I had an exciting thought yesterday.

This is a particularly opportune time to explore food sensitivities!

Why would I want to do that? you might ask. Why now?

I’ve encountered many people who are trying to help their children overcome challenges we’ve struggled with: Tantrums. Mood swings. Rages. These are events that can change the trajectory of a day or even a week.

For us, after trying multiple therapies (for parents and child) and medications, we stumbled into the realm of food sensitivities.

That’s when we found that changing our diet changed our life.

Period.

Now here’s the opportunity:

If you are sequestered at home, you’ve got yourself a closed system when it comes to food and drink. We — and our kids — can only eat and drink what we actively bring (or keep) in the house.

There’s no treat-sharing at clubs or lunch-sharing at school. No impulse fast food runs.

The only things we have available for consumption are things we stock in our fridges, pantries and cupboards.

That’s why now is the perfect time to keep a food and behavior diary. Write down what your special person eats and drinks, and record notable behaviors (and possibly sensations) … or lack of them.

Clearly this is not a perfect experiment. Changes in routines —of which we have had many recently —also prompt changes in behavior. But in our life, patterns emerge regardless of other stimuli.

I can’t promise you’ll find a smoking gun, but I doubt there will ever be a more convenient time to look for it.

I’d love to hear other families’ discoveries!

To check out our journey, my blog series on this topic starts here.