1. You can request a 504 plan at school to allow your child to meet his/her needs. You can ask that your child be allowed to leave class to use a bathroom at any time and may even be given access to staff only areas. You can ask for my child to have extra time before lunch to administer insulin. You can ask teachers and office to keep emergency snack foods available at all times for your child and that your child can eat during class. You can ask for a retake on test if your child’s sugar was too high. You can request that your child carry a cell phone and be able to contact you as needed. You can request that your child never be withheld from lunch period. You can request special procedures during gym to control your child’s sugar.

2. Illnesses, stress, exercise and menstruation can cause blood sugars to fluctuate so be prepared.

3. Find out immediately what the different options are for treating and what procedures are available for new diabetics to you can choose what is best for your child. Find a pediatric endocrinologist.

4. Find a support group immediately. Check with your local hospital for a list. Doctors cannot always be reached in a few minutes, friends can. Get on the internet and find blogs and chat rooms with people that have diabetic children, that way you can always find someone on line even at 4am.

5. Check out books like the “Diabetic Bible,” “The Diabetic Women,” to find out what foods you should eat and which you should avoid. Find out what foods contain a lot of natural sugars, like carrots, so you can avoid them.

6. Diabetics need to snack often to help keep the blood sugars at an even level.

7. Keep a list of questions that you think of throughout the month in your wallet so you don’t forget them when you see the doctor. Don’t be afraid to ask, the doctor may have great suggestions for you that he didn’t know you needed.

8. Keep track of blood sugars before and after eating so you know how that specific food is going to affect your child’s body. Certain foods may not require an injection of insulin. Find a freestyle tester so you can test blood from anywhere on the body as opposed to just on the fingers. Testing on your arm can be a lot less painful.

9. Ask for tips from experience parents on ways to control your child’s sugar during high activity levels like sports or during sleep or other problem times for your child. One mom suggested half Gatorade, half water to drink during the activity to help keep the sugar where it should be instead of going in with high sugar.

10. Don’t be afraid to seek counseling for your child or family. This is a very difficult and stressful time for the whole family.



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