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As you child grows, they are likely to spend more time away from home. This could be a party, a school trip, going to tea with a friend or even a sleepover with friends or family. It may seem scary at first, but there is no reason why your child should be denied an opportunity to be away from home.

Going to a party
Eating out with your child
Going on holiday with your child

Going to a Party

Once your child starts school, there will be plenty of party and sleepover invitations. Here are a few simple points to be aware of if your child is attending a party:

• Talk to the supervising adult to let them know about your child’s diabetes. You should tell them about the following:
  • How to recognise a hypo
  • What to do in the event of a hypo
  • When your child needs to test or inject – and whether they will need help to do so
  • Be prepared to give some background to what diabetes is and what it means, as not everyone will understand this
  • You may want to use this ‘Everything You Need to Know’ poster which contains plenty of useful information about diabetes and hypos
• Give the supervising adult a list of emergency contact numbers in case they need to reach you
• Find out what food will be available and give your child some advice on what foods to choose. Ask the supervising adult to keep an eye on what your child eats
• Find out when food will be available so your child knows when to test and inject. They may also need to have a snack before a party if a lot of activities are planned or if the meal will be later than usual
• Make sure your child takes enough testing equipment and medication with them
• Your child may need to test their blood glucose before and after any event, and also before bed – the combination of different foods and increased activity levels may mean blood glucose levels fluctuate

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Eating Out with Your Child

Guidance for eating out is really no different from general healthy eating advice, available in our Diet section. By helping your child negotiate menu choices, and by continuing to follow their blood glucose testing plan, you and your child will get an idea of how a wide range of food can affect their blood glucose.

Remember that your child may need to test their blood glucose or inject insulin whilst in a restaurant. It is possible to do this discreetly and many people with diabetes actively avoid finding somewhere quiet and private. However your child may not feel comfortable injecting or testing in public, in which case the restaurant will have toilet facilities available which you can use.

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Going on Holiday with Your Child

We work hard all year to ensure we can go on holiday, and it’s worth it for those blissful few days without the stresses of home. Although it may seem that having diabetes will be a barrier to a stress-free holiday, all it takes is a bit of extra preparation and you will be enjoying that family holiday before you know it.

Here are some points to be aware of:

• Make sure you have suitable insurance coverage before you go away. Diabetes UK is just one of the organizations offering home and travel insurance for people with diabetes.
• Regularly test your child’s blood glucose when you’re away, as the very fact of being on holiday can mean that their diabetes will affect them in different ways
• Make sure your child drinks lots of water, especially in hot weather

If you’re going abroad, there are a few extra things to consider:

• Devise a testing plan with your child’s healthcare team before you go away, to make sure you know when to test, especially if you are changing time zones.
• Speak to your child’s doctor or nurse to obtain a note explaining why you need to carry your child’s medication and testing equipment; this should help avoid any difficulties at security.
• Keep medication, test strips and meter in your hand luggage so it’s close by, and so the temperature is at an appropriate level
• Pack twice as much medication and test strips as you’ll need, as you won’t know what’s available in other countries
• Ask your healthcare professional for advice on what to do in case you run out of medication or test strips abroad

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