This is a sponsored guest post.
When my pre-teen son was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, my mind went into a meltdown. Then I did what most parents do. I got busy trying to control this disease. I researched his diet and wrote out menus for a month. I knew he would need to have his blood monitored so I did research on glucose monitors.
I discovered Ascensia. I found that Ascensia is dedicated to the comfort and care of diabetics and has been for almost a century. Before there were blood glucose monitors, they invented urine testing strips. Their website was full of helpful information. I chose the Contour Next Meter, and also took advantage of their free logbook offer and software from their site.
I ordered special containers for my child’s lunch box so he could carry his fresh from-home lunch and snacks. I also provided his teacher with glucose tablets in case he had an emergency. I printed off a large blood reading sheet and every day we wrote down his blood readings. Things were going great. Until they weren’t. Suddenly, his numbers would spike and I could not explain why. I checked and rechecked his meals. I asked him if had eaten anything extra that day and he said he had not. Then I began finding candy wrappers in his pockets, and sometimes empty soda cans in his backpack. At first, he swore that he did not know where they came from, but the numbers backed up the fact that he was snacking. He finally told me the truth. What could I do?
Punishment?
I admit, my first reaction was to punish him for disobeying me. But that didn’t seem reasonable. How do you punish a child for eating? It was not his fault that he got diabetes and I was trying to help him learn to live his life, not trying to force compliance. So, I made an appointment with his doctor.
The doctor listened patiently to all the things I had done. Then she asked me what I had included him in. It was not until that moment that I realized that I had not talked to him about what I was doing or why I was doing it. I had not given him a say in his menu changes or even shared the history of the company that impressed me enough to make me select their products.
She suggested that we begin again. This time, including him in the conversations. She also said to allow him time to talk.
What do you know?
That night I asked my son what he knew about diabetes. I was surprised when he said that it means he can’t eat good stuff anymore because he is sick. So, I explained to him from the very beginning that his body doesn’t make insulin. I told him what insulin does, and why he needs it. I saw the biggest shock on his face when he found out he could still eat his favorite foods, but we had to plan for them and we had not had time to do that yet.
He explained to me that he ate the foods he wasn’t supposed to because he was getting teased by some other kids. What were they teasing him about? Do you remember the really cool little containers I mentioned earlier that I bought for his special lunches? Well, they seemed to
scream “pick on me” in a lunchroom full of 12-year-olds. He said he liked his raw fruits and veggies, but why couldn’t they just be in a plastic bag like everyone else?
Phase 2
Over the next week, we sat with my monthly menu and made adjustments together. We modified foods that he liked and that would not bother him to eat at school.
Finally, we made a cheat sheet. We did some math and figured out what a pack of cookies or chocolate milk would cost him in food and energy. We selected several items of foods that were available from the school vending machines and he understood the costs associated with them. His favorite school lunch was pizza day, so we figured that day up so he could eat in the cafeteria on pizza day. This was not easy and there were times we had to adjust. I think that is true for any growing kid. Sometimes they just take growth spurts and you have to adjust everything.
Working together, we managed to find a way that my son could live with his diabetes. That is what it is all about. Teaching them to thrive on their own. It is all about teaching them how to stand on their own and balance their own meals. Until there is a cure, he will have diabetes, but who knows how long he will have his mother. So, I am good with teaching him to stand on his own. This is a win/win as far as I can see.
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Hi there! I am Emily Evert, the owner of Emily Reviews. I am 28 and live in a small town in Michigan with my boyfriend Ryan and our two pugs. I have a large family and I adore my nieces and nephews. I love reading memoirs, and learning about child development and psychology. I love watching The Game of Thrones, Teen Mom, Sister Wives and Veep. I like listening to Jason Isbell, John Prine, and other alt-country or Americana music. I created Emily Reviews as a creative outlet to share my life and the products that I love with others.
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