My niece (turning 7 next week) was just diagnosed on Friday. My husband and I got her an Easy Bake Oven for Christmas since she loves to cook and help in the kitchen. I’m wondering if I should just return it and try to figure out something else or is there some recipes somewhere out there that we can package up and put a new twist to the gift.
@Ellaaunt HI Karyn,
Please do not take this the the wrong way, I am sure you are a cool Aunt and love your niece, and I think it’s awesome that you want to get her a Christmas present… but can I just say, that in my opinion, that the girl has not changed. If she likes baking, and eating, cookies, that that should not change. She isn’t going to not like baking and eating cookies, just because she was diagnosed with diabetes. Once a person learns how to use insulin, they can eat anything they want. The notion that “diabetics can’t have sugar” is wrong. If she likes cookies, then she can eat cookies, but since she can’t make insulin, then she will have to inject insulin .
One of the most important things to me was that the people around me didn’t change after my diagnosis. I have never asked for special treatment, and I don’t want any. It might be a little harder for me to eat pizza and cookies, but if I want them I know how to use insulin and so I eat them, in moderation, not for the sugar, but so I don’t gain a ton of weight…
I don’t think it’s a dilemma at all, I think if you talk it through with her parents, you can figure an alternative if it is the right thing to do but I urge you to not treat or think about her any differently now. She’s the same kid she always is.
cheers and have a Happy Holiday!
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Hi Karyn,
I totally agree with Joe, you should still give her the gift. If I remember correctly from my older kids, the cookie mixes even list nutritional info so she will be able to have accurate carb counts.
If it were my daughter I would just have her save the treats to eat with a meal and then give her the proper amount of insulin. Definitely bring it up to her parents but I think it’s an awesome idea.
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Hi Karyn @Ellaaunt, my thought on this is very similar to what @Joe is trying to convey. Your niece will not be raised in a “bubble” and sheltered from reality for her entire life - at least I hope not.
Your niece will need to make decisions when she chooses to eat, whether it is a tiny cake made in her oven or a meal prepared by her mother. Of course at her tender age she will need strong support from those caring for her - you included - and guidance with insulin dosing calculations and in deciding the meaning of her BG checks. I was brought up in a family of nine and we all ate what our mother served for dinner, and to this day I remember the really awesome pies and cakes she served for desert at supper. And that was more than 60 years ago - decades before home glucose checking was available. Bottom line, let her live just as her siblings and other seven year old girls.
As with any gift like this, you should probably tell her parents before you give it to the child. I remember a couple of my sisters had “play ovens” and made cakes and stuff and the “product” was tiny and we shared what was baked and somehow my piece looked to be the smallest - the same thing happened when our daughter used her p;ay oven.
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Thank you all for the input. I was leaning towards getting the oven but I needed some extra input to give her father. Thanks again!
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just remind dad that all fathers deserve to eat half baked, doughy cookies out of an Easy Bake oven while declaring them the BEST COOKIES EVER!!!
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Karen,
We were just recently diagnosed in October. From personal experience it was frustrating for people to talk about my daughter like she was a China doll. Delicate and fragile and so easy to break. They would ask things like can she eat this, or it must be so tough not being able to do normal things. To you I would say “bring on the easy bake!”, and thank you Aunt Karyn for being in tuned to her interest and desires.
One of the best experiences we had was being invited to a birthday party. Instead of asking if our daughter had any diet limitations, the mother went online and did exactly what you are doing now, asked questions. When we got the official invitation it had carb counts for everything they would be serving. I was impressed to say the least.
The best thing you can do for your niece is exactly what you are doing now. Asking questions and getting smart. If you get a chance take a T1D course just to get familiar with what they need to do. I guess what I’m trying to say is not to try and limit your niece or shelter her, but try and make it easier for her to pursue her interest.
I wish we had aunts and uncles in our family that cared half as much as you do. Thank you for asking the question.
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@Restless_Daddy hi Chad, I don’t know if you want to hear this or not so sorry in advance for my $.02.
People are frightened by disease and many will avoid and start keeping distance. I try not to blame them… when we were living in caves, keeping away from disease was the only defense, this program is very old and comes from an ancient part of the human brain. The other thing is that when someone’s sick it tends to bring up all of our own unresolved issues from the past. Many people will avoid topics of for example, learning what it is to be type 1, and so many people I know will never empathize or be brave and give you carb counts. If you want to be happy sometimes you have to ignore some behavior. Take care!
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As a true sense of irony, I’m an only child and my cousin is like my older sister. She said she was sending a present. Her previous presents have included the likes of bicycles and 4 ft tall barby doll houses. An easy bake oven just got delivered to our house. Merry Christmas to all!
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