“My child cannot do anything for Christmas. No cookies, no gingerbread houses, no egg nog….I get so depressed during the holidays.”
I would truly like to know where people get these notions that their kids, because of their diabetes, cannot eat different things for the holidays.
I would really like this article today to be where people add a comment to this post so many can learn from your wisdom about eating, diabetes, and what to do with children’s appetites during the holidays. Mine is just a starting, point so please share your thoughts.
If someone said to me (and this is even before insulin pumps etc) I’m so sorry that your kids cannot truly eat what they want during the holidays our answer was always the same. “No kid can eat what they truly want during the holidays. If they did, they would eat so much crap they would explode.”
I have always stated that kids can eat what they want, they just cannot eat as much as they want, but if you think about it; no child can just eat as much AS THEY WANT. So with the holidays coming, do not drive your self crazy ‘worrying’ about all of the goodies. Pace yourself. Have the resources where you can carb count to the best of your ability and adjust accordingly.
The late, great Richard Rubin constantly stated to give choices to your child. One idea is to say, you can have 15 of these (something healthy and ‘free’) or one of these (correctly proportioned sweet snack). Choices…..always try to make it with choices. If you want this now, you can have X amount; but if you wait until X time you can have X amount where we can bolus for it; what do you want to do?
Now of course you can just say ‘no’ but if the holidays are all about saying ‘no’ at every turn, you’ll have struggles. So look to giving choices.
Parents—PLEASE feel free to add to this post so others can learn. Many will be having their first Christmas with T1 diabetes—-what suggestions do you have when it comes to food and holiday eating? PLEASE SHARE.
I am a diabetes dad.
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