Extreme Southern Couponing: Diabetes Daily Dose: Siblings

How siblings deal with Diabetes.

It's obvious that diabetes is hard for the child that has it, but how do the siblings involved take it?

When my daughter was first diagnosed with diabetes I never once thought it would affect my other children. One day about two weeks after the diagnosis my oldest daughter said "Your paying more attention to Hailey than you are me"! (Keep in mind at the time my children were only 3,7 and 9). Oh did that ever break my heart into a million pieces. I felt like a horrible mother, a failure! I hadn't realized how much time was being spent towards learning the ropes of diabetes and caring for Hailey. I didn't have a clue how to respond, I was froze, lost for words because NEVER had she announced to me that pretty much I was favoring one kid over the other. Thankfully Chad stepped up and told Katelyn, "Yes we have paid a little more attention to Hailey, not that we were intentionally trying to leave you out or make you feel that way". He also went on to tell her that all of this was new to all of us and we were adjusting as time went on. We reassured her that we would balance things out to were she wouldn't feel this way anymore.

Not that we were totally ignoring our other kids but it was at first Hailey this or Hailey has to do this for her diabetes, so on and so on. So to involve the other kids a little more we started asking for their help. We'd ask Katelyn if she could figure up the amount of insulin Hailey needed based on the carbs she ate. Not only did this involve her more it helped her math skills as well. Now not every time we asked did she want to do this but it raised her confidence up and gave her the choice. As for Chase well at three he hadn't quite mastered all math skills so we did things a little different with him. Hailey use to like to hold her bear Rufus (the bear with Diabetes) while we gave her a shot. So we would ask Chase to go get the bear for her, he use to say "I'll go get Rufus Hailey so your shot won't hurt". Cutest thing around!! Other things we would try with him is if Hailey was ok with it he would sit very quietly and watch her take a shot.

There are a ton of different things we did with the kids. We'd take a kid at a time and kinda make it their day, or play a board game with just them, stuff like that. Something to say hey even though things have changed a little YOU ARE still important and YOU ARE still very much loved!

Two years has passed since that time and things have settled down and the kids have gotten older and used to Hailey having Diabetes. Katelyn is now Hailey's "2nd Mother" she watches out for her like a hawk. She's always asking what her sugar was or telling Hailey you need to check your sugar before we eat. She meets Hailey every afternoon at the Nurse's office and walks with her to the school pick up line. Hailey may not like it to much right now but she'll appreciate it when she grows up. As for Chase - which is 5 now, isn't to much concerned with it as long as Hailey plays with him! :-) He's learned not to play to rough with her now since she has a pump. My favorite thing that Chase does - he doesn't call it her Diabetes he calls it her SUGAR!