Diabetes summer camps

It is more fun to take insulin and see what your blood glucose level is when your friends are doing the same thing. Children who have difficulties taking insulin or testing blood glucose levels will soon learn all about this from peers at a diabetes educational camp. The children are often relieved to find that their friends at the camp already know what diabetes is. They do not need to explain what hypoglycemia is or why they take injections and so on, as is often the situation in daily life at home.

Many will meet new friends with whom they will keep in touch for years to come. Some educational holidays are run for children below the age of puberty and emphasize the importance of managing the basics of their diabetes independently. If they can handle major parts of diabetes on their own during their teenage years, they will be helped in their struggle for independence and hopefully diabetes will not play too large a role in the family conflicts associated with puberty. During the holiday the aim is often for the children to be able to participate fully in all activities. From this, it follows that they mayl not achieve perfect control of their diabetes. Some children may even have higher blood glucose levels than they managed at home. Most children will be more active than usual during the holiday and, therefore, may need to lower their insulin doses, especially at bedtime, to prevent nighttime hypoglycemia.

Participating in a diabetes education holiday can also increase children's confidence in their own ability to manage without their mother or father. This will be especially true for children who are perhaps away from home for more than a night or two for the first time ever. Many parents find it a relief to be on their own, knowing that their child is being taken care of by professional staff. Diabetes UK runs national holidays but your own clinic might also organise holidays, weekends or other activities for children and teenagers.