My Parents Worry Too Much

Question:

My parents worry way too much about making sure my food is gluten-free. It makes me feel like a baby when I have friends over. Help!

Answer:

I’m 19, and my parents still make me feel like that sometimes! One thing that’s helped a lot, though, has been to read ingredients and ask questions at restaurants myself. Once my parents saw me doing those things, they backed off a lot because they knew I was learning and they were proud that I was being responsible.

Try going food shopping with them next time, and ask them if you can pick everything out. After you read the ingredients on the food you choose, ask them to double check it. If there’s something that you can’t eat in whatever you pick out, ask them to explain why you can’t eat it. That way, you know exactly what food you can eat in your house, so when your friends come over your parents don’t have to worry that you’re eating something bad.

– Molly