I work as a nanny, and one of the cutest things is watching the kids I care for try to understand diabetes. They have laughed over what a funny sounding word it is, and also have asked lots of questions. I've explained the difference between carbs and sugar to them, and lots more. But the funny things have been when the six year old came home from school and was so excited to say: "Miss April, I know how to cure your diabetes!!! My friend at school told me you just mix some cherry juice and sugar in water and drink it, and that will cure you!!!" She was just crushed when I told her that that would hurt me more than help me. Also, when the four year old, serious as a heart attack, told me that maybe I should write Santa a letter and ask him to cure my diabetes and then I would get better. Probably the funniest thing has been when my three year old stepson, who still doesn't have a clue what diabetes is, was eating some candy and wanted to share some with me. I said "no thank you," but for some reason he REALLY wanted me to have some right then. It became a game to him, he was giggling so much and kept saying, "eat it, eat it," and even got in my face and tried to shove it in my mouth! Ohhhh how bad I wanted to eat that candy! Just the irony of the whole situation was funny... you gotta laugh at stuff like that.
It's nice to smile about diabetes once in a while. :)
I work at a daycare and while I don't hide my diabetes from my co-workers, I don't generally test or give myself shots in front of the kids because it's hard to explain diabetes to a 2 or 3 year old. One of the girls there, 4 going on 14, likes to watch me do everything in the morning before breakfast and generally points out where I didn't stick the needle (stomach, leg, etc). Because I tend to give myself shots in my stomach most of the time, she feels that's where the shot should go all the time, and has even taken to calling my insulin my "belly medicine". :-)
i used to babysit a little girl who was 2 and when i would check my sugar she would say " Sarah is that pencil eating your finger" it was so adorable. and one time when i was watching a few other children my sugar was low so i ate a few tablets and she said " if you get to have candy why don't i get to" and i had to tell her it was like medicine to make me feel better. i find that it is often the kids who make you realize that is better to smile than complain about it.
Cute stories! I have had a low sugar episode while watching a four-year-old boy recently, and his six-year old sister was in school. There was some of her Valentine's chocolate lying on the table so I just grabbed that. The boy was watching me, and when I finished eating he quietly said, "I'm sure my sister won't mind that you ate her candy, but you're supposed to ask first."