When babies are born, every parent hopes that they will be absolutely perfect and that they will never have to deal with major illness. For the parents of a small diabetic child, this dream is quickly replaced by the realities of glucose meters, needles, finger sticks, and insulin. However, children are resilient: sometimes much more so than their parents. But it is nonetheless the grownups’ responsibility to help their children cope with diabetes treatment and develop good self-management skills. Here are some quick tips.

–Never deny your child’s feelings: If an injection hurt her, acknowledge that pain and offer her an assurance that you will continue to look for ways to make the process less painful. Denying her legitimate feelings will only confuse her and reinforce her being “different” than others in her family.

–You need to stay calm at all times: A small child will pick up quickly on a parent’s anxiety and become anxious herself. No matter how she reacts to “injection time,” keep as matter-of-fact an attitude as possible and don’t react angrily.

–Use a distraction: For very small children, a distraction may help to focus their attention elsewhere during an injection. Rub her leg firmly while you are injecting her in the arm, for example, or always have her favorite doll on hand for her to squeeze tightly during the process.

–Look for helpful products that will help her feel less “different:” Once she starts interacting with her peers, she’ll be more conscious of her diabetes, especially if she wears the tell-tale medical id bracelet. Instead of having her wear an old-fashioned one, look for beaded as well as other types of designs online: this type of medical id bracelet resembles the ones her friends wear, and she won’t feel so self-conscious.

This is just a snapshot look at a few ways to help your young child cope with diabetes treatment: she will rely on you to lessen her fears and learn to self-manage for the rest of her life.

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