Halloween can be stressful for people with diabetes. The whole holiday centers around candy and sweets. It can feel isolating for children suffering with diabetes. You can make Halloween fun and exciting for all members of the family, including anyone suffering with diabetes. While choosing some non-food activities and being as flexible as their diabetes will allow, the whole family can have a wickedly fun Halloween.
Here Are Some Tips For Keeping Halloween Fun For Children With Diabetes:
1. Make activities the focus. Keep busy and active. Take the kids to the pumpkin patch, carve and paint pumpkins, get dressed up and go to a 5K. make Halloween more about how much there is to do and less about the "treats".
2. Find an activity or event to do on Halloween instead of trick or treating. Go to the movies or a bounce center. Go on a scary house tour, get to every haunted corn maze. Check even more Halloween events such as at the local aquarium or museum. You can find a lot of Halloween fun without the sugar.
3. Be flexible, go trick or treating but make a trade for the candy. Allow your child to "cash in" their candy for other things- a new stuffed animal, a new game or puzzle. This lets your kids enjoy trick or treating without the worry of candy.
4. Let your child choose their favorite candies and spread them out through the week or month or year!. As long as their medically able, let them enjoy responsibly. Give them a a few pieces and freeze the rest for extra special occasions.
Be Safe and Have Fun
You want to teach your child to enjoy sweets responsibly. It can be very hard to preach and teach that they ca never, ever have sweets. Also,l make sure you treat all kids in the house the same. Don't isolate your child with diabetes or you can make the whole holiday lonely and disappointing.
