Social milestones: Helping children with type 1 diabetes attend their first sleepover

Children with type 1 diabetes deserve to have the same fun as other children. This includes attending sleepovers with friends! As a parent, you may be apprehensive about your child spending the night at a friend's house for the first time, but by laying a few ground rules and planning ahead, you can both feel good about conquering this social milestone.

Letting children with T1D enjoy the same activities as kids who don't have diabetes is of the utmost importance for their psychological health. When your child asks to go to their first sleepover — even if you're a bit worried — look at them and say we will make this work.

This is a major event for both of you and it's normal to be nervous. Thankfully, there are a number of things you can do to prepare. Here are a few tips and strategies that can help you rest easy while your child packs up for a night away from home.

Focus on communication

The most crucial part of this scenario is communication. Prior to the big night, it's important to call the host parents or speak in person. Let them know how important it is to your child to be there, and offer a few simple sleepover tips around caring for a child with diabetes.

Inform them that type 1 diabetes is a life-long, chronic autoimmune disease with no cure. Explain the only treatment is daily injections of insulin through shots or an insulin pump. Offer to show the host parents all the diabetes devices in person and let them know that all they need to know are the basics.

It's also a good idea to create a trial-run for your kid a couple of days before the sleepover, so they can get a feel for the experience and practice managing their T1D on their own. Consider planning a fun meal and camping out in the living room for the night, so they can enjoy some of the excitement from the comfort (and safety) of your home.

Communication during the sleepover is especially important. You may want to develop a coded language with your child that you can both use to quickly and covertly check in with each other via text. Also, make sure your phone's ringer is on and you have the host parent's number handy. If you have something planned for the hours during the sleepover, let whomever you're with know that it is medically necessary to communicate. If needed, consider having an extra person ready to take a call or text with the host parent. This could be another diabetes caregiver or grandparent familiar with your child's needs.

Pack the necessary supplies (and some helpful extras)

On the day of the sleepover, print off the T1D notes you furnished the school and have your child bring them along. If your child is on multiple daily injections and syringes and vials are normally used at home, make sure they take pre-filled insulin pens with them.

Also, pack low blood sugar snacks, which are a necessity for a child with type 1 diabetes. Kids are always on the move and this can cause low blood sugar levels. Give them a variety of good options — like juice, fruit snacks, glucose tabs and glucose gel — for quickly raising low blood sugars under 70 mg/dL. It's also wise to have granola bars or grapes available if they are borderline low (70-100 mg/dL). Place all of this in a specific bag. This way, your child (or other children) won't eat the snacks when they don't have low blood sugar.

Additionally, consider sending along one of their favorite stuffed animals or a safety blanket to help them feel more comfortable. You could even slip an encouraging note in there, letting them know how proud you are of them and that it's OK to call or text you if they need or want to.

Prepare for potential emergencies

As you are well aware, checking blood sugar at the correct time is crucial. As you drop off your child at the sleepover, explain to the host parent the importance. If they're hesitant, consider quickly demonstrating the process of checking your child, so they can see how much blood is needed to fill the strip. You've done it a thousand times, but this could be their first!

To protect against cases of severe hypoglycemia, it's best to provide your kid with an emergency glucagon shot. As you chat with the host parents, show them expired glucagon and explain how to use it. Emphasize that it is unlikely they'll have to use it in an emergency, but if they do, calling 911 (and you) is necessary. Leave a note with the parents declaring that they have permission to care for the child's T1D and what the preferred hospital is.

Provide additional support

Ultimately, you want to make things easy for your child and the hosts. If your kid uses a continuous glucose monitor or one of the new automated insulin pumps, tailor your instructions accordingly. Children with type 1 diabetes tend to have different care regimens because everyone is unique. What works for one, may not work for another, so make sure that they (and the hosts) are aware.

Remember that children with type 1 diabetes can do anything. Allowing your child to attend a sleepover will bring them joy and make them feel normal. Hearing from the host parent that there were "no issues, and we got through it" can be a huge confidence builder. These are milestones your child will remember for years.

It is possible for children with type 1 diabetes to attend sleepovers — and have a ton of fun — if you stick to a plan. Curious to learn more caregiver tips for people and children with T1D? Visit the Edgepark website and explore its Learning Portal.