Celebrating Special Occasions and Juvenile Diabetes

You may be worried about the long-term effects on your child once they are diagnosed with diabetes but their immediate concerns may be quite different. It is natural for them to focus on things they cant have anymore or might miss out on. Such as cake and ice cream at birthday parties, candy from Halloween, and a big dinner with pie at Thanksgiving and Christmas. But being diabetic does not mean that you have to abstain from all sweets all the time.

Plan and plan some more. If you know that your child is going to be going to a birthday party on Saturday afternoon, alter their food intake for that day to allow them to have a small piece of cake. Until your children are much older, it is a good idea for you to stay with them at a birthday party in case of any emergencies.

If there is a class party at the school, volunteer to make something that the class can share and your child can have safely. If your childrens teachers are aware of the special dietary requirements they can include sugar-free treats on special occasions.

The same holds true for Christmas and Thanksgiving as for birthday parties. Planning ahead and adjusting meals earlier in the day will allow your child to participate in all of the festivities at holiday time that revolve around food. There are many recipes and variations to recipes that are considered diabetic friendly. These include cakes, pies, and other desserts.

There are things that can be done so your child does not feel deprived. It will make the transition smoother for everyone if you can continue on with life with only while integrated the changes needed for someone living with diabetes. But the allowances should not be made every day keep them to special occasions only.

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