My daughter is 8 and in 3rd grade, she was diagnosed 2 years ago. She started at a new school this year, and it has been challenging, much more so than the last 2. She has come home crying saying that kids at school have been making mean comments, one kid even said she cant have diabetes, if she did, she would only have 5 minutes before she died. Before this, she was never self-conscious or embarrassed about having diabetes. I have tried to talk to her, and help her feel better. I am just wondering if anyone has any ideas on how to bring it up at her school, or if there is anything I can do to help her.
I’ve dealt with similar issues and it’s certainly painful. Over the years I’ve discovered that the best strategy is to educate my classmates on what T1D really is. Talk to your daughter’s teacher and ask if she can give a short presentation for the class explaining what T1D is and disproving some common misconceptions. That can really help to stop the negative comments and it’ll make your daughter feel like she has more control/ownership of her condition. Of course, if students continue to say hurtful things, report it to a teacher.
If you need an example of a good presentation, I have a link to the one I made in 5th grade please feel free to message me!
Best of luck!