Explaining Diabetes to child with Type 1

[blondie76]

Hello! Our son was diagnosed with diabetes 3 yrs ago and he is now 5 1/2. We are trying to figure out how to explain diabetes to him in simple terms so he can start to understand better what is going on with his body and explain it to his friends in school. When he is asked what diabetes is, his respone is "it's my insulin". Does anyone have any suggestions on how to explain this to young children? It would be greatly appreciated!!!

[Becky Stevens mom]

Hi, we actually made up a little skit about diabetes to teach Steven about it. In our skit Steven was Mr cell, my son Harry was Mr simple sugar and I was the amazing super insulin!!!! I had Harry stand by Steven and say " I can't get in!" "this cell needs me for energy but Im locked out" I then came to the rescue and unlocked the cell to allow Mr simple sugar to go in and give energy to that hungry cell.

That is the way Ive explained it to Steven and his friends. Because his pancreas doesnt make insulin we have to give him some so that his food can get into the cells to give him energy and keep him healthy

[Corinne Masur]

The previous poster had a really creative way of explaining diabetes! Because I am less creative I just try to explain what I know but in simpler terms. I think it is important that the child know that there is only one thing not working in his body and everything else DOES work. The one thing that is not working is his pancreas so he and you together have to do the work his pancreas would normally do. You do that by giving his body insulin when it needs it, etc.

Does anyone know of a good children's book on the subject?

[momandwifeoftype1s]

I really like the story and photo book that timnshann from CWD made. Maybe she can provide the link? There were lots of photos of kids from CWD in the book, and I liked the way diabetes was explained in a way that a child could understand. Connor's 1st grade teacher read it to her class, and we have a copy at home too.

[sooz]

Hailey also has bi-lateral hearing aids because of a congenital hearing loss, as well as diabetes, and I explained both things to her (or other children) by saying, Grammie has to wear glasses because she needs help to see, you wear hearing aids because you need help to hear, or, you need (to take shots of) insulin because your body (pancreas) does not make insulin. Lots of people need different things. There is a little boy in her class who wears a brace because of CP etc. It is a simple explanation for now.

[WendyTT]

My 9 year old is the one with diabetes but my non-d son is 5 and the very simple way we explain it to him is to say that Lindsay's pump is now her pancreas because her own pancreas doesn't work anymore. Obviously that only works if they are on the pump but saying that the pancreas in their body just doesn't work and that we are having to give the insulin for it is a very simple way to explain what the pancras doeesn't do.

[blondie76]

Thank you for all the great ideas! We will try some of these ways to explain it and see if he understands . We just weren't sure if we are expecting to much of him to understand at 5 1/2.....
I need to come here more often for this great support!!!

[Brandi's mom]

My daughter's meter came with a really cute book designed for very young kids to help them understand diabetes. Even though she is a 10th grader, I still had her take it to school so her friends who were curious could read it at their leisure because it really did explain things well even though they were explained in very simple terms.

Later today I'll have her find it so I can tell you guys the name of it.

[frizzyrazzy]

the example I used for my son when he was that little was to turn the cells into little warehouses where the 'energy' is stored and that energy runs the big machine (the body). The warehouses have to be unlocked with special keys called insulin. the keys get made at the pancreas factory but unfortunately the workers at the pancreas factory has gone on strike so no keys are being made and the big machine no longer has any energy. So, super mom (tada) has found a way to sneak insulin keys into the body with a nifty super insulin delivery system called a syringe. The insulin no longer needs to be made in the pancreas factory and the insulin keys can get to the warehouses and get them unlocked and the big machine can work again.

(yes, I know it's not 100% accurate, but it's accurate for a 5 year old)

[tricia]

Our son was diagnosed at 2 yr old. To explain diabetes to him, I made up a game- similar to the skit mentioned by another parent here.
The couch was 'the cell', he was 'sugar' & I was 'insulin.'

"Cell! Can I come in?" he said near the couch.
"Do you have an insulin key?" answered the couch/ cell (me- from another room).
"Not yet." Then he's run around the house as I, 'insulin' ran to catch him & toss him on the couch/ 'in the cell'.

With some variations on this basic game, I was able to explain a HYPOGLYCEMIA (the cell is starving & needs the sugar);
The influence of EXERCISE (the insulin gets 'stronger' & 'carries' more sugar into the cell in one trip so less insulin is needed to get the sugar into the cell.);
and HYPERGLYCEMIA... lots of sugar but not enough insulin to get the sugar into the hungry cell.)

He understood the basics all in the context of a game.
He's now 11 yr old- not always compliant, but still remembers the basics he learned so long ago

HTH
tricia