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Tips for Parents

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For a Quick Snooze


Sony has a dream machine clock radio with a nap feature that I couldn't live without.  You can set for 10, 20, 30, 60, 90 or 120 minutes.  It's perfect for the midnight madness or a few winks before the school bus arrives.

Pumping Tips

Pumping Tips for pumpers at  Pump Wear offers tips for everyone
wearing an insulin pump

Give yourself a quick break

I keep a calculator next to the scale in the top draw. It gives my brain a rest, even if it's  only for a moment.

Food Related: Leftovers

I store leftovers in the refrigerator with either the nutritional facts from the packaging cut out, or a little post-it note with the serving size and carbs taped to the lid. This is  for an easy grab at meal time. No questioning the amount of carbohydrates or serving size!

Food Related: Stevia, Xylitol and Nuva are alternatives to Saccharin, Aspartame and Sucralose

An alternative sugar substitute to Saccharin, Aspartame and Sucralose is Stevia which is a natural sweetener with zero carbohydrates. 

Xylitol  1 teaspoon = 4g of carbohydrates. It's found naturally in fruits and vegetables.

Nuva is 100% natural with zero calories, artificial ingredients and glycemic index. 1/2 teaspoon = 2 g of total carbs. Nuva contains Erythrytol, a natural sweetener derived from fruits, Inulin, a natural fiber that helps digestion and Stevia Rebaudiana, a plant that has been used as a natural sweetener throughout the world for centuries.We purchased this product in our local health food store.

Counting carbohydrates in school

Here's a tip sent in from a parent living in Ontario, Canada:

"When our son goes to school (he is going into grade 2) we label his lunches with corresponding dot stickers (red for lunch, blue for morning snack, green for afternoon snack and yellow for "free" snacks). We write the food and carb amounts in a book and his teachers can read what the carbs are (so can he). The book also provides a great resource to correspond with teachers as his numbers are recorded each day. At the age of 6 he was already on the pump and entering his own sugar and carb levels."

Diabetes Coaching While Away From Home

Here's a bit about what Gary Scheiner and his team can do for kids looking for long distance coaching.


Living on your own for the first time can be challenging for anyone, particularly when you have diabetes. In fact, most significant blood sugar control problems arise during the first 3-6 months of living independently. If your child will be leaving home for college, boarding school, or any other destination for an extended period of time, expert diabetes coaching services are available via phone and the internet. Integrated Diabetes Services’ team of CDEs (all of whom have type-1 diabetes) have provided this service for years, and it has been a tremendous comfort to concerned parents and resource to growing kids. Your child will have an opportunity to prepare for what’s ahead of them and learn how to manage their diabetes effectively in an independent situation. CDEs are available to answer questions, offer helpful tips, review self-monitoring records (via pump, meter and CGM downloads) on a regularly scheduled basis, and fine-tune insulin doses in order to achieve safe control. Call 877-735-3648 or visit www.integrateddiabetes.com  for more information.

Emergency Room Visit

If you need to go to the emergency room call your doctor's office and have them call ahead and set things up...it will save time and the hospital is  aware of your needs.

Diabetic Ketoacidosis

If you believe that your child is in DKA, DO NOT load him/her up in the car and head for the emergency room. You will have to wade through too many people and the wait can be much too long. Call an ambulance; they will begin re-hydrating with an I.V. as soon as they get there, which will help to begin to arrest the DKA slide. My daughter caught her pump tubing on the computer desk, but her set looked ok; in the middle of the night, she was in trouble, and she had the presence of mind to tell us to call the ambulance rather than have us take her and lose a lot of time.

Excellent Blood Sugar Control

Laura Plunkett writes:

Our endocrinologist at Boston Children's Hospital has had diabetes herself
since she was a young child. Some of the best advice she gave my son was to subtract the fiber grams from the total carbohydrates and then add half the protein grams. She also advised Dan to take insulin twenty minutes before eating (unless his blood sugar level was already low). She explained that protein actually raises blood sugars, but more slowly than simple or complex carbohydrates. This formula allows her to keep excellent blood sugar control, and it has worked wonderfully for my son.

iphone CarbsControl

Kelley from Bloomfield Hills, MI sent in a tip:

My 5 year-old son is newly diagnosed and we are counting carbohydrate challenged. Just discovered an "app" for our iphone called, "CarbsControl". It is a TIMESAVER! Especially when eating out or on the go. It has many of the restaurants we visit listed with carb counts for event the kids' meals!!!! It also lists many "brand name" foods. It is impressive! Hope you find it useful!

Exercise Related: Swimming & Pumping

Johnson & Johnson has a large water block (plus) band-aid that is 100% water proof.  It shields out water, dirt and germs. Cover the inset with this big patch to keep it from slipping off as well as sand-free. We have used this bandage to cover JoJo & Nick's  inset for years.  It works like a charm.

Exercise Related: Rainy Days

On rainy days when the kids can't go outside to play they can still get exercise. At our house we use the tread mill. It's a great way to get some exercise (with supervision of course) and stay dry.  

Overnight Visits

One of the most nerve-wrecking things is to have someone else take care of your child on an overnight stay. Creating a check list and going over it with the caregiver. To calm your nerves and those of the caregiver, try the following:
a. Have him/her follow the overnight routine you use at home (ex. midnight or 2 a.m. BG checks); b. Locate your child’s bed in or near the caregiver’s bedroom (if appropriate); c. If in an adjacent bedroom, keep the doors open and; d. If your sanity requires it, set your own alarm to call the caregiver at 2 a.m. (yucko!)

Birthday Party Tip

In the past we've have JoJo and Nick's  birthday party after school, right around afternoon snack time and before dinner.  The party guests even came home with the kids on the school bus. We had cake or cupcakes for snack as soon as they arrived home.  The rest of the time was about the  birthday celebrating.  The party guests were picked up before dinner. 

Travel Related: Airport Security

Hey there... If your next trip involves flying, you may find this info helpful. A lot has changed in airport security in recent years, so being prepared can save you a lot of hassle at the checkpoint!

The information below is excerpted from the guidelines for travelers with type 1 diabetes provided by the TSA.  Before leaving for your trip, you may want to check the TSA website, and call your airline for additional information. 

* Inform the Security Officer that your child has type 1 diabetes and you are carrying supplies with you.
* Inform the Security Officer if you think your child may become upset during the screening process.
* Offer suggestions on how to best accomplish the screening to minimize any confusion or outburst for the child.
* Know that at no time during the screening process will you be separated from your child.
* Know that if a private screening is required, you should escort and remain with your child during the private screening process.

* The following type 1 diabetes-related supplies and equipment are allowed through the checkpoint once they have been screened:
     - insulin and insulin loaded dispensing products (vials or box of individual vials, jet injectors, pens, infusers, and preloaded syringes); 
     - unlimited number of unused syringes when accompanied by insulin or other injectable medication; 
     - lancets, blood glucose meters, blood glucose meter test strips, alcohol swabs, meter-testing solutions; 
     - insulin pump and insulin pump supplies (cleaning agents, batteries, plastic tubing, infusion kit, catheter, and needle); 
     - glucagon emergency kit; 
     - urine ketone test strips; 
     - unlimited number of used syringes when transported in Sharps disposal container or other similar hard-surface container. 
     - Sharps disposal containers or similar hard-surface disposal container for storing used syringes and test strips.
     - Insulin in any form or dispenser must be clearly identified.

* If you are concerned or uncomfortable about your child going through the walk-through metal detector with an insulin pump, notify the screener that your child would like a full-body pat-down and a visual inspection of the pump instead.
* Advise the screener that the insulin pump cannot be removed because it is inserted with a catheter (needle) under the skin. 
* Insulin pumps and supplies must be accompanied by insulin. 
* Advise screeners if your child is experiencing low blood sugar and is in need of medical assistance. 
* You have the option of requesting a visual inspection of your insulin and type 1 diabetes associated supplies.

If you encounter problems with the screening process, ask to speak with the TSA security supervisor. You can report problems encountered while traveling by calling the TSA Consumer Response Center toll free at 1-866-289-9673. 

Now... sit back, relax and enjoy your flight!

 

The ideas you'll see here are from moms and dads like you. Use the ones you like, but obviously don't do anything your child's medical team doesn't recommend.

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