When your child is diagnosed with diabetes you may feel devastated.
You think that they will have a difficult time in school and daily activities. In addition, your child may feel different or strange.
However, there are several things you can do to help your diabetic child live a happy and healthy life.
As a parent you can implement the steps below to help your child feel as normal as possible.
Provide Your Child with All the Facts
The first thing you want to do is make sure your child understands exactly what diabetes is and how it affects them. After all, how are they supposed to explain it to their friends if they don’t understand themselves? Make sure they are familiar with the terms associated with diabetes and what each of them means.
While glucose and insulin may seem like foreign words, you must find a way to explain them at your child’s level. There are several books available today for children who have diabetes. Try to find one that explains the condition easily for a child of your son or daughter’s age.
Try to Make the Process Fun
While it may not seem like a lot of fun to poke your fingers or take insulin shots, there are things you can do to make the process easier on your child. For example, let your child pick out their own meter.
They can choose their favorite color and apply stickers to make the machine seem less scary. You can also set up charts for your child and reward them for testing their blood sugar when they are supposed to.
While nothing is going to take away the pain or discomfort associated with testing and shots you need to find ways to encourage your child to manage correctly.
Help Your Child’s Peers to Understand the Disease
When your child reaches school age they will face several questions and comments about their condition. Rather than leaving your child to face all of these trials on their own you can help to educate their classmates.
Talk to your child’s teacher and see if you can have a party to explain your child’s condition to the class. Bring your child’s meter and syringes to explain exactly what your child must do on a regular basis.
Then let your child explain that they enjoy many of the same activities as the class. When children understand that they have more in common with your child, than they have differences, it won’t be such a big deal.
Set Up a Support Group for Your Child
Make sure that your child is surrounded by a support group of family and friends they can talk to. You may even consider finding a diabetic youth support group in your area that your child can join.
Children often cope better when they understand that they are not alone, and that there are other people just like them. If your child can make friends with other children who have diabetes they will feel more normal.
