Sharing snacks

[andeefig]

How do you guys handle it when your child is playing with others and they want to share snacks/drinks? Max is 21 months and is doing pretty well at understanding me when I explaing basic things to him. I encourage sharing things (toys,etc.) but it's so hard to contradict it when it comes to snacks. He's too young to fully understand why he can't share his precisely measured snack or have some of another child's. He had just turned 1 yr when dxd so we never had to have the "now you have diabetes" chat...it's all he knows. The other mom's that I'm with at the time know what's going on and they will also say "no, no Ashley, that's Max's snack"... I was just wondering how you handle it. Thanks!

[lynn]

I'm sorry you are having these difficulties with your son. Contradictions seem to come with the territory some days with diabetes. We don't eat much processed food and I have always told my kids that it is full of "junk" so we don't have it often. Now I keep lunch meat in the fridge so Nathan can have a quick "free" snack sometimes. The same with artificial sweetener. I used to say that I would rather stick with real sugar (within reason, of course) than something made up in a lab. Now we have a container of Splenda in the cupboard.
My son was two and a half when diagnosed, so a bit older than your son is now. He was the baby of the family at the time and was used to having everybody share everything with him. It was hard for him to have that end. He still wants to have people share with him. Or he wants to share with others. I think it's tough. We finally made a rule here that we just don't share food at all. It's easier than trying to make a little guy understand about the need to eat every bite because I weighed it out and dosed his insulin accordingly. He is three now and is just starting to ask if something has carbs in.
I guess all this to say that I don't really have an answer for you. It's hard with little ones who have limited understanding.
Lynn

[selketine]

My son William was dx'd at 26 months and is also very allergic to peanuts - so sharing snacks is not only bad for the diabetes it could kill him.

We've always just told him he cannot share snacks with his brother or his friends. When friends are over we all have the same snack or a snack that everyone has chosen and likes their own or whatever.

Of course when they are young they don't quite understand but I have always told him why we don't share food...that he is getting insulin for his food and I need to know how much he is eating. If he wants more to ask me or if someone else wants something to ask me, etc. I think only in time do they figure it out and it seems rather normal.

It is a good lesson to teach in any case I think - as they get older and go to school it is safer not to share food (and some schools request that children don't share food). With William's allergies I've learned that it is best - especially with the little kids - not to offer any food as the other child can have allergies, etc. or his parents may not want him to eat that and so forth.

[Pammers]

My rule for Joey is he can only have what mommy or daddy give him and any empty bowls, cups, or containers must be brought to us before they can go in the sink/garbage can. It took a while, but he pretty much understands now.

[Ben'sMommy]

Ben understands that he must ask before he can have something. If he's offered something he brings it to me first.

Recently he was having a haircut and the barber gave him a lollipop without asking me ( :eek: ).
Ben turned to me and said "Ben have lol pop, Mummy?".

I was so chuffed that he could have had my credit card if he'd asked for it!!!!:)

[hold48398]

I always tell my girls that there are certain things we simply don't share - food is one of them (as well as toothbrushes, underwear etc). There are so many kids with (severe) allergies, and Mia has always had at least one of them in her class, even at preschool, so the teachers also insist that no foods will be shared. It's now become a habit NOT to share. She knows that if she wants something, she can ask and I can get it for her, too.