by Jamie Rider

Created on: May 26, 2008   Last Updated: June 13, 2008

Parenting children with Type I diabetes can seem more like a sheer cliff face that the normal up hill road.This difficult road can be navigated safely.
If your child is diagnosed as an infant, you do not have to become an expert on diabetes over night. Instead, gain an understanding of the treatment regime and goals, and the mechanics of accomplishing those goals. Become calm and confident in your execution of blood sugar checks and insulin injections. Even very young babies pick up quickly on stress and anxiousness. The more calm and assured the caregiver, the more accepting even the youngest children will be of the discomfort associated with testing and medication.

For pre-school age children, you must check their blood sugar often. This age, especially after your child learns the word "No" can be the most challenging period, with or without the added concerns of diabetes. By creating a family culture where your child earns stars or points for accepting a blood sugar, that can be traded in for some non-food reward such as a trip to the park, a new toy, or a favorite story time, as a parent you can put the focus on something besides the momentary discomfort. Diabetic children go through the same patters and challenges of children without the disease, including periods of picky eating. However, unlike their metabolically normal counterparts, it is critical as a parent to be well-armed with alternative caloric sources, such as a variety of foods, juices and milk to find the right food item to keep your child on the proper caloric intake schedule and maintain their appropriate blood sugar levels.
Social issues start to arise more obviously in school age children. It is critical to start to give your child a voice in how to handle the communication. Some children will be willing to treat their disease as a show and tell topic, while others will be embarrassed by their special needs. Involve your child in choosing who and how to share information concerning their condition with the notable exception of some "non-negotiable" players such as the school nurse and their primary classroom teacher. Try to convince your child to include their close friends as well, so that there are extra eyes watching for signs that their blood sugar has gone awry. Some useful techniques involve role-playing with your child, having them practice the act of telling a friend so that they grow more comfortable with the idea.
There are times when your child might get excluded from the invitation

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