How to Talk to Children About Diabetes

Though often considered an adult disease, diabetes is on the rise in children. Ultimately, the treatment is the same for both juvenile and adult diabetes, but children react differently to the diagnosis, and experience a profoundly different psychological reaction to having this kind of disease. With this in mind, it's important to learn how to talk to children about diabetes in order to help them effectively control and monitor their health.

Instructions

• 1

  Focus on the child as you talk to them about diabetes. Turn off the television, radio or any other distractions so the child knows you are focused completely on them. If the phone rings, let the answering machine pick it up.

• 2

  Use open ended questions to encourage real communication. If you simply ask yes or no questions, then you will likely only get simple yes or no answers. This is especially true with a teenager, so be sure to phrase your questions to get the most out of your talk.

• 3

  Be patient. Some children may not yet have the verbal skills or mental capacity to convey their feelings easily or clearly. Allow the child to form their thoughts at their own pace without any pressure.

• 4

  Use constructive language and avoid labeling. A child is struggling to belong, and being labeled as a diabetic will only undermine this need for acceptance and identity with a group. Identify your child as having diabetes as opposed to being a diabetic.

• 5

  Avoid blame and negative reactions. Having a disease that will last their entire lifetime may become quite a burden on a child, so it seems natural that they will grow tired of performing all the tasks like testing their blood sugar levels and taking their medications. If they begin to have trouble with these regular tasks, be supportive instead of being accusative and punishing the child.

• 6

  Encourage your child to vent about his frustrations, fears and anger. Having diabetes can be extremely frustrating, especially for a child who may have to pass up certain experiences because of this disease. Don't interrupt when she needs to cry or use aggressive language even if you feel it's inappropriate for someone her age.

• 7

  Live in the present. Threats about what may or may not happen in the future due to having diabetes will only make your child live in fear instead of learning to constructively deal with the disease. Don't tell them they may go blind later on because they aren't keeping up with their blood sugar levels. Instead, ask them how you can help them now so things will stay under control later.