How to Teach Kids About Diabetes

Diabetes occurs when a person's body doesn't make the insulin it needs to break down various starches and sugars in the foods she eats. Diabetes does not just occur in adults. When children are diagnosed with diabetes it is called juvenile diabetes. Since diabetes is a treatable disease, it is important to educate children on how to recognize the disease, treat it and offer support to other children that may be diagnosed with it.

Things You'll Need

• Diabetes testing supplies
• Poster board
• Marker
• Dummy

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Instructions

• 1

  Begin by asking the children what they already know about diabetes. This will give you a better understanding of whether the children are believing any myths or whether they have a general understanding of the disease.

• 2

  Talk to the children about the symptoms of diabetes. Let the children know that if they ever have these symptoms that they should not ignore them, but tell a trusted adult, school nurse or family physician. You may want to write these symptoms down on a chart and include some pictures, as children are very visual: being thirsty all the time, having to go to the bathroom all the time, unexplained weight loss, increase in appetite, becoming overly tired more frequently, blurry vision and feeling irritated.

• 3

  Let the children know that if the doctors find that they have diabetes there is something they can do right away. They can begin changing their diet. They can eat more fiber-rich foods such as whole wheat products, rice, vegetables and beans. They can also take their three big meals and turn them in to five or six smaller meals to be eaten throughout the day. Tell the children that there will be adults that can help them make a great eating schedule that will help them feel better.

• 4

  Talk about insulin. Show the students some diabetes testing supplies and insulin needles. You may even want to have a dummy to demonstrate on. Let the children know that kids with diabetes have to keep track of their blood sugar. The levels will let them know if their diet and insulin injections are working or whether they need a higher dose. The doctors will help them manage this.

• 5

  Talk to the children about exercise. It is important to try to get some exercise in after each meal. Explain that this will help your body digest the food. It will also keep you from becoming overweight, which can cause diabetes.

• 6

  Let the children know that this disease is not contagious. They should not shun a classmate or exclude that classmate from playing games with them. Tell the children to treat any child with diabetes as normally as possible because that is how the child will be feeling on the inside.

• 7

  Hand out cards to the children that can direct them to some juvenile diabetes support groups. Let them know they can keep the card in case they need it, or give it to a friend that might have diabetes. Tell the children that it is important for them to talk with other children that have the disease if they get diagnosed. It will allow them to talk with someone who understands and help put them at ease if they are scared.