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Alert: Product and Recall NoticesHalloween For Kids With Diabetes
Today we welcome back Allison Blass as a guest blogger at The LOOP. In this post, she’s digging up some childhood trick-or-treat memories and offering up some advice to D-parents about making Halloween fun for kids with diabetes. Also, whether you’re a kid or a kid at heart, there’s still time to enter your photos (from this year or Halloween’s past) toThe LOOP Halloween Contest. First prize is $100 Gift Card!
When I was growing up with diabetes, life was different. I was on insulin injections of a long-acting insulin, NPH, and a rapid-acting insulin, Regular, that wasn’t really that rapid-acting at all (it took 30 minutes to start working!). Halloween was not an easy time, but my parents managed to find ways to still make it fun and enjoyable.
Even though I’m now in my mid-twenties, I still have to be careful around the holidays, especially Halloween. Here are some tips to keep Halloween from getting too scary!
1. Personalize the stash:
When your child comes home from a long night of trick-or-treating, examine the loot.
Your child can pick a few small fun-sized pieces that they absolutely love and put it into a bag with their name on it. You can do the same thing with siblings, so that there is no sibling rivalry over who gets what candy. The rest of the candy can be thrown away (or Mom & Dad can keep an eye on it!).
My younger brother and I kept separate plastic bags of fun-sized candy in the kitchen cupboard, while my parents took the king-sized candy bars and kept them in the freezer. Occasionally my dad would break off a portion of a king-sized candy bar to chop up and put on vanilla ice cream.
Editor’s Note: Check out this issue of Medtronic’s News to Infuse e-newsletter for a helpful list of carb counts for popular fun-sized candy.
2. Set limits:
Keep the candy someplace out of reach from sneaky fingers and limit how many pieces of candy a day is allowed. Kids often bring candy to school, so a piece at lunchtime is a good limit to set. Moderation is an important lesson to learn for everyone. No one should eat as much candy or food as they want!
When I was a kid, I had one piece of candy at lunch, and one piece at afternoon snack or after dinner (but never both). This usually meant that Halloween candy lasted past Thanksgiving. It was actually pretty cool. While all my friends were scarfing their candy down, I got to enjoy my stash for a lot longer!
3. Swap:
If candy is too much of a temptation or just not a choice you’re making for your family, another option is swapping candy for something else. Some families will have their children trade in candy for a toy or another fun activity like a movie, so that your child doesn’t feel deprived.
4. Think beyond candy:
For many people candy is a focal point for Halloween, but it doesn’t have to be. If your child is old enough, host a Halloween party for all their friends. Hold a costume contest with non-candy prizes, host a scary movie film festival, or create a homemade haunted house. The opportunities are endless and none of them need to involve candy.
But, at the end of the day, Halloween — and being a kid for that matter — is all about having fun and being “one of the gang.” And with an insulin pump, frequent blood gluocse monitoring, careful planning and help from Mom & Dad, your little one is likely to have a blast on Halloween.
Trick or treat!
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
– Medtronic Diabetes insulin infusion pumps, continuous glucose monitoring systems and associated components are limited to sale by or on the order of a physician and should only be used under the direction of a healthcare professional familiar with the risks associated with the use of these systems.
– Successful operation of the insulin infusion pumps and/or continuous glucose monitoring systems requires adequate vision and hearing to recognize alerts and alarms.
Medtronic Diabetes Insulin Infusion Pumps
– Insulin pump therapy is not recommended for individuals who are unable or unwilling to perform a minimum of four blood glucose tests per day.
– Insulin pumps use rapid-acting insulin. If your insulin delivery is interrupted for any reason, you must be prepared to replace the missed insulin immediately.
Medtronic Diabetes Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) Systems
– The information provided by CGM systems is intended to supplement, not replace, blood glucose information obtained using a home glucose meter. A confirmatory fingerstick is required prior to treatment.
– Insertion of a glucose sensor may cause bleeding or irritation at the insertion site. Consult a physician immediately if you experience significant pain or if you suspect that the site is infected.
Please visit http://www.medtronicdiabetes.com/importantsafetyinformation for complete safety information.
Tags: Halloween, holidays, parenting
About Author
Editorial Team
LOOP Blog Editorial TeamAt Medtronic Diabetes our vision is to transform diabetes care together for greater freedom and better health. Each word in that statement is important – including the one “together”. We’re a group of passionate people working hard to make a big positive impact on the lives of those with diabetes. But we can’t do it alone. Collaboration is key. With healthcare providers, academic institutions, non-profits and other companies. And, most importantly, with you – the people who live with diabetes every day.
When I was a kid, we sorted all my candy once I got home. It was put into bags that cost 5, 10, 25 cents or a dollar, based on it’s size and quality. My dad and older brother, grandparents, friends of my parents would buy the candy from me and the money was put into a jar. I could buy diet pop, sugar free gum, or other diabetic friendly treats from the store with the money I made. Some of it was also put aside for when I was low and it would serve a good purpose.