My seven year old son was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes last year, and his friend told his mother that my son has recently begun taking candy from other kids during school lunch. This corresponds with higher blood sugar numbers this week, but my son denies it. What do I do? I know that I cannot watch him 24 hours a day.

Talk with the dietitian on your diabetes team for different ways to handle eating extra carbohydrates in a day. There are many ways to prevent extra carbs from increasing blood sugars.

The other issue (aside from blood sugar numbers) is the issue of trust. If your son is sneaking food, he’s telling you that he does not think he can be honest with you. There is no such thing as forbidden food for people with type 1 diabetes, so there really is no need to “sneak” food. If your son craves something sweet, you can fit that into his meal plan with the help of the dietitian. It may be helpful to have your son write down all of the foods he eats that are “extra” so that you can know what he’s choosing to eat without wondering and worrying about unexplained high blood sugars. Perhaps writing it down will be less embarrassing than telling you directly.

JWB