Knowledge and education is the key to living as a diabetic. In kid’s situations, they need help in understanding the disease. They don’t understand what it means to be diabetic. In kids groups, they only know they are different, they need to eat and act different. They sometimes need to take medicine others in their peer group don’t. But they don’t understand why. Sometimes, the overwhelming emotion is fear of being diabetic. In kids under age 8 or 12, analogies can help make it easier to understand.

You might try using an analogy of a car to help foster understanding. Use the analogy of a car needing gas to keep it running. You can explain to them that the food they eat is the gas that keeps their body running. Tell them that the motor burns the gas to make the wheels turn. Then compare the pancreas to the motor. …