The COVID Generation: Cultivating, Growing, and Thriving

Happy last week of May! It's the last week that Silly Bean can say, "Happy May!" to passing neighbors, but he has been looking forward to turning the page on our calendar since the beginning of May anyway! The weather here has been a lot warmer this week, and we've been enjoying writing new chalk messages, going to the park with appropriate social distancing, and playing in Silly Bean's new tent (new to him--a Christmas present that we stowed away for such a time as this!)!

our newest chalk message for our neighbors 

Silly Bean's version of "sunny days ahead" to the neighbors

This morning, Silly Bean and I looked at our "garden" on our deck and said good morning to each plant,  as we do every morning. We water them, say hello and talk to them, ask them how their morning is going, because apparently if you talk to your plants, they grow better ;) We wanted to show you how they are shaping up!

from left to right: carrots, lettuce, string beans

tomato plant #1

tomato plant #2 

tomato plant #3

lettuce #2

tomato plant #4

Recently I feel like I can now relate when people use the term "the daily grind." For us in toddler world, our lives generally follow the same routine every day, which is really important for young children to feel secure and thrive within familiarity. Lately, I have self-doubted about whether Silly Bean is doing all right. It's hard being a young only child in quarantine, and I wonder how this will affect his development, particularly socially, in the long run. How is this entire generation of under 5 being affected socially by the quarantine? Will he lack the social skills that any other child would develop in normal circumstances? Will kids in this generation not know how to interact with their friends, think all interaction happens 6-10 feet apart, or via screens?

When we were talking to our plants this morning, I was reminded of that Raffi song "Everything Grows" (this might be for another post, but we LOOOVE Raffi around here!) and what our pediatrician always says about Silly Bean's development: "You can't stop progress." Everything and everyone is continuing to grow, despite quarantine, despite doing the same things day in and day out... development and progress are happening even if we don't see it, just like how the plants are growing. I was also reminded that our words have power and what we have the power to speak things into being (for good or for bad). I or others might say this entire generation will be the COVID generation--that they will be the socially distant, hyper-sentsitive to germs, etc., but instead I want to speak into being that this COVID generation will be the cultivating generation--the generation that knows how to sow good seeds, nurture them, and find thriving and life. The generation that will learn perseverance in the mundane, who will continue to do good and reap the harvest in the proper time.

What things do you want to claim and speak into being for your child, yourself, this generation?

Asian-American Reads for Heritage Month

How is everyone doing this week? We've been relishing the warm weather and enjoying having dinner on our balcony! It's the simple moments like these that have been bringing us little rays of joy in our days.

May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month! I thought it would be fun to write a post about what books we have been reading here that are about and/or by Asian-Americans--toddler reads as well as adult fiction reads. Even though your local library may not be open, support these authors buy purchasing their books from your favorite book seller!

Toddler Reads: Books by Asian-Americans, Books About Asian-Americans

We really love all of Grace Lin's books (I shared two of them in our posts about welcoming fall and about Chinese New Year), and lately we have been really into Dim Sum for Everyone, mostly reminiscing about the last time we went to dim sum with my mom, and talking about how we probably won't be going anytime soon 😒

Mama Bear and Konichiwa! were books I received during student teaching, and both I like because they show Asian-American children's daily lives. Silly Bean really loves looking at the pictures and asking questions about them, and I love that he gets to glimpse into the lives of other Asian-American children.

Ellie is a sweet little story about an elephant finding her own talent and using it to save the zoo. It's colorful, has an endearing little story, and has animals--great for kids! Not Asian-American in the story per se, but the author, Mike Wu, an illustrator with Pixar, is Asian-American.

Five Thousand Words is an Usborne book given to Silly Bean by some friends. We use it mostly as a "what do you see in this picture?" and to practice our Chinese. It's in simplified Chinese and uses Mandarin ping ying, which is not my preference as we are Cantonese, but it's really hard to find Chinese books for kids nowadays so we'll take what we can get!

And Silly Bean loves Moana--the music, them movie, the book, all of it. I thought I would include this because for a time it was Silly Bean's favorite book (it's just a Golden Books version of the story using pictures from the movie) and because Pacific Islanders are often forgotten or less thought of in the AAPI acronym, and we are celebrating their heritage this month as well!


Adult Reads: Young Adult Asian-American Literature

I love young adult literature, even now--contrary to popular belief, there are often well-written stories that seamlessly incorporate current events/trends/issues, which I think is great, and often there is growth and self-actualization that happens in the characters. Growing up, I didn't really see/read about young adult characters who looked like me, but lately there has been an increase in Asian-Americans publishing books with Asian-American characters as the protagonist. I am so excited to see myself or see my friends in these stories and the experiences we have be normalized and shared with the world without me having to be the cultural narrator/translator.

Frankly In Love tells the story of Frank Li, a Korean-American high school guy, and the lengths he goes to fake date a family friend (also Korean-American) to cover up his actual relationship with a white girl. It also explores issues like race/racism/ethnic identity through interactions among the characters. Even though I am not Korean, I related to many parts in this story.

Loveboat, Taipei, is about a recently graduated Chinese girl who dreams of studying dance in college, but that conflicts with her parents' desire for her to become a doctor. She is sent away to Taiwan for the summer to a cultural program to learn about her roots, and it is there that she learns about herself. I thought this book was so well written from beginning to end--in addition to the arc of the storyline being well-done, the actual writing is great and there is so much that is shown and not told.


What have AAPI literature have you been reading lately that you'd recommend?

Happy Food Allergy Awareness Week!

Happy Food Allergy Awareness Week! Here are a few facts about food allergies in general that you might not have known from the Food Allergy Awareness website:

1. A #FoodAllergy is NOT the same as a food intolerance. #FoodAllergies involve immune system (IgE) & can be life-threatening.
2. Eight foods account for 90% of all #FoodAllergy reactions: Peanut, Tree Nut, Egg, Soy, Dairy, Wheat, Fish and Shellfish. However, almost any food can cause a reaction. 
3. Read #labels each and every time before eating any food product! #Ingredients and/or #manufacturing can change over time, or may vary depending upon the size of the product (e.g. jumbo vs snack size). 
4. Hand sanitizing gel is NOT sufficient to remove #allergens. Use warm/hot soapy water or a commercial "tidy" wipe. 
5. #Anaphylaxis is a serious allergic reaction that comes on quickly and has the potential to become life-threatening. Anaphylaxis includes a wide range of #signs and #symptoms that can occur alone, or in combination, after exposure to an #allergen.
6. Past reactions to a #foodallergy do not predict future #reactions. You can still have a life-threatening reaction to a food you are allergic to, even if you have never had a serious reaction before. 
7. Prompt administration of #epinephrine is crucial to surviving a potentially life-threating #reaction. Always carry two (2) auto-injectable epinephrine devices with you, and know how to recognize the #signs and #symptoms of an #allergic reaction.

Silly Bean has a lot of allergies, including: eggs (cooked or baked, both whites and yolks), cow's milk (also anything with casein or whey in the ingredients), walnuts, bananas, corn, beef, salmon, mushrooms, avocado, and perhaps more than that.  A lot of friends and also parents of kids with allergies have asked us a few questions that I'd love to answer here on the blog, in case it was something you were always wondering or if you have a kid with allergies as well.

Q: How did you find out about Silly Bean's allergies?

A: Silly Bean had bad eczema when he was a baby. Our pediatrician was astute enough to wonder if it might be due to food allergies (he was breastfeeding at the time, but could have been foods that I was eating) and referred us to see an allergist who specialized in pediatric eczema issues. Silly Bean had a skin test and we found out about the egg allergy. The cow's milk allergy we found out about when we were trying to transition him from breastmilk to cow's milk around age 1--he was having a reaction around his mouth, face, and hands--so we had him tested for that as well, and it was confirmed by the skin test. The other foods we kind of just found out through having him try foods and him having a reaction (rash around his mouth/on his face, on his wrists, or if it's more severe, it's hives on his face, arms, belly, or where the food came in contact with his skin).

1st time eating solid food!

Q: How severe are his allergies? How do you treat them?

A: Silly Bean hasn't had an anaphylatic reaction to anything so far, thank goodness, but he does have an epipen for just in case instances that we always carry around when we go out (whether it's just going out to the park for play, or eating somewhere). If it's not too severe, he just kind of has a red rash around the mouth/face and wrists. If it's more severe, it's hives on his face, arms, belly, or where the food came in contact with his skin. We have noticed that he does have contact allergies with some of the foods, meaning if you ate walnuts and didn't wash your hands and grabbed Silly Bean's arm, his arm would most likely develop a rash or hives where you touched him.

We usually give him children's Benadryl, which helps, and if he does develop hives, the allergist prescribed him 2.5% hydrocortizone cream (a little bit stronger than the ones you would buy over the counter), or if it's really bad, triamcimolone cream. We try to use the ointments sparingly though.

Q: How do you handle when you or Kevin are eating something that Silly Bean is allergic to?

A: I mostly try to make meals that we can all eat so that Silly Bean doesn't feel left out. But, we still like to eat what we've eaten in pre-Silly Bean days (for me that includes dairy, eggs, ...). Sometimes Silly Bean will ask what we are eating and ask to try some, but he usually remembers and says something like, "Oh, I'm allergic to eggs! Mama and Baba can eat eggs, but Silly Bean is can't." In order to help him not feel left out or feel bad about that, I would say something like, "Mama can eat eggs, but I'm allergic to honeydew so I can't eat honeydew. Silly Bean and Baba aren't allergic to honeydew so Silly Bean and Baba can both eat honeydew."

I usually also try to find comparable equivalent that are Silly Bean-friendly. If I'm eating cheese, Silly Bean can also have his special cheese. If we're having dairy-based dessert, Silly Bean can have a homemade fruit popsicle. If there isn't an equivalent, Silly Bean doesn't get too upset, because he's too happy eating his own meal 😁

Silly Bean loves noodles! + practicing chopsticks

Q: Why do you always have to bring Silly Bean's meals to eat out?

A: We don't have to, it just makes it a lot easier. Some restaurants just don't have options that work for Silly Bean or are unable to guarantee that something is cross-contamination free. Outings where we gather with friends or family are made a lot easier if we can all bring our own food, or do potluck style where we will definitely have something available that is Silly Bean-friendly. If we're not sure what's available or how it's prepared, it's just a lot easier to have his meal packed.

Q: Has Silly Bean's allergies made things more difficult in raising him?

A: I think when Silly Bean was young, and especially being 1st time parents, it felt scary because even at 1 or 1 1/2, there were a lot of foods he hadn't tried so we just weren't sure and felt nervous about it. I don't think it necessarily made it more difficult to raise him (though we also don't have anything to compare it to!), but it's taught me to be more conscious about ingredients, about how to make these things on my own rather than store-bought so I can control the ingredients as well as salt and sugar content, making baked goods from scratch so I could make them allergy-free. It's been a fun and creative process in trying new things, and we probably eat healthier on the whole thanks to all of his allergies.

Q: Will Silly Bean outgrow these allergies?

A: No idea. Hopefully. Right now we're just focusing on helping Silly Bean know what his allergies are so that he can tell others if we aren't there or advocate for himself/self-regulate his own eating.

Q: Is Silly Bean discouraged about eating because of his allergies?

A: Not in the least. Silly Bean looooves eating and he eats way more than I do 😛 He's an adventurous eater and especially loves trying ingredients while he helps me cook in the kitchen.

Here are 2 great resources for helping kids (and adults) understand allergies:

1. Daniel Has an Allergy (Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood) book. Silly Bean sure did feel better that his favorite character has food allergies, too!
2. Little Rabbit Can't Eat Clover story from the Little Stories for Tiny People podcast. I love this little story that explains in fiction form about Little Rabbit's allergy, how her family adapted and how her friends were able to help accommodate and help Little Rabbit not feel left out! Silly Bean is still a little too young to grasp the whole story, but when he gets older we will definitely be listening to this story again and again. We also love this podcast so much! It's so delightful and encourages imagination.

Does your kid have allergies? What parenting hacks do you have that have been helpful for them and your family?