How to explain your diabetes diagnosis to your children

If you’re a parent with diabetes, understanding your own diabetes diagnosis and figuring out how to explain it to your children can be challenging. While you may want to shield your children from what might seem like scary news, children are very observant and might already notice the physical issues you might be experiencing or be aware that you’re starting to take medication.¹ 

Additionally, when children are not given information about their parents' lives, they attempt to make sense of the situation on their own. And when this happens, children’s beliefs can be more dire than the truth.²  With this in mind, the sooner you are able to discuss your diabetes diagnosis with your children, the better it will be for them and for you. 

Here are some helpful ways to explain your diabetes diagnosis to your children. 

Make it age-appropriate

Your child’s age should help determine how you explain your diabetes diagnosis.² For younger children, keep it very simple, then let their questions guide the conversation. Expect questions about your medication or equipment, such as "What is insulin?" or “What does this device do?^” 

Kids may also ask emotionally challenging questions, like why or how you got diabetes, or if it was because of something they did. Straightforward answers that provide empathy for how they might be feeling, along with reiterating that they are not responsible for your diagnosis, can help ease their worry.

Adolescents and older children, with their advanced cognitive skills, might grasp the seriousness of your condition better, which can complicate their path to independence,²  so a clear explanation and honest reassurance are helpful. They may also enjoy attending a diabetes education class with you to learn more or participating in meal planning so they can start to understand your nutritional needs first-hand. 

If you have more than one child, talk to them individually first, then together. This allows each child to ask questions for themselves.

Give the good news

As difficult as their questions might be, you’ll want to emphasize the message to your child that "everything is okay." It's important that they know that a diabetes diagnosis is manageable and that you're going to do everything you can to stay healthy. Stay positive when you share the news with them, too. Children can sense when their parents are worried, which might cause them to worry unnecessarily.

Address the “Will I get diabetes too?” question

At some point, your child may ask if they are also going to get diabetes. While it's true that type 1 and type 2 diabetes may have genetic influence,^3,4 lifestyle could influence the onset as well as prevention of diabetes.⁵ It’s important to remind them that if they were to be diagnosed with diabetes, you would know how to help keep them healthy. 

Always tell the truth

Honesty is the best policy when talking to your child about diabetes. Misinformation and misinterpretation of symptoms and other side effects can lead to a misreading of your health, and a clear answer can give them the reassurance they need.¹

Depending on their age, you might also want to ask them what they already know about diabetes to help correct any misunderstanding that they might have.²  Explaining various aspects of your diabetes, such as how your blood sugar affects your mood or that people might stare at you when you have to test your blood sugar levels or inject insulin in public, can help suppress any fears they might have. 

Prepare for emergencies

Some days will be difficult, so it's a good idea to teach your child how to help you through a possible emergency should you need it. Depending on how old they are, you might want to make sure they can reach your stash of glucose tablets to bring to you or that they know how to call emergency services if you become unconscious. Also, practicing a few talking points about your diabetes — what type you have, if you take insulin, if you wear a pump — can help prepare them if they need to speak to a medical professional on your behalf. 

Teach safety first

Children of any age need to understand how vital your diabetes equipment is in keeping you healthy. Make sure your child knows that your meters, test strips, insulin pumps, continuous glucose monitors (CGM), insulin, syringes, and oral medications are for your use only, unless you ask them for their help. If your child is old enough, a quick introduction to safe sharps disposal might be a good idea. 

With positive, age-appropriate explanations and answers, you can ease any worries your children may have. Include your children in diabetes and equipment safety education to help them understand your diabetes and foster open communication.

• Explore our blog articles for helpful tools and resources to support you on your diabetes journey.
• World Health Organization (WHO) is a trusted source for health-related questions. 
• Kids Health offers useful health-related information tailored for children.

Resources

1. Dalton L, Rapa E, Ziebland S, et al. Communication with children and adolescents about the diagnosis of a life-threatening condition in their parent. The Lancet. 2019;393(10176):1164-1176. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(18)33202-1
2. Talking to children about serious illness. Accessed February 9, 2024. https://www.psych.ox.ac.uk/research/covid_comms_support
3. Genetics of Diabetes | ADA. Accessed February 9, 2024. https://diabetes.org/about-diabetes/genetics-diabetes
4. Ali O. Genetics of type 2 diabetes. World J Diabetes. 2013;4(4):114. doi:10.4239/wjd.v4.i4.114
5. American Diabetes Association Professional Practice Committee, ElSayed NA, Aleppo G, et al. 3. Prevention or Delay of Diabetes and Associated Comorbidities: Standards of Care in Diabetes—2024. Diabetes Care. 2024;47(Supplement_1):S43-S51. doi:10.2337/dc24-S003