Families who have children with type 1 diabetes often have great difficulty finding someone to babysit who understands the dangers and details of diabetes.
Teen babysitters of T1D children need to be trained either by parents or by taking babysitter courses specific to diabetes. These courses need to focus on the understanding of dangerous highs and lows inherent in the disease and should have the skills to test blood sugars, give insulin injections, adjust insulin pumps and treat hypoglycemia.
The American Diabetes Association gives advice for families looking for a babysitter of T1D child:
- Word of mouth- talk to other families of T1D children at diabetes camps or events
- Take turns watching each other’s kids
- Train a babysitter
- Place an ad in a local university newspaper for someone with diabetes related experience, especially if the school has a nursing program.
Here are some additional resources for you regarding babysitters:
- Diabetes Medical Management Plan
- So You’ve Found A Babysitter For Your T1D Child - Now What?
- Safesittings - Diabetes Babysitting Service
- Printable Info Sheet For The Babysitter
- What Babysitters and Caregivers of Diabetic Kids Should Know
- Patient Voices Winner Julie Crawford Creating New Collaborative Type 1 Diabetes App for Caregivers