"A Babysitter's Guide to Babysitting for Parents Who Have a Child
With Diabetes
"
Hiring a babysitter is not a problem for most parents, but for parents
of kids who have diabetes, it is very challenging. Babysitting such a child
is a huge undertaking, and it takes a lot of experience.
At the age of thirteen, I started babysitting for children with diabetes
whose parents needed some well-deserved time off. In the process, I have
learned a great deal about making the experience go smoothly.
I gained my first experience by caring for my little brother, Danny, who
was diagnosed with diabetes when he was seven years old and I was ten. I went
to all the initial training meetings at the hospital because I wanted to help,
and I have played a growing role in taking care of him ever since. Eventually,
I learned to babysit Danny alone when my parents needed to go out for a night.
Parents of a child with diabetes can think about leaving him with a responsible
babysitter once he (or a sibling) can give himself shots and test his
own blood sugar. But the babysitter will still need both verbal and written
guidance from the parents. By following the tips that I have listed below,
parents can make it much easier for their babysitter to do a good job.
Ask the babysitter to come an hour early the first time so that you can talk
to her about diabetes.
- Make sure that she knows where all the diabetes supplies are, just in case the child can't find his glucose monitor, test strips, or other supplies.
- Demonstrate to the babysitter how your child tests and gives himself a shot.
- Explain the meal plan and lay out the foods that need to be eaten. Advise the babysitter about what to do if the child decides he is not hungry.
- Explain the signs of a low blood sugar and go over what to do if the child's blood sugar is low.
Create a timeline.
- Include testing times, eating times, and injection times, in addition to bedtimes of the child and any siblings.
- Set a timer for the next thing on the list. When everyone is playing or watching TV, it is hard to pay attention to the clock
.
Type up an information sheet.
- Leave your cell phone numbers, informed neighbors/family's phone numbers, and the doctor's number. Make sure you stress that the babysitter should call without hesitation if she has a question.
- Write down what happens when your child experiences a low blood sugar and how to detect it.
Babysitting can be a lot of fun for both the sitter and the child, and it can give exhausted parents some needed time off. If the parents create a careful plan and prepare the babysitter well, diabetes need not get in the way of a good time for both parents and children.
Jessica Plunkett was recently featured with her family in the book
The Challenge of Childhood Diabetes: Family Strategies for Raising a Healthy
Child, available at www.challengeofdiabetes.com.
