This is not an article about eating three balanced meals a day. We’re not going to talk about carb counting. In fact, nothing about this article is going to be about nutrition. What we are going to talk about is how kids and teens with type 1 diabetes are at higher risk for disordered eating. As any type 1 diabetic family knows, food can be a complicated issue. And we are going to discuss the why and things you as a parent can do.
Kids Don’t Yet Understand
Let’s begin by looking at things from a child’s developmental perspective. Children don’t develop abstract reasoning until about age 13. That means they live and operate primarily in their feelings. We as adults are cognitive beings. We can meet kids in their feelings, but they cannot meet us in our adult cognitive minds. Not until about age 13. Now does that simply mean we explain nothing to our children? Of course not. Kids need consistency and predictability. In fact they thrive on it. But it does mean we spend way too much time talking to kids about abstract concepts that they are not capable of grasping. So while you can begin the conversation about foods and their effects on blood sugar, your child is not yet capable of understanding that cause and effect relationship. You may be wondering then, how does this apply to eating and diabetes management?
Children have very little control in their lives. All day long they are being told what to do, what rules to follow, and what expectations they need to meet. The only things kids have control over is eating, sleeping, toileting, and obedience. Children need the opportunity to practice things like self-control and self-responsibility. If we spend all day long telling children what to do, what opportunity do they have to practice decision making and self-responsibility? Ultimately we want to empower our children.
Their Type 1 Diabetes Diagnosis Changes Everything
Now let’s tie this back to type 1 diabetes. When a child is diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, their immediate circumstances change. Their routines change. What they knew as things “before diabetes” and “after diabetes” will be different. As a result, children often feel a sense of powerlessness after their diagnosis.
Remember when I said kids only have control over a few things in their lives? Well, one of those is eating. Only now suddenly they are being told they must eat this, can’t eat that. They need a shot or bolus. Everything about food becomes a conversation, a math equation, and often times an area of stress. What is a child experiencing internally through this process? A sense of powerlessness. Yet they are already feel powerless because of the changes that diabetes has brought into their life. And when a child feels powerless they will find a way to attempt to take back control. They don’t want to feel “stuck”. Feeling powerless and out of control is scary to a child.
Kids Need Choices
Do you see how this can create a battle ground for control? You as the parent want to manage your child’s blood sugars to the best of your ability. And let’s face it, kids don’t always eat everything they say they want. But we also want to offer kids some control over what they eat. Again, children need the opportunity to practice self-control and decision making so let’s give kids options when it comes to food. When children have a sense of control over their environment, they are more likely to be bought into the choices.
It is not uncommon for children (and many teens) to feel a loss of control. Control over their bodies. Control over their blood sugars. Control over their management. So let’s give our kids some age appropriate control back in their food choices.
Want to learn different ways to help your child with food choices, reduce meal time stress, and empower your child with autonomy? Reach out to our office. We’d love to offer some new insight and tools to reduce power struggles and help give your type one child a better relationship with food.
