Glucose monitoring Saying no Taking charge/self care Developing a strong self image Diabetes camps When you have a child, you want to make sure that child has the healthiest possible future. That is especially true if your child has a lifelong medical condition like diabetes. But it's not easy to maintain good management of blood glucose levels with a child and sometimes it seems that your child may be making the management even more difficult than it needs to be. Glucose monitoring Research shows that diabetic complications can be greatly reduced with a consistent diabetes treatment regimen. That starts with regular monitoring of blood glucose levels. A child's blood glucose will fluctuate more than an adult's and their need for insulin will change as their bodies grow. Consequently, children's blood glucose needs to be regularly monitored to ensure that they are receiving the medication they need. Children's blood glucose levels should be monitored at least four times a day, even more if it is fluctuating a great deal. Glucose testing should also be done more frequently if your child is involved in a sport or other strenuous physical activity. Return to top of page Saying no Many children dislike the finger sticks and insulin injections at first. They will try to bargain and plead their way out of it. It's important to be firm and not allow your child to talk you into skipping any part of their regimen. Although you may think you're being compassionate, you are actually putting a great deal of stress on your child. Giving them permission to fight their treatment will leave them in a state of emotional turmoil several times a day. That's a tough way for a kid to live. When you stay firm and ensure that diabetes care is consistent, your child can relax and accept the testing and injections - no point in getting worked up. They still may sigh and roll their eyes when they know finger sticks will be done, but it will become an accepted part of their normal life. It is critical that everyone responsible for your child's care be equally firm about following your child's treatment plan. Your child's parents and step-parents, child care providers, and teachers need to understand what the treatment plan entails and why sticking to it is so important to your child's health and happiness. Return to top of page Taking charge/self care A child should be involved with their treatment from the very beginning. Tasks can be identified which are appropriate for their age and which can give them some feeling of being responsible for their treatment. For example, a very young child can decide which finger to stick. An older child can prepare and administer their own injections. A teenager can schedule their own doctor's appointments. Your child's health care team can help you devise a plan where they can grow into managing their own diabetes. It can be hard for parents to let go of complete control but has to be done sooner or later. By letting your child eventually take charge, you are helping to make sure they grow into healthy, independent adults. Return to top of page Developing a strong self-image There isn't a kid in the world who likes being different from other kids. And kids with diabetes are different from others. The glucose monitoring, insulin injections, and meal planning make them different from others in their class or play group. Be prepared for them to say they hate their diabetes - after all it makes them stand out from other kids. Work to keep the lines of communication open so they have an outlet for their feelings. Allow them to sound off when they need to. And it's okay to agree that diabetes is tough, because it is. Once the anger boils down, remind them that managing their diabetes keeps them healthy so they can do everything any other kid does. Don't treat your child like an invalid and don't let diabetes define who they are. Encourage them to explore their interests and try new things whether it's sports, music, or the arts. Remind your child there's more to them than just having diabetes. Return to top of page Diabetes camps Many state diabetes associations provide summer camps for children with diabetes. Whether it's a day or overnight camp, your child will have an opportunity to enjoy all the fun of camp, supervised by people with the medical training who understand the demands of diabetes. Many camps include diabetes education, counseling, and treatment planning in addition to all the usual camp activities. This kind of camp is a time where your child can be exactly like every other kid in the group. They'll have a chance to share their feelings with others who understand what they're going through. To learn more about camps in your area for children with diabetes, call the diabetes association in your area. Return to top of page THE INVISIBLE EPIDEMIC | LEARN MORE ABOUT DIABETES | THE IMPACT OF DIABETES | ORGANIZATIONS THAT CAN HELP | BACK TO HEALTHWORKS MAINPAGE    © 1998 Prairie Public Broadcasting, Inc.