Most toddlers are demanding, entertaining and exhausting even without diabetes. The development of diabetes adds a new dimension to the care parents have to provide for their child at this age.
This is an age when a child is developing independence with toileting and eating and sleeping. It is a time they want to do things for themselves before they are good at it, and this can cause frustration for a busy mother. Toddlers can make a lot of fuss as they develop independence from babyhood, and they can get angry if they don’t get their own way. It is also a time of high activity but then they become very tired. If they are at a creche or kindergarten or there are elder brothers or sisters, then they will also probably develop many respiratory and other minor infections. These lead to loss of appetite which makes a mother’s life more difficult. All these things happen with any toddler, but they also make it more difficult to care for diabetes.
Don’t expect perfect control of diabetes
How does this all affect diabetes? Most parents of a toddler find that perfect diabetic control is difficult – probably impossible to achieve because of variable activity, variable appetite and occasional infections.
Don’t worry – things improve greatly when they start school and relatively poor control at this age does not seem to have any long-term consequences. Regular visits to physician or diabetic clinic should help in assessing control and reassuring you that your child isn’t adversely affected by the varying blood glucose values.
Mealtimes should be pleasant, not a battle
How do you cope with a diabetic diet when a child has very variable appetite and a strong will of her own? By not being too rigid and not allowing mealtimes to become a battle. Offer the meal, help your child have her meal and enjoy the pleasure of your company at the mealtime, just as you would if she didn’t have diabetes.
If she doesn’t finish the meal in a reasonable time, don’t prolong the agony, but remove the plate and check how much of her carbohydrate exchanges have not been eaten. If it’s just a small amount this probably doesn’t matter – you can always monitor blood glucose values later and check they don’t get too low.
If quite a lot of food is left you could give a drink to replace some of the missed exchanges. Alternatively you may offer something an hour later, particularly if the glucose level becomes low. Don’t spend extra time on the meal because this can develop into a battle of wits, and it’s a fight you probably won’t win without a lot of fuss and bother.
Try not to let your child know you are concerned about the food being eaten; it just raises anxiety and may be used – unconsciously – by your child to gain more of your time and attention.
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