Balancing Act: A Day in the Life of T1D Management
If your child has recently been diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D), you might be feeling overwhelmed. Suddenly, your daily routine includes blood sugar checks, carb counting, insulin doses and a whole new language of diabetes care. It’s a lot to take in- but you’re not alone.
This guide walks through a typical day managing T1D, from morning to night, with practical tips to help you and your child feel confident.
Morning: Rise and Check
The alarm goes off, and the first job of the day is a blood sugar check. Whether your child uses a finger-prick glucose meter or a continuous glucose monitor (CGM), checking first thing helps guide breakfast and insulin decisions.
Morning Tips:
Keep diabetes supplies in one place. Having a ‘morning station’ with test strips, CGM reader, lancets and fast acting glucose makes mornings smoother.
Check in on how they feel. Blood sugar numbers tell part of the story, but teaching your child to recognise their high and low symptoms is just as important.
Plan a balanced breakfast. A mix of protein, fat and fibre helps prevent sharp glucose spikes. Sometimes its helpful to stick to a similar breakfast on school days to simplify insulin dosing.
Allow extra time if needed. Some mornings, everything will go smoothly. Other mornings, a surprise hypo might mean an unexpected delay. Flexibility is key!
Mid-Morning & School Time: Managing the School Day
If your child is at school, a clear diabetes Healthcare Plan (HCP) is essential. Your medical team will help you with this so teachers and school staff understand how to keep your child safe and feel supported.
For toddlers or younger children at home, mornings may involve lots of play, snacks and naps. Since many younger children can’t always tell you when they feel not themselves, regular blood sugar checks are important.
School and Daytime Tips:
Work with school to set up your child’s Healthcare Plan (HCP). A diabetes specialist nurse will help you with this.
Pack a diabetes kit for your child. Include all necessary diabetic equipment-glucose meter, test strips, insulin, CGM supplies, fast acting glucose and snacks.
Plan for PE and playtime with extra snacks or fast acting glucose, if needed.
For younger children at home, watch for subtle signs of highs or lows. If your child suddenly seems tired, irritable or extra hungry or thirsty, it may be time for a blood sugar check.
Lunch & Afternoon: Keeping Energy Up
Lunchtime means another round of carb counting and insulin dosing. Whether your child has lunch at home, a packed lunch or school dinner, making insulin adjustments becomes second nature over time.
Lunch Tips:
Teach your child to recognise carbs. If they’re old enough, help them to learn to estimate carb counts for common food they might eat- like a sandwich (30g), apple (15g) or yogurt (12g). Carbs and Cals app can be very helpful.
Use a food scale or app at home. Weighing portions can help you and your child get better at estimating carbs.
Check levels before and after active play. If playtime or PE is after lunch, extra snacks or insulin adjustments to prevent lows may be needed.
Encourage independence, where possible. Older children can start making some diabetes decisions- like choosing their own snacks, checking levels on their CGM or using their insulin pump.
Afternoon & After School Activities: Managing Energy and Exercise
After school, your child may have clubs, sports or just time to run around outside. Exercise can have a big impact on blood sugar, sometimes lowering it during activity and sometimes causing delayed drops later in the evening.
Afternoon & Activity Tips:
Have snacks on hand. Keep fast-acting glucose (glucoshots, glucotablets, dextrose tablets or fruit juice) around for hypos
Check levels before, during and after exercise
Encourage hydration! Dehydration can make high blood sugars worse, so remind your child to drink plenty of water.
Dinner & Evening: Winding Down
Dinnertime brings around another round of insulin dosing, but by now, you’re getting the hang of it. Some families prefer predictable meal routines, while others like variety.
Dinner & Evening Tips:
Experiment with meal timing. Eating earlier may help prevent high blood sugar levels overnight
Encourage a balanced meal. Combining protein, fibre and healthy fats can help slow glucose spikes
Watch for post dinner trends. Some children experience evening highs, while others go low before bed. Adjusting insulin ratios may be needed, speak to your medical team about this.
Have a bedtime snack if necessary. A protein-carb combination (like cheese and oatcakes) can help prevent nighttime lows.
Bedtime & Nighttime: Preparing for Rest
Before bed, another blood sugar check helps ensure a safe night. Some families do additional checks overnight, while others rely on CGM’s with alarms.
Nighttime Tips:
Check levels before sleep. Determine a safe target with your diabetes team.
Be prepared for nighttime lows. Keep fast-acting glucose (gluco-juice or a carton of juice) next to the bed.
Consider setting alarms for overnight checks. If your child has had extra activity or insulin changes, a quick check can provide peace of mind.
Use technology to your advantage. CGM’s with alarms (such as Dexcom or Libre) can help alert you to highs and lows.
Final Thoughts: You’ve Got This!
Managing Type 1 Diabetes is a 24/7 job, but it doesn’t define you or your family. There will be tough days, but there will also be victories- like your child checking their blood sugar levels for the first time, successfully managing a playdate or a sleepover or even explaining their T1D to a friend.
Give yourself grace, celebrate the small wins and know that you are not alone. There’s an entire community of parents, carers and people with Type 1 Diabetes cheering you on.
Your child is strong. You are strong. Together, you’ll navigate this journey- one day at a time.
