a certain treat or waiting until later for a gluten snack
2. Make time to take the non-celiac sibling out for a treat they have been wanting - for example, Georgia loves getting ice cream with a cone, so we may do that on our own.  When Jack is with us, she gets her ice cream in a cup.
3. Explain the disease to your children and let them know that it's a hereditary disease, so they understand that anyone in the family can have celiac disease.
4. Go grocery shopping together - find foods the whole family can enjoy.
5. Lastly, stay positive when talking to your children about a gluten-free diet.  Encourage siblings to try gluten-free bread, etc. Because as they get older, most likely dinner time will be gluten-free for everyone!

Georgia, thank you for being a wonderful big sissy to Jack.  You have been patient, understanding and supportive of your little brother on his gluten-free journey. And thank you for always offering a hand when it's time to bake gluten-free cupcakes!   Love Always, Your Momma

July 2010                                             May 2013