What To Expect When Seeing A Diabetes Doctor?
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Processing the fact that your child has a chronic illness can be extremely hard. Accepting that your child will need effective management for the rest of his or her life can be tough and it is completely normal to feel a bit of sadness and grief.
It is vital to take care of your own needs as well as that of your child’s. Whenever you can, let others (such as friends and relatives) share the responsibilities of providing care to your family.
Once you begin to recognise the feelings of your child, you may need some tips to help you cope with those emotions. Some of these tips are mentioned below.
Acknowledge The Feelings Of Your Child
Talk to your child on a regular basis. Listen to everything he or she says before bringing up your feelings. This type of communication need not be verbal always. Playing music, writing, or drawing can help children with diabetes to express their emotions.
Encourage Active Healthcare Management
It is crucial to reinforce the idea that when children take excellent care of themselves and efficiently manage their diabetes, they can avoid unpleasant things such as taking extra insulin shots or the need to miss out on activities that are enjoyed by their friends. Your child may even want to pose questions to the doctor on their own.
Cultivate Independence
It can be quite difficult at first, but it is essential to not give in to the urge to overprotect your child or lower your expectations. Instead, you need to encourage the same independence that you would expect from your other children. With the support and encouragement of parents, children with diabetes can take up some key responsibilities to manage it, which boosts their confidence levels.
Help Your Child Know Their Strengths
Is your child a sports lover or an avid reader? Is he or she good at singing or painting? You need to realise that diabetes doesn’t define your child’s life: the condition is just a small part of their identity.
Focus on Friendships
When children with diabetes have fun with friends, it gives them a sense of belonging besides building confidence. You need to encourage your child to talk to their friends about diabetes. This can help their friends feel more at comfort during interaction in the same manner they did prior to the diagnosis. Rather than focusing on a single thing that is different, children can divert the attention on things that they have in common with their pals.
Find Ways To Combat Bullying
Sometimes, children pick on those peers with diabetes or other health conditions. To combat teasing and bullying, you must inform your child about specific coping mechanisms such as confiding in an adult, using humour or compliments to throw the bully off guard, or acting bravely, walking away, and ignoring the bully.
Correct Misconceptions
Speak to your child about the fact that diabetes is not a repercussion for some past deed or that they deserve the condition; diabetes just happens. Moreover, if your child feels a sense of guilt that his or her condition is causing problems to you and other family members, provide reassurance that this is not the case. On the contrary, your child needs to focus on coming to terms with their feelings about diabetes, and not yours.
Create A Diabetes Management Plan
Before the commencement of the academic year, consult your child’s healthcare team to create a personalised Diabetes Medical Management Plan (DMMP). Then, pay a visit to the school and review the DMMP with the principal, teachers, and other support staff, who may shoulder the responsibility of caring for your child during school hours.
Build Self-Esteem
Build the self-esteem of your child and understand their range of emotions because children may feel a little too overwhelmed with what is happening. In addition, they may feel inferior to their peers.
Speak to Other Parents Who Have Children With Diabetes
Sometimes, knowing what is ideal and best for your child and the best way of combating diabetes in children, can be quite confusing. Connecting with other parents can help you take the best course of action.
The Final Word:
As a parent, it can be extremely overwhelming to know that your child has diabetes. There are ample things to learn, and you will need to speed up on effective management of diabetes as well as incorporate lifestyle changes to ensure everything is smooth with your child’s physical and emotional wellbeing.
