Don’t let Halloween frighten you after a diabetes diagnosis. When my son Alexander was first diagnosed I assumed he would be unable to participate in special, sugar-filled events like Halloween. I quickly learned he can eat whatever we decide is acceptable, including candy, as long as we count the carbs and adjust his insulin.
Oddly, Halloween brings with it a special treat for people with type 1 diabetes. All those tiny pre-packaged treats − they make perfect low blood sugar treatments. As soon as I see the mini-Halloween treats in the stores I stock up because these low treatments are easy to pack and Alexander’s low blood sugars respond more quickly to candy than juice.
As a mom of a child with type 1 diabetes, do I love the idea of the sugar binge of Halloween? No. But then again I also cringe at all that junk food for my child who doesn’t have diabetes. Just as every family will choose how they will partake, we have developed a system that works for us. In our house my children bring the treats home. There’s no eating while trick or treating because my son has a peanut allergy. Once the stash is sorted for safety, we separate the best candies for low treatments and let the kids pick a pile of treats to eat, trying to balance my son’s candy consumption with chips and chocolate that have a more predictable effect on his blood sugar. And of course it means extra blood sugar checks throughout the night.
Here’s a handy list of carbohydrate counts for common treats.Halloween, like any other special event requires extra planning when living with type 1diabetes. But don’t let the challenge get you down. As I suggest in my book, Parenting Joyfully When Your Child Has Diabetes, use these special events as a learning opportunity and work with your child in an age-appropriate way to find a way to celebrate that makes everyone happy and safe.
How do you celebrate Halloween when living with type 1 diabetes? I’d love to hear your approach.
