As a parent, do you have a child with diabetes? It is your responsibility to make sure your child learns how to deal with their diabetic condition. Let’s go over this article for some useful information.

You need to design an entirely new diet plan for your child making sure they eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fibers and also  drink plenty of water. Your child should not eat any kind of food that contains a high amount of sugar or high fructose corn syrup. Preservatives, sodium, foods rich in fat and other unhealthy ingredients should be avoided also. Prepare healthy meal plans for your child and pack some healthy snack too.

If your child is overweight, helping them get in shape is a must. Encourage your child to exercise. Let them play sports or find another activity they enjoy. Find out what interests them most and encourage that. The swimming pool or simply going for walks are also easy and fun activities. Your child does not need a gym or follow a fitness program, just being active should be enough to lower their weight.

Children should be made aware that they are at risk for health issues because of their diabetes. They should focus on protecting their feet and developing excellent oral hygiene. Make sure your child always wears shoes that protect and knows how to keep their feet and toenails clean. Make sure to make them brush their teeth and use floss every day. Diabetes increases the risks of developing gum disease and can cause any infections to spread very quickly. Don’t magnify the risk of diabetic complications to them but make sure they follow good habits which nearly eliminates most of these possibilities.

It would be good to take them grocery shopping with you and help them to recognize healthy foods from bad nutritional choices. Teach your child about the five food groups so they have a good idea of which foods are rich in whole grains, fibers and sugar. Your child needs to learn about proper nutrition. Start cooking meals together with your them. Choose simple recipes they will be able to prepare by themselves. What about a cooking class together and develop both your own cooking skills.

Teach them how to use their test stripes and monitor and let them check  and manage their sugar levels by themselves. When you give your child more responsibilities, they will get into the habit of managing their diabetes by themselves.  If they have a cell phone then you can set up an alarm to remind them to check their sugar levels periodically during the day.

It would be good practice to let your child select and prepare their meals and snacks too, but double check to make sure that they have picked healthy foods. If you start them out early they should be able to manage their diabetes alone by the time they are teenagers. As a parent make sure they know that you are always there to help and answer any of their questions.