When Your Child Is Diagnosed With Diabetes

When Your Child is Diagnosed With Diabetes

Getting diagnoses of diabetes is usually a severe blow to the parents of a child with the disease. Many emotions come to the surface – guilt, fear, sadness, anger. You realize that the invasion of this disease into your lives is going to make a big difference it your family, and it is only natural to look for solutions to try and soften the blow.

One of the first things you should do is learn everything you can about childhood and/or adolescent diabetes. Other family members should do this as well, for this should definitely be something the entire family should be involved with. The more you understand about your child’s illness, the better equipped you will be to help your child face the differences he must cope with in order to live with the disease.

For example, children are not used to attending a birthday party and not being able to eat birthday cake, or not being able to play sports with their friends because their blood sugar might drop. She may be terrified of having her finger pricked each day to test her blood sugar. If he has to have an insulin shot during the school day, he may be quite sensitive about any comments his classmates may make when they find out he is diabetic. Most of all, children will probably feel as if they are somehow “different” somehow because of their illness. Coping mechanisms will be necessary to help a child deal with these and other pressures he will face.

Some adults do not realize how deeply a child can be affected by diabetes. Depression is common, since so many aspects of the child’s life must change when he is diagnosed. One way to counteract some of the depression is to allow the child to participate in his care as much as possible. This is easier than it sounds, and can also give you the chance to sneak in a little nutritional education as you discuss the need for good eating habits with the child. The more mature the child, the more he can share in his treatment plan.

It would be a wonderful idea for the entire family to change their eating and exercise habits in support of the child with diabetes. Nothing could be better support than a family who is centered on healthy living.