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Kids with diabetes

Kids with diabetes are just like kids without diabetes… in many ways. In many other ways, there are all kinds of special considerations to be aware of. Some of these, like kids and diabetes in school, and healthy eating for kids, we’ve spoken of before. But what about when your child is first diagnosed with diabetes – what do you do then?

just diagnosed with diabetes

Essential information for parents of kids with diabetes

One of the first things you do is download this helpful (free) book from Accu-Chek. It covers everything from adjusting to the diagnosis and explaining diabetes to your child, to learning how to monitor blood sugar, healthy eating and exercise. And, of course, school! It’s a really helpful resource for any parent of a Type 1 diabetic child.

Read and download it here.

kids with diabetes

Helpful information about kids with diabetes

It’s also helpful to have something shorter to share with your friends and family when your child has just been diagnosed. This article covers all the basics, and is a useful link to share. Some of our favourites include:

How to explain to your child that they’re living with diabetes

  • Let them know that it isn’t their fault and that their body isn’t broken.
  • Explain what Type 1 diabetes is, in ways that they are able to understand, like this: ‘inside your body is a specific thing called a pancreas, which makes something called insulin. But sometimes, a pancreas is like a locked door, which makes making insulin harder to get through. But eating this way, or doing exercise, or taking this medication will help unlock the door and make it easier for insulin to be made.’
  • Let them know they aren’t alone.

Recognise when your child has low blood sugar with these symptoms:

  • Sweating 
  • Extreme hunger 
  • Itchy lips 
  • Difficulty talking 
  • Irritability / Crying without reason 
  • Trembling, dizziness 
  • Tiredness 
  • Blurred vision 

Read the full article here, or download the book here.

Do you have a child with diabetes? What do you wish you’d known when they were first diagnosed? Share it here so that other parents with newly diagnosed kids with diabetes can read it. We’re all in this together…

Photo by Anna Kolosyuk on Unsplash


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Sweet Life is a registered NPO/PBO (220-984) with a single goal: to improve diabetes in South Africa. We are funded by sponsorships and donations from aligned companies and organisations who believe in our work. We only share information that we believe benefits our community. While some of this information is linked to specific brands, it is not an official endorsement of that brand. We believe in empowering people with diabetes to make the best decisions they can, to live a healthy, happy life with diabetes.

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