Some parents hand their kid a snack and move on with their day.
Must be nice.
For those of us raising a child with Type 1 Diabetes, snack time isn’t casual—it’s an emotional, mathematical, mildly panic-inducing event.
Welcome to Snack Math: where no one knows what’s happening but more than likely there is definitely insulin involved.
Step 1: The Craving
Your child wants a snack.
Something simple, like a granola bar or three Goldfish and a spoonful of yogurt.
You smile, nod, and say, “Sure, babe!”
But your inner voice is already screaming:
How many carbs? When did they last eat? Are we trending up or down? Where’s the Dexcom? What IS a graham cracker, really??
Step 2: The Scan-and-Sigh
You scan the CGM.
You sigh dramatically like you’re reading the final twist in a suspense novel.
- If she’s 120 and steady: snack away, queen.
- If she’s 82 with a slight diagonal down arrow: panic snack!
- If she’s 207 and climbing: whoops, sorry, no snack for you, enjoy your tears.
Step 3: The Snack Assembly
You’re now assembling a highly customized snack experience based on:
- Current blood sugar
- Activity level
- What she ate earlier
- Whether she plans on running around or lying like a sea slug on the couch
You consider juice, but remember it spiked her yesterday.
You eyeball the crackers, but are they worth 22g?
You settle on yogurt and exactly 12 pretzels. She complains. You cry silently.
Step 4: The Insulin Debate
To dose or not to dose?
- Will she finish it?
- Will she decide halfway through that she hates pretzels now?
- Will she suddenly start doing cartwheels after eating and crash her blood sugar like a toddler on a sugar high?
You give a partial dose. You live in fear.
Step 5: The 2-Hour Watch Party
After Snack Math comes the Snaccident Monitoring Phase.
- You refresh the CGM every 5 minutes like you’re tracking a flight.
- You re-do the carb math in your head six times.
- You promise yourself you’ll be chill next time. (You won’t.)
- You text your T1D mom friend: “Just gave her a snack. Pray for me.”
Conclusion: Snacks Are No Longer Just Snacks
They are strategy.
They are science.
They are spiritual warfare.
But hey, she’s fed, she’s okay, and somehow you made it through another round of Snack Math without screaming into the void.
So yeah… you’re doing amazing.
