Good quips for kids?

Parents
1

Hi :wave: my son has been diagnosed for almost 9 years now and is in the 4th grade. He told me that he was made fun of at lunch time yesterday about his diabetes and I’m not a happy mom.

He is the ONLY type one at his school. He has no one to connect with on this level, and I’ve never had anyone to talk to either. I’ve tried type one nation before when he was first diagnosed but didn’t have nice people replying, to put it nicely.

Anyway, I’m asking if there are any good quips or retorts or creative answers he can say in response to being made fun of? He’s a very shy quiet boy and wears his heart on his sleeve. I knew it was inevitable but I wasn’t prepared for it this year. I feel like we are completely alone in this.

Any help would be appreciated. Thank you.

2

Hi Jennifer @FoxFaerie, I haven’t been 9 years old for almost 70 years and right now I can’t think of a good quip for that age; over the years I’ve had to deal with many “wise guy” and I respond - or ignore - appropriate to the situation. I’ll leave “quips” to the many young folks who use this site - there are lots of really nice and helpful kids on here.

I am bothered by your comment about those who did NOT treat you with respect, were not nice to you. If any response, posting or message, is not respectful, please report it to one of the site moderators. Right below every message is a tool bar - please click on the “FLAG” and it will be sent to Moderators for review.

3

Hi Jennifer,

When I was a kiddo this was my issue. When I was beginning school I had a few very good friends that knew about my health but that was it. My family moved when I went into fifth grade and I was shy about my diabetes so I went all through the rest of school school not telling anyone that I was diabetic and felt so alone.

If I may ask what types of things do the kids say to him? And is it just one child or multiple? My instinct is that he just needs to find a good friend that doesn’t care about his diabetes. It sounds like the other kid is a typical bully.

4

Hi Dennis, thank you for your response. I agree, I can’t think of anything at all to give him as a good response. I grew up with a fairly decent group of folks and none of us knew anyone with diabetes or anything what we would now consider a serious illness. It’s a different time.

As far as the unkindness I dealt with on here before it was years ago now and I have been very hesitant to join any group online for parents of kiddos with type one. I only know what I read online about the disease and how my child reacts with highs and lows. I still feel lost and unprepared (knowledge wise) at times.

He’s about to be 10, was diagnosed just a couple of months after he turned one. So, for someone to ask me to describe type one, I feel stupid, for a lack of better term right now, because this is our life. I don’t know how to describe it (other than the suckiest roller coaster you can never get off of). :scream_cat:

Thanks for the response. It’s nice to finally talk to someone.

5

Hi Michael, Yes I have since learned from my son that this child is a bully. This is the first time he’s ever mentioned it to me. It was kind of weird, pointing at people and saying this person or that gave him diabetes. He says he told him that No, it’s just a disease, and left it at that.

Unfortunately when I have tried to ask the school on possibly educating these kiddos about it (just taking a few minutes of class of explaining and letting them ask questions), it’s like it has become a taboo subject. Oh no I can’t possibly do that! It must be a trained professional. I can understand but a trained professional does not know my child and how his diabetes works. :woman_shrugging:t2: I gave up asking a couple of years ago. He deals with it like a soldier. It’s all he’s ever known.

However, the school nurse and I think he is beginning to rebel a bit. His classes had incentives the other day (treats in class), and he did go ask and get tested beforehand. He ate the treat when he was told he could not, resulting in him being over 300, 20 minutes later. He then lied to her, his teachers and I about eating it although his BG said otherwise. He then did it again the next day I think it was.

It breaks my heart as his mom that he has to live with it, and we do accommodate sweets when we think it’s ok. It’s not like we keep our kids from sweets and candy at all. I just think maybe the rebellion has started early, or he really doesn’t get exactly how serious his diabetes can be.

I know this is getting long but I feel I need to say these two other things. One two different nights last year, it was just before bed and he said he felt a little low. He was fully alert and awake as much as any kid would be who doesn’t want to go to bed. He tested one night 32, and the other 28. He got full glasses of juice for sure!

The other thing is something we confirmed with a semi scary event. We had been watching some Halloween baking shows all day and he went to put away something in the trash can. At night our house is fairly dark. He had seen what he thought was a ghost, it freaked him out and as he turned to run back to the living room (we live in a trailer), he tripped on his feet and passed out. In all these years he’s never passed out. Even with the 32 and 28! He went flying to the floor with the momentum, taking a chair with him. His eyes rolled back and his head was limp. His dad lifted him and I tested him, he was 51. Which we find as a normal low. My mother came out of her room in a panic, then tried to get him to eat sugar from a spoon. I was trying to get around her to get him juice. When I grabbed his face, I felt his jaw had locked. It took him a good minute to respond to me and open his eyes. He then let me give him the juice, which he drank heartily. We concluded that his adrenaline must have made him do this. It was his dad’s white shirt hanging on a black hamper by the way. We are not haunted. :ghost:

If you have stayed with me this far, thank you. I don’t have another person to talk to about this stuff. :slightly_smiling_face:

6

Well, on one hand, I would love to tell your son to tell the bully that at least his diabetes can be controlled, but the other kids stupidity can’t. But I have a feeling that it wouldn’t change anything! The best anti-bullying thing that I can suggest is confidence. Bullies thrive on hurting people - but if you don’t let it hurt you, they often lose interest - although things are much different these days. I am very surprised that any school would not address this given many zero tolerance bullying policies these days. Unless of course you haven’t pushed the issue.

I can’t say that educating the class would work - it could have the opposite effect to be honest. I was 2 when I was diagnosed - and I remember an occasion in the fourth grade where our class got candy. My mom always spoke with my teachers prior to the school year so they knew about my diabetes and all that jazz - but my mom made it clear that I was not to be left out of parties and treats. We had a guest teacher one day, and they were told that one of the children (me) in our class was diabetic - and they brought a special sugar free candy. I was mortified! It was bad enough feeling alone, but being singled out by a teacher? It’s tough.

I can also say this - and it really depends on the school nurse’s personality and education around the topic - but sometimes they can make the situation a bit worse. I had a pushy school nurse - and I pulled away. The rebellion is real! As a kid - especially if there is no one else around with diabetes - you feel alone. His rebellion is going to happen because he probably sees himself as different - no other kid has to do any of the stuff that he does.

Is your son open about his diabetes? Do his friends know he is diabetic? Or does he just try and hide it?

As for the lows, everyone seems to be a bit different. I would say that it is great that he felt low - but I have tested before and I remain coherent into the low 40s - so that doesn’t surprise me too much. He has a long way to go to learn to listen to his body - and as I am sure you know, 10 year olds do not always listen.

That Halloween episode sounds scary - but I wonder if that was related to his diabetes? You never know, but sounds pretty freaky. I am glad he turned out ok!

7

He’s very meh about it really. He doesn’t hide the fact that he has it and hopefully by now everyone knows he has it. There’s usually a kid selected each week to be his buddy in case he feels low and needs to go to the nurse. I think he picks them now.

Our school nurse has been fabulous since he started at this school (I homeschooled him for the first year), but when it comes to discussing beyond the walls of the office, its all kind of hush hush. Heck, I would love to shout it out to the world, but it would just embarrass him. I don’t plan on doing that until 6th grade. :grin:

That episode with your substitute teacher sounds awful. Thankfully (I think) we have the same group of subs and they are all much older than my own mom. They all know about Zackery and take care of him well. The one time I took him out of school when they had a party wasn’t even diabetes related. At this school they have all the classes (at different times) walk to surrounding houses whether it is a school childs home or not (this is a retirement town), for easter egg hunting. We’re not from here, nor do I know anyone, I was opposed to it and I took him to the park instead. I don’t think it is safe for the kids to be travelling alongside busy roadways and people who don’t care for speed limits. Its just asking for a disaster to happen. But according to some of the grandmothers they have been doing this since they were children. What do I know? :woman_shrugging:t3:

The Halloween thing, yeah I had to act like it was no big deal at the time. When I finally went to bed though, I ended up crying myself to sleep. I hate it. As I’m sure you and anyone else who has it does. It’s not easy to live with, parent or child. I hate the jokes. I hate that people are so naïve to believe the myths that float around. Or the people who believe their friend’s uncles cousins best friend’s room mate cured their type one with diet and exercise. Or they cut out carbs completely. That one gets a good laugh from us.

Thank you for talking with me Michael, I feel a slight burden has been lifted from my shoulders for today. I’ll tell my son that he can either choose to ignore this kid or just let others know that he has a dead organ floating in his body. That sometimes gets the boys going. Thank you.

8

No problem. Sometimes you just need to know you are not alone and that someone will listen. It can be as simple as that. I’ve been in and out of these types of groups. Sometimes they help and others they infuriate you!

I wish you and your son the best!

P.S. I HATE it when people assume that if I just diet I would magically be cured. Probably my number one pet peeve.