Behavior issues

The biggest thing I struggle with is my daughter is her behavior since she was dx'd in November. She has always been a very easy child with few behavioral issues, but now we have this other issue where she's a little angry and sometimes it's just her sugar is low or high and she starts acting out. I struggle to understand how much control she should have over her behavior. We do check her when she starts really acting up, just to confirm it's not her sugar. 

Still over all she is a remarkably good child, it's just a new wrinkle. However I'm wondering how other parents dealt with this, for a newly dx'd type 1. 

I get mood swing too due to low and high bg.  It is not fun.  Diabetes is bad stuff 24/7 no break.

High BG's can make you cranky, and *very* low ones can make it hard to control your behaviors (e.g., yelling at someone). But some of it may just be good old adjustment to this new situation that's changed her life?

Another thought I had while I was typing is that BG swings can make me feel very hungry. My son is a terror when he gets hungry!

I'd say that (assuming she's not super low), even if she's more moody because of a BG, it doesn't mean she can't learn to control her behavior w/ your help. When she's feeling ok, I'd try to work with her on some coping mechanisms and ways to express her frustrations. I'm sure she'll still have rough days, but I bet she could make some progress... Does her ped endo have any advice?

 

You're handling is just right... test first, treat the high or low, then deal with the misbehavior. 

Low blood sugar makes you feel drunk (and often hungry, like Sarah said).  High blood sugar makes you feel hung over.  So in either circumstance your child probably is testy and fussy. 

Obviously a low needs to be treated right away.  But other than that kids need to know they have to behave no matter how they're feeling.  Easier said than done, I know.

-Jenna (type 1 and mom of a non-diabetic 5-year-old)

You know when you get bad pms and can't control your emotions and are very sensitive and prone to lash out? Having your blood sugar be off can feel a lot and sometimes exactly like that.

If she's angry when her sugars are normal it could still be because of the diabetes. It puts a lot of stress on your life, as I'm sure you feel quite often. Kids are just as sensitive to that stress.

My daughter is the same way!!!  He blood sugar is 300+ right now and shes acting insaine!  I think thats why shes acting up.

 My grandma told me I have been acting up lately also.  It started to be an everyday thing,, but not ALL THE TIME. Like, after I get home from a long dAy at school  I would get cranky  get home. She recently took me to therapy. I was totally shocked. It made me way more mad... So NEVER take your daughter to therapy!!! It will make her even more angry.

Hi Julia, I'm not sure if this is a joke, but probably you're expressing your anger at your family? But, A LOT of parents and people with T1 on this site have explored therapy. It can be very useful in dealing with a chronic illness, and depression is more common in people with T1. If you didn't click with your therapist, maybe ask your grandma if you could try a different one! I'm so sorry to hear you're having a tough time, but I don't think this is useful advice for other on the site...

My opinion is that if she's low or really high, not to address the behaviour because its obviously not her fault.  But if she's not low, or just a bit high, or in normal range then deal with the behaviour. Sometimes she's just going to tantrum because she's young and there's no other reason. If there's an obvious trigger to the behaviour (ie. being told 'no'), then I don't think its necessary to check her number because if there's anything a diabetic hates, its to be asked "Are you low?" just because we say or do something out of the ordinary!  You don't want her to start hiding her feelings of sadness or anger because it leads to a finger check every time.

[quote user="Avasma"]

The biggest thing I struggle with is my daughter is her behavior since she was dx'd in November. She has always been a very easy child with few behavioral issues, but now we have this other issue where she's a little angry and sometimes it's just her sugar is low or high and she starts acting out. I struggle to understand how much control she should have over her behavior. We do check her when she starts really acting up, just to confirm it's not her sugar. 

Still over all she is a remarkably good child, it's just a new wrinkle. However I'm wondering how other parents dealt with this, for a newly dx'd type 1. 

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I act up alot when my sugar is high/ low I also get this way when i am almost high/ low

[quote user="Julia"]

 My grandma told me I have been acting up lately also.  It started to be an everyday thing,, but not ALL THE TIME. Like, after I get home from a long dAy at school  I would get cranky  get home. She recently took me to therapy. I was totally shocked. It made me way more mad... So NEVER take your daughter to therapy!!! It will make her even more angry.

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Julia, I just wanted to jump in here regarding therapy. I think I would have been furious if my parents had told me I needed therapy, but for some kids it's actually really helpful. I decided to take my daughter in (she's 11) about two months ago because since her diagnosis she's been ultra clingy. I don't mind so much, but as she's a pre-teen, I think she needs to start becoming more independent. Anyway, I found a child therapist through my employer and Sarah's now been to five of six sessions. And she absolutely loves it. The therapist is wonderful with her, and usually comes up with a creative way for Sarah to express her feelings.

Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that it's been a really good experience for both of us.

 

We're actually get really good with it now. Either that or her sister who is 2 acts out so much that Ava seems like no problem what so ever. 

[quote user="Michelle"]

[quote user="Julia"]

 My grandma told me I have been acting up lately also.  It started to be an everyday thing,, but not ALL THE TIME. Like, after I get home from a long dAy at school  I would get cranky  get home. She recently took me to therapy. I was totally shocked. It made me way more mad... So NEVER take your daughter to therapy!!! It will make her even more angry.

[/quote]

 

Julia, I just wanted to jump in here regarding therapy. I think I would have been furious if my parents had told me I needed therapy, but for some kids it's actually really helpful. I decided to take my daughter in (she's 11) about two months ago because since her diagnosis she's been ultra clingy. I don't mind so much, but as she's a pre-teen, I think she needs to start becoming more independent. Anyway, I found a child therapist through my employer and Sarah's now been to five of six sessions. And she absolutely loves it. The therapist is wonderful with her, and usually comes up with a creative way for Sarah to express her feelings.

Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that it's been a really good experience for both of us.

 

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I am a little clingy with my mom but i have been sience my dad has passed away about 6-7 years ago. But I am very independant! :) I am glad therapy is working :) good for her to go to it

My daughter is 7, since her diagnosis in 2008, she has been extremely moody.  She never was a bad child, but now it seems like she challenges us on all issues, and is extremely sassy.  Sometimes, I feel like I'm a bad mother because I don't know how to deal with it.  Its hard to tell if its a blood sugar related issue, or if it is just bad behavior.

I was diagnosed when I was 3 years old, which was probably too young for me to start acting out.  I did get a bit grumpy as I got older.  It is really, really, really, really hard being diabetic, and people really don't understand.  It can be terribly frustrating.  If I may give one suggestion...if you are testing her blood sugar when she acts out and find that it is not high or low most of the time, I would cut that out.  Your daughter is having real, live emotions that are difficult for her to understand or handle, and you may be dismissing them by associating them with blood sugar issues.  To put it in terms you can understand, imagine if you are mad at your husband for forgetting your anniversary and he asks if you have PMS.  Same kind of thing.  As a child. I spent many an hour with my mother shut up in the bathroom screaming and crying.  She listened and held me...just me and her.  That meant more to me than you can ever imagine.  Tell your daughter that you know that this completely sucks and that you are there to listen to her.  She will open up, and I think things will get better. 

My name is Tammy and my daughter was dx october 2001, Ashley is now 18 and is still a brittle diabetic. I understand your struggle with the behavior issues,, My daughter was a very happy go lucky little girl until that day came in october 2001 to be exact oct. 16 @ 11:45 am. Ash went into trauma and then icu, it was a long process and my heart just broke for her. Almost a month to the day we were able to bring her home,The little girl I brought home from the hospital was not my happy go lucky daughter, It always felt like my daughter had emotionally died that day and never returned. I was never able to get her levels under control so her behavior was always erratic and I never knew what to do about discipline because i truly did not know what her little body must be going through, so I just tried to be understanding. I would really say I should have had her in counceling, not just to deal with her new lifesyle but also for her self-esteem. so if I can offer any advice for your faimily it would be to definately a great counselor that is familiar with juvenile diabetes, since as parents we truly do not know what their bodies are feeling let alone what they must be thinking. 

My prayers are with you, 

Tammy