Society Devaluing Children With Type One Diabetes

It's almost been three years since my daughter Madison was diagnosed with type one diabetes. I knew there was going to be challenges in her life, especially with managing her blood glucose levels. But I never imagined the lack of support and understanding by some in society.  This past summer, several people made comments like, "Maybe it's better if she's not in AIG (Academically or Intellectually Gifted Program). This way it is easier;" (easier on who? no matter if she's in AIG or not, her life will never be simply easy) or "If she were my daughter, I wouldn't put her under so much stress by having her in AIG," (first, she wants to be in AIG. second, stress is part of life and she needs to learn to deal with it no matter what age she is.) "Perhaps she should play recreational soccer, instead of competitive soccer because it's less stressful and it's more flexible." (not sure what world this guy lives in, but athletic games and tournaments will always entail some form of stress. and as she gets older, she is going to have to compete for jobs etc.)

I was blown away by their words, specifically the word easier. What about overcoming all odds? What about helping her reach her potential? What about looking at her true ability and being an advocate to help her succeed?

On top of it, this is what she wants and she is willing to deal with the stress that comes with succeeding and achieving her dreams.

Children with type one diabetes should be given the opportunity to succeed and perform their best at whatever they do. If they are smart enough to be in AIG's then create an environment that allows them to do so. If they are talented enough to play competitive soccer, help them make it happen. Especially if that is what they want.

I've never once thought that Madison couldn't do anything she put her mind to, even with having type one diabetes. Yes, it's not going to be as easy as someone who doesn't have her disease. But if she puts her mind to it, I truly believe she and any person living with type one diabetes can accomplish anything they put their mind too. They shouldn't be left out of success, even if it comes with more stress or they have to face competition.

Children with type one diabetes shouldn't be pushed to live an easier, less competitive life. They should be pushed and motivated to be the best at whatever they chose to do. And society should support them in the process.

Please share your stories of where someone suggested that you and / or your child take the easy road.

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Teaching Kids Sportsmanship When Parents Fail To Lead By Example

Kids learn sportsmanship through parents and coaches. And this past weekend, during and after an all day fast pitch tournament, I witnessed many parents and coaches failing their children.

There was an incident where a fast pitch coach was yelling at a parent. The umpire had call time out as the coach yelled and used gestures that expressed her anger. It was embarrassing. The parent and coach should have been asked to leave. Then there was another incident where several parents accused a larger sized nine year old girl of knocking one of their smaller sized eleven year old players to the ground on purpose. Emotions were high and some tears flowed, when the umpire called her safe. And she was safe. What the parents failed to recognize was the age of the child, her skill level, and the size of both girls. The girl who knocked the catcher over was twice her size. And bitterness continued onto the field. As the kids lined up to shake hands, the losing team slapped the winning teams hands really hard. It was heartbreaking that they didn't congratulate them and wish them well in the next game. 

Kids need to be taught that one team is going to win and another will lose. There will be bad calls and mistakes made. That's part of the game. And coaches and parents need to lead the kids by example.

Below are my suggestions to sideline parents and coaches on how to teach kids about sportsmanship. It starts with their behavior!

• Put yourself in the umpire and coaches shoes. It's not an easy job, especially dealing with sideline parents who many think they can do better.
• Umpires and referee's will make bad calls. They are human. And sometimes a bad call may cost you the game. Let it go. Getting angry isn't going to change their call and make your child feel any better.
• Most coaches are volunteers. They aren't getting paid and some are learning the game as they coach. I've been a coach many times and it's not easy. Especially dealing with parents.
• After the game, put your game face smile on, pat your child's back and tell them they did a great job. Parents are a lot harder on their kids and sometimes don't have a perfect perspective of how they really played. I'm guilty of it. I expect a lot more from my kids, then other kids. Take a deep breath and think about your child's feelings. Kids want to please their coaches and parents. They aren't on the field trying to miss a ball or strike out. Remember that during and after the game.
• Coaches need to help calm the parents down.
• Coaches should communicate to the parents at the beginning of the season the code of conduct and what they expect.
• Acknowledge good plays on both sides of the field.
• Cheer your team and make sure your kids are being good sports in the dug out.
• Shake the other teams hands after every win and loss with a smile.
• Bullying, no matter what, is not acceptable and action should be taken if a parent (and coach) bully's an umpire, coach or child.

Enjoy sharing in your child's love of sports. And help them learn sportsmanship by being a good role model yourself.


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How To Manage Your Child's Type 1 Diabetes During A Basketball Tournament

We won! My nine year old daughter's U10 Girls Basketball Team won their tournament! They are the Charlotte Mecklenburg champions! And my daughter made two amazing baskets, which looked easy during the game, but truthfully hadn't been easy during the season because of her type 1 diabetes.

 

 

Figuring out her best blood sugar level for each of my daughter's sports hasn't been easy. For softball her blood sugar level seemed to work well in the low 200's. Soccer the same. And, I actually thought it was also a perfect number for basketball. But yesterday's basketball championship game proved me wrong.

Every game this basketball season, Madison's blood sugar has stayed steady in the low 200's. Usually around 211 - 226. And we worked hard to get it to that level by making sure she didn't eat certain foods such as pizza, meatball sub, pasta, rice, or a bagel before a game. Those foods keep her blood sugar high for a longer period of time, where she has a harder time focusing and concentrating.

During the game's, Madison appeared fine, blocking shots and trying to make shots. Every so often she would have a delayed response or a puzzled look on her face. I wondered if it was due to her blood sugar (type 1 diabetes) or her not understanding the play. But after yesterday's game, where her blood sugar was 126 at the start of the game, I'm starting to think her puzzled looks and inability to think quick on the basketball court had to do with her blood sugar being too high for this sport.

Madison was like a totally new basketball player on the court yesterday. She was leaping out of no where for the ball. She took shots and even got two in. I was so proud of her, yet so disappointed in myself that she played the entire basketball season with a blood sugar that was too high for her to really perform at her best. My husband and I have kept it higher, fearing it would drop fast and then she'd crash. I hate seeing her shake and her face turn pale when her blood sugar is low. It's scary for her and me. So keeping it higher is a much more comfortable zone for us. At least, I thought. But now I know differently.

Fastpitch U10 softball tryouts are this weekend. And I'm coaching, which gives me the opportunity to be hands on with her type 1 diabetes and do some trial and error. I'm going to try to keep her blood sugar around 130 - 150 for all games. I know that won't be possible all the time; especially because she always seems to go through growth spurts during the spring season and the heat causes her blood sugar to increase, forcing me to make lots of changes to her insulin levels. But I'm not giving up! And I hope every parent who has a child with type 1 diabetes doesn't give up too!

We as parents of children living with type 1 diabetes have a responsibility to teach your child how to eat properly and manage their disease so they can perform at their best academically, intellectually, and athletically now and continue into their adult age.

What I learned:

• Don't feed the disease.
• High carb foods like pizza, fried rice, pasta, and a bagel keep my daughters blood sugar high too long, causing her to not be able to perform at her best in school and sports.
• A blood sugar of 126 worked amazing for my daughter during her basketball tournament. Of course, I was nervous the entire time, wondering if her blood sugar was dipping below 100. It didn't!
• After a sports game, parents need to keep a close eye on their child's blood sugar because it takes hours for it to become stable again. In fact, last night, after my daughters basketball game (4:30 pm), we checked her blood sugar and it was 90, so we fed her dinner. At 8:15 pm it was 227.  I knew it was going to drop a little more, so I didn't treat it. At 11:00 pm, my husband checked her blood sugar and it was 60. He had to wake her up and give her a juice and a few peanut butter crackers.