Explaining Diabetes to Children

It can be difficult to explain diabetes to a child, especially when he is young. Even a preschooler, however, can understand the basics of diabetes, and the impact it has on his life. He will already have noticed that diabetes makes him different from other children, due to his daily injections, and dietary restrictions.

Understanding the Basics

• Juvenile diabetes, or type 1 diabetes, is a medical condition that some people are born with that causes excessively high levels of blood sugar. Explaining to your child that he is especially sweet, if he is very young, can help him to understand him condition. An older child may understand when you tell him that he needs extra help to be able to use the food he eats for energy.

Getting Injections

• Any child who has to be injected with insulin twice a day will want an explanation. A simple way to explain to a preschooler is to tell him that he has diabetes, which makes him need shots every day. If you are explaining to older children, you can describe the role insulin plays in the use of blood sugar. Simply explain that insulin opens the door to the cells, allowing the energy to go in, and that without an injection, the energy from the food he eats can't feed his cells.

Dietary Restrictions

• It can be difficult for a child to understand why his peers can have cookies and candy, but he isn't allowed to. It is important to explain that the food he eats will affect the way he feels. Emphasizing the need to eat a healthy diet to feel healthy and strong is important when explaining diabetes to children.

Being Different

• There are many ways that diabetes affects a child's life, making him different from his peers. When explaining diabetes to a child, always ensure that he understands that he is special, and that being diabetic isn't any kind of a punishment, nor is it because of anything he did. Explaining diabetes casually enough that he doesn't become insecure about it, but with enough seriousness that he understands the need for his shots and careful diet is a necessary part of explaining diabetes to a child.