Diabetes at School Archives • D-Mom Blog

March 1, 2021 by Leighann

Kids First, Diabetes Second Book: Sharing the Diagnosis

Your child has just been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and now you need to tell others. When it’s time to tell other children, family, and caregivers, look to these tips I shared in my book Kids First, Diabetes Second.

Sharing the Diagnosis

It’s natural for friends and family to want to call or stop by in those first weeks after the diagnosis. They only want to help, but you may be too busy trying to figure out how you’re going to keep your child healthy to deal with a flurry of visitors. It’s okay to ask friends to hold off on visits until you get a handle on things. When you’re ready, here are some good ways to share the news and teach people about diabetes:

Young Children

Read one of the various age-appropriate children’s books to your child’s class.
Show the children what’s in the “kit” you (or your child) carry so they don’t think it’s so mysterious.
Make a collage showing your child measuring a meal, getting their blood sugar checked, receiving an injection, etc., to show to the class.
Some children think needles are scary. Explain that it’s a small needle, not like the vaccinations they get, and that they shouldn’t be nervous if they see your child getting an injection.
Tell them that they will not catch diabetes from your child. Explain simply that her pancreas stopped working and she can’t make her own insulin. She has to check her blood sugar and get injections to stay healthy.

Friends and Family

Invite several people over at once so that you don’t have to give the same talk multiple times.
If they are not caregivers of your child, you can teach them the basics, such as the signs of low blood sugar and how to treat it. Let them know that they don’t have to make special accommodations, such as stocking up on sugar-free products, and that your child can still be included in celebrations, including eating cake.
If your child is self-conscious about her diabetes, you may choose to do this without her presence.

Caregivers

Share books covering the basics of diabetes care, such as Diabetes Care for Babies, Toddlers, and Preschoolers or A First Book For Understanding Diabetes. You want to educate caregivers without overwhelming them with too much information.
Go over the signs and symptoms of low blood sugar, including treatment using the “rule of 15s” (see chapter 4), how and when to use glucagon, signs and symptoms of high blood sugar, and when to check for ketones.
Give an introduction to counting carbs and giving insulin if this will be one of their duties when caring for your child.
Hand out a simple one-to-two-page instruction sheet that includes all the important information at a glance.
Reassure them that they can do this, too, and that you are only a phone call away if they have questions.

Learn More

If you’d like to learn more about the book, you can read more on the Kids First, Diabetes Second book page. It’s available widely from booksellers such as Amazon and Bookshop. And if you do read it and find it to be a valuable resource, I would greatly appreciate it if you could write a review on any of the online retail sites. Thanks!

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links to booksellers.

Please remember that I never give medical advice. Ask your endocrinologist or pediatrician for advice about your own child. Make your own informed decisions for your own child.

February 1, 2021 by Leighann

Valentine’s Day Tips for Children with Type 1 Diabetes

Like any other holiday, Valentine’s Day presents a set of obstacles for children with type 1 diabetes when it comes to extra carbs, lots of sugar, and school parties. But with a little planning (and a little extra insulin!) your d-kid can enjoy the day.

Image: Pixabay

Heart-Shaped Sugar, Sugar, Sugar

When Q was in preschool and still on injections, we had to make it work during holiday parties. This post, written what seems like eons ago, illustrates just how much easier it is for us to navigate parties with an insulin pump, but also how far we’ve come in our diabetes management skills and confidence.

Read Heart-Shaped Sugar, Sugar, Sugar.

3 Carb Cupid’s Cups

Here is a very low-carb treat that your little ones can help you make. The recipe uses sugar-free JELL-O and regular Cool Whip. Read the post to find out why I don’t use sugar-free whipped topping.

Read 3 Carb Cupid’s Cups.

Spare a Rose, Save a Child

While you are making purchases for your Valentine this year, consider making a small donation to Life for a Child. The cost of one rose can supply insulin to a child in a developing country for a month.

Read Spare a Rose, Save a Child.

And Then There Are the Parties

In this excerpt from my book Kids First, Diabetes Second, I share some tips on navigating school parties, including Valentine’s Day.

Read And Then There are the Parties.

D-Mom Blog has many more posts about holidays.

(Originally published February 5, 2018.)

October 8, 2018 by Leighann

Tricks for Treating Your Child with Diabetes on Halloween

Here are some tricks and tips for enjoying Halloween with type 1 diabetes. Learn how to help school parties and trick-or-tricking go more smoothly.

Halloween is probably our family’s favorite holiday. We spend the entire month of October going to various activities, including the pumpkin patch, spooked out zoo, parties, and of course, trick-or-treating. When our daughter was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes as a young child, we wondered how it would affect our enjoyment of the holiday. I’m sure the first thing that comes to mind when you think about Halloween is a huge bag full of candy! I assure you that your child can still enjoy Halloween, especially if you make the fun the focus and not the candy.

I was recently reflecting on one of our first Halloweens with diabetes; it was just before we started on the Omnipod insulin pump. It made me a little upset that my daughter couldn’t have hot chocolate at a late-night festivity, because it would have meant another injection. At another party, she took home the cupcake and other treats to have the next day at a mealtime while her classmates gorged themselves carefree. I have to say that the Omnipod insulin pump has given her so much more freedom because she can eat at any time without that extra injection.

Enjoying Halloween with Diabetes

Whether your child is on multiple daily injections (MDI) or an insulin pump, here are a few suggestions for helping them enjoy the Halloween with type 1 diabetes:

Volunteer at the school party so that you can give insulin for cupcakes and other treats.
Hand out small trinkets, such as bouncy eyeballs, rubber bats, pencils and Play-Doh, instead of candy. Other parents appreciate it, and it might just catch on.
Allow your child to eat a couple of pieces of candy after trick-or-treating.
Let your child pick out a dozen or so of their favorite candies to eat with meals over the next week and donate the rest.
Have the same rules for all of your kids so that the one with diabetes doesn’t feel like he or she is being treated differently.
Pull out high-sugar items, such as Smarties and Skittles, to use for treating low blood sugars.

Tips for Safe Trick-or-Treating

Make sure you carry a blood glucose meter and low blood sugar treatments when you haunt the neighborhood.
Older children who are not accompanied by a parent should use the buddy system and carry a cell phone.
Your children will be doing a lot of walking. It’s a good idea to check your child’s blood sugar before you set out and during the course of the night.
You can always reach into the bag and grab a sugary candy to treat a low. One roll of Smarties is 6 grams of carbs.
And of course make sure they follow general safety tips, such as crossing streets with a grown-up, wearing bright clothing or bringing a flashlight to make them visible to drivers, never going inside homes, and always staying with a buddy or adult.

Have a safe and happy Halloween!

“Tricks for Treating Your Child with Diabetes on Halloween” originally appeared on Insulet’s Omnipod Suite D blog, now called Podder Talk. In full disclosure, Insulet compensated me for the content that I created for them, but I am not being compensated for sharing it today.

September 10, 2018 by Leighann

Seeing Her or Seeing Her Diabetes

I don’t want her type 1 diabetes to be the first thing people notice about my daughter. I want them to see her for all the other things she is.

Image: Pixabay

Q is now a freshman in high school (what?!) and we aren’t with her every moment of the day. It’s very routine for us to drop her off for hours of rehearsals or at a friend’s house. We say goodbye and don’t look back. We don’t even monitor her CGM remotely. We trust that she’ll do a good enough job with her own diabetes management. (I don’t think it’s realistic to ask for perfection from teens.)

In the car this afternoon I looked over at her and saw that both her continuous glucose monitor (CGM) and insulin pump were on her legs. She was wearing shorts.

It’s perfectly normal for her pump and CGM to be visible for all to see.

I asked if she wanted to change into something that covers them, but she said no.

You see, she was on her way to a theatre audition. Normally I don’t care if someone knows if she has diabetes or not. Be loud and proud, I say.

But when she is auditioning for theatre staff that she hasn’t worked with before, I don’t want the first thing that they notice to be the strange objects attached to her arms and legs. I want them to see her. I want them to see her acting ability and hear her incredible voice.

I don’t want them to question her health or her stamina. The only question I want in their minds is which role she would be perfect for.

The reality is that most people know few true facts about type 1 diabetes but believe many things that just aren’t quite correct. We can’t really expect everyone to know everything about every single medical condition, right?

And so it’s tough for me as a parent to tell her to wear her devices proudly because diabetes is part of who she is yet, on the other hand, ask if she might want to hide them from time to time.

I should be proud that she’s secure enough in who she is not to care.

August 20, 2018 by Leighann

Type 1 Diabetes and Teacher Training

Here are some ways to prepare for the school year when your child has type 1 diabetes including gathering supplies, creating a two-page instruction sheet, and teacher training.

I remember in the weeks before my daughter Q started kindergarten I was anxious. But sending your child with type 1 diabetes to school is just another instance where parents need to do as much preparation and training as they can to have the confidence to let go on that first morning of school.

I know other parents cried as their child said goodbye, climbed the steps, and walked through the door. For them, it was a simple separation. For us d-moms and d-dads, we wonder if our child will actually make it through the day unscathed. I didn’t cry that first morning, as much as I had a right to, but I had to believe that she would be okay.

Preparing for School

Preparation begins for our family in the weeks before school starts. I begin gathering our diabetes supplies and filling the kits we keep at school to manage her diabetes on a daily basis. I call the assistant principal to set up a training session with staff, which takes place ideally before the first day of school. I fill out any paperwork that the school district needs, update my two-page instruction sheet and take a look at our 504 plan to see if there have been any changes that need to be addressed.

Diabetes Instruction Sheet

The two-page instruction sheet I update each year has two purposes. First, it highlights some of the main points and serves as a guide as I train the staff who oversees my daughter during the day. Second, it’s a quick reference for substitute teachers because it’s always included in their lesson plan (this is specified in our 504 plan).

When Q was in kindergarten, I always brought her to morning line-up. If there was a substitute teacher in her classroom, I walked right up to him/her and said, “This is Q. She has diabetes. Please read over her instruction sheet and don’t hesitate to get the nurse or assistant principal if you have any questions about her care.” Then beginning in first grade, I often gave Q the independence of being dropped off in the car line and didn’t always know if there was a sub. That’s why the two-page instruction sheet became so important.

Our instruction sheet has a photo of Q in the upper right corner so the teacher, sub, or another staff member can easily identify which child she is and note that she requires special attention. The front of the sheet explains low blood sugar symptoms, treatments, and follow-up care, including when to call 911 for severe hypoglycemia and how to use glucagon. The backside describes high blood sugar symptoms and protocols. I also include any other considerations, such as free access to water, the bathroom, and office. In big type at the bottom of both sides are mine and my husband’s cell phone numbers.

Training the School Staff

Staff members I include in the diabetes training session are the assistant principal, classroom teacher(s), art, music and gym teachers, the librarian and, of course, the school nurse. For some, the diabetes training serves as a review. But it’s brand new for the classroom teacher each year.

During the diabetes training, I go over the instruction sheet, point out important considerations in our 504 plan, and demonstrate how to check blood sugars and use glucagon. I admit that I get a little shaky as I demonstrate the glucagon each year because if they have to use it, it’s a serious emergency situation.

If you’re anxious or nervous, understand that the classroom teacher probably is as well. I think the biggest key is to provide information without overwhelming them, but assure them that they can do this and if they have any questions — no matter how small — you are just a phone call away.

More Resources

“Diabetes & Teacher Training” originally appeared on Insulet’s Omnipod Suite D blog, now called Podder Talk. In full disclosure, Insulet compensated me for the content that I created for them, but I am not being compensated for sharing it today.

July 23, 2018 by Leighann

Diabetes School Supplies

For parents of children with type 1 diabetes, shopping this time of year also includes a long list of diabetes school supplies. Here is what we stocked up on when Q was in grade school.

Photo: Pixabay

At the beginning of August, parents start amassing a stockpile as they check off the list of school supplies that each of their children needs for the school year. Gym shoes, notebooks, pencils, crayons, and markers.

But parents of children with type 1 diabetes have another list of school necessities that they must pack: medical supplies.

In the weeks before school begins, I start going through my diabetes supply cabinet and pull out the items that we might need both for daily care and for unexpected blood sugars.

I prepare two classroom diabetes kits, another one for the gym office and one for the main office. Each of the kits is clearly labeled with personalized medical labels, which I purchased online.

Depending on the layout of the school, access to the main office or nurse’s office, and the child’s daily schedule, you can decide how many kits you will need, where they will be located and what each will contain.

Classroom Diabetes Kits

These two identical kits include the basic diabetes supplies my daughter may need during the day. We keep one in her classroom and another in the music room as a backup. That way, they can be quickly and easily accessed by the nurse and trained staff without having to go to the office. Also, they have what they need in case Q were ever to be in the classroom and unable to leave for an extended period of time, such as during a lockdown or severe weather situation.

For these diabetes kits, I chose brightly colored block-shaped lunchboxes that easily hold all of the supplies. They include everything needed to check blood sugars:

An extra blood glucose meter
Test strips
Lancing device and lancets
Blood ketone meter and ketone test strips

The diabetes kits also include items for treating lows from minor to severe, including:

Smarties
A jar of glucose tablets
Cake icing gel
A glucagon kit
A brick of juice boxes in the classroom and one or two juice boxes in the music room

In case Q is stuck in the room for a while, I also include other food items:

A regular snack, such as an applesauce pouch
A protein snack, such as peanut butter crackers or a protein bar
A small bottle of water

And lastly, I include our two-page instruction sheet which highlights the protocol for identifying and treating low and high blood sugars.

Gym Office Diabetes Kit

I keep a hard plastic pencil box in the gym office that has Smarties, glucose tablets, and cake icing gel so that Q can be treated quickly while the people trained in caring for her diabetes are located.

Main Office or Nurse’s Office Diabetes Kit

I keep another kit in the office that has supplies that are rarely needed, such as:

Two extra Pods
A small bottle of baby oil (we use it to loosen the adhesive when changing Pods)
Q-tips
Batteries
Syringes

Diabetes Supply Bag

Of course, my daughter has her d-supply bag that she takes with her every day as she leaves the house. Q uses a cute purse that we throw into her backpack each morning. At school, it sits in a designated spot during the day so the teacher or nurse can grab it as needed to check blood sugars and give insulin. In this “insulin pump bag” I always keep:

Her Omnipod PDM case (which holds her lancing device, extra lancets, test strips and a vial of insulin)
A juice box
A travel roll of glucose tablets
An extra Pod
A glucagon kit

Refreshing Diabetes Kits Periodically

A couple times a year, usually during winter break and spring break, I bring the diabetes supply kits home from school and rotate stock so that the items aren’t expired.

I know that this seems like a lot of supplies to gather and keep on hand, but for us it makes the school year run more smoothly. Ask your endocrinologist, certified diabetes educator, and/or school nurse which diabetes supplies would be most appropriate for your child to keep at school.

(“Diabetes School Supplies” originally appeared on Insulet’s Omnipod Suite D blog, now called Podder Talk. In full disclosure, Insulet compensated me for the content that I created for them, but I am not being compensated for sharing it today.)