Finding Your Way: Food, Injections and the Early Days of Type 1 Diabetes
If your child has just been diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes, you may be feeling a mixture of shock, sadness, fear and exhaustion.
Those first days and weeks can feel like a blur of injections, food calculations and endless uncertainty.
If this is where you are right now, please pause and take a deep breath. You are not alone in this, even if it feels that way. Many parents have stood where you are standing, and there is a whole community ready to walk this journey beside you.
Food and Carb Counting: A New Way Forward
Mealtimes have changed, and that change can feel huge. Now, your child will need insulin whenever they eat, and at first that can make food and mealtimes feel stressful or complicated.
Apps and food labels will be your best friend. Keep convenient lists on your phone or on your refrigerator of your child’s favourite food and carb counts.
Check out our article on the best Carb Counting Apps for your family here.
Want more T1D app suggestions to make your life easier? Find them here.
Something important for you and especially for your child to know, is that there are no forbidden foods. Your child can still enjoy birthday cake, pizza night, or a favourite snack after school. Nothing is off limits.
The difference now is that insulin needs to match the food, and that is where carb counting comes in.
Carb counting may feel like a whole new language, but in time it becomes a skill you and your child will grow into together. Think of it as a too-almost like a superpower- that helps you balance food with insulin, giving your child freedom and flexibility in what they eat.
Find tips to help with Carb counting here.
Helping with Injections: Comfort and Care
Injections can feel scary for children (and for parents, too). Here are some gentle ways to make them a little easier.
Soothing distractions
Read a favourite story aloud or sing a silly song
Play a counting game so your child knows exactly when it will be over
Let them watch a short video or play a game to shift focus
Offer choice and control by letting them pick the injection site
Reducing discomfort
Use child-friendly needles such as CarePoint 4mm, which are shorter and finer
Add a TickleFlex attachment to insulin pens for a softer feel
Hold a cold gel pack on the skin for 10 seconds before the injection to numb the spot
Rotate sites so one area doesn’t become sore or bruised
Press lightly on the skin near the injection site to help distract the nerves
These small adjustments can make injections less overwhelming and help children feel calmer over time.
Supporting Your Child’s Heart and Mind
Children, no matter their age, can feel the weight of this change too.
They might be scared of injections, worried about being different, or unsure of what it all means. Here are a few gentle ways to help:
Acknowledge their feelings- it’s okay to cry, to be angry, or to be quiet.
Bring comfort into the routine with a favourite toy, cuddle or sticker chart
Organise a bravery box with little items- small toys, stickers, etc- they might enjoy to pick from when they’ve been really brave about something
Remind them of their strength- this diagnosis is not who they are, it’s simply something they are learning to live with.
Caring for Yourself, Too
Parents often carry the heaviest weight silently, but your well being matters just as much as your child’s.
Lean on your support network of family, friends, and other parents of children with Type 1
Rest whenever you can, even if it’s just for a few minutes
Release perfection- you will make mistakes while learning, and that’s okay
You Are Not Alone
In the quiet hours, when it feels like no one else could possibly understand, please hold onto this truth: you are part of a strong and compassionate community.
The very first place to lean is your child’s clinic team. They are specially trained to help you through these early days and beyond. No question is too small or too repetitive- they want you to call, ask, and lean on them.
Alongside your clinic, here are other safe and trusted places to keep reaching out:
T1D Wave Rider for encouragement and day-to-day guidance from other Type 1 Families
Diabetes UK for practical resources and community connections
Breakthrough T1D for family support and updates
Online groups where parents share their stories, struggles and small victories
A Final Word
You are doing an incredible job in impossible circumstances.
Every injection, every carb calculation, every late-night check is an act of love.
One day, this will not feel so overwhelming. Until then, lean on others, keep asking for help, and hold tight to the knowledge that you and your child will find your way forward-together.
