I only kicked you because I am type 1

[Matt1212]

If your diabetic child is being argumentative/not doing as asked/shouting crying etc (child in this case is 5 years old)
Do you :

A : treat as any other child and “tell off” accordingly
B : have a think about potential BG based on meals/insulin/exercise etc and test if really sure there could be an issue
then “tell off” if BG OK and maybe take it easy on them if BG not correct (particularly if low)
C : test as soon as the issues begins as it is unfair to reprimand if BG are not correct , and only “tell off” if BG in a decent range
if BG not correct make every effort to negotiate the situation.

Trying to decide upon a happy medium between treating as non-diabetic
With the risk that my daughter gets into trouble when someone non-diabetic would probably be having a fit
(i.e last night when she was 2.3BG and arguing)
And making diabetes an excuse for all bad behavior with the risk that being naughty becomes always the fault of diabetes.

Thanks
Matt

 

[Dollyrocker]

Hmm, that is rather a tricky one, I can see your dilemma.

I think I would be inclined to reprimand fort he naughty behaviour first and then test to see if it was diabetes related else you risk the child associating bad behaviour with a blood test and then maybe/maybe not a reprimand which could cause a great deal of confusion.

Being hypo is not an excuse to behave badly and, as an adult, it is one of the symptoms we can learn to recognise in ourselves and manage. Of course with a child that's easier said then done at 5 years old you wouldn't expect them to have total control over their emotions, hypo-related or not!

Using diabetes as an excuse do be naughty or get out of doing certain things should be discoutraged from as early an age as possible though.

 

[SophiaW]

My daughter can become tearful, upset and stroppy when she's hypo often with no apparent reason. I always test when her mood changes because it's usually a sign of a hypo and is unusual behaviour for her. I think it would be unfair to reprimand a child for hypo behaviour. 2.3 mmoL is low and I wouldn't be surprised that a child will be stroppy with readings like that. Remember young children aren't able to control their emotions like adults do, she will need to mature before she is able to do that well. If your daughter is going to be badly behaved because she wants to be then she will be like that when she's not hypo and that's the time to deal with the bad behaviour, not whilst she's having a difficult time with her blood sugars. If she has shown particularly bad behaviour during a hypo then I'd talk nicely with her after the hypo has been treated about what happened.

 

[flojo1234]

hiya, im 12 and when i go low, sometimes i go really argumentitive and hyper, sometimes i dont notice and its quite embarrising
id say that if her mood changes, check her bloods first. but thats just my advice.
from flojo.

 

[Matt1212]

thanks flojo , i think you are right if her mood changes I will test first as she deserves the benefit of the doubt

thanks
Matt

 

[flojo1234]

ok, let me know how it go's!!

 

[hismom]

hi
can i also say that sometimes they can get stroppy and the bg test shows normal levels. They can still be stroppy because of the diabetes because we ave found that if the bg levels drop rapidly they get the same effects as a hypo.


steph

 

[jacquiel]

What i did with my daughter (now 16, but diagnosed at 15 months) at younger age like yours,was:

- initially tested then told off if not low,
but
changed to
ask her if she thought she was in a bad mood, because she was low, and then test if she said yes,
because otherwise its not nice for them to get tested all the time if they are moody! If she could answer me ok and think if she might be low, then she is 'tell offable' any way - and I let her know that even if she was low, then it's no excuse for xxx
If she couldnt really hold down a conversation about the subject i would test and treat her because i would know she probably was hypo.
(Although she has had a lot of teenage diabetic problem years, at primary school age she was fabulous with it and very conscientious and well controlled!)

 

[KimSuzanne]

I was diagnosed at 7years old I;m now 27 and my Mum still says "Have you checked your sugars lately?" if my mood suddenly changes! The frustrating thing is shes sometimes notices before I do particularly if I'm having a bad day anyway! :lol:

 

[smiley]

hi, im twelve too and have had DB for just over eight years. i tend to get a bit moody and teary if my BG is high or too low though i try my best not to be an idiot when that happens :lol: . I think you should maybe just test her BG if she is being rather stroppy. Good Luck!

 

[Blissfool]

For about 6 months before my son was diagnosed (age 2.5) he was completely out of control. He would get incredibly anxious about really weird things, about anything that changed, would scream and shout and ignore me and throw things and then sob inconsolably. Everyone said it was just "the terrible twos"...I kept saying it wasn't like him, like his core personality, but then I only have the one child and lacked confidence when faced with "experienced" parents. As soon as he received the insulin, this behaviour stopped and now only appears when he is high, and when he is low he becomes moody and distracted. What I try and say to him is "do you think you can manage this now" and he tries to. I tell him what is not ok (eg violence, mistreatment) and I try to remember that for the rest, I am the adult and he is the little child, who to be honest, has every reason to be pi**ed off and angry with his lot at the moment. I just try and get him to express it without hurting or throwing it onto someone else (me!). And as he grows up, I will try and teach him ways to manage the mood swings that come with the diabetes, just like all the rest.

Somedays I manage all this. Other days I react. And if I am fallible, so is he! I am trying to trust my child. If the behaviour seems out of character, chances are it is either caused by a physical thing, or by the emotional stress of stuff. He can feel what he feels. How he expresses that in ways that do not disrespect otheres is something he has to learn. After all, a lot of adults are still learning that one. And as for others, I try to tell inlaws etc what the behaviour can be, but it is a long journey...