There is no greater joy than seeing your child happy and thriving. As parents, we don’t want to stop our kids from doing what they love: be it digging into a cake, or running with full speed to the world’s end. While good habits and healthy behavior are building blocks of life that need to be instilled early, don’t we all wish there was a simpler way to do it?

A chronic health condition like juvenile diabetes (insulin-dependent or Type 1 diabetes) makes it harder for kids to go about their day the way they would like to. There are moments in the day when it’s not possible for caretakers to monitor or tag along with the kids. Diabetes management, specifically, involves detailed healthcare planning, with a good handle on nutrition, exercise and medication that even adults may struggle to follow.

How, then, can we get kids to stick to a healthy routine? 

The answer isn’t always simple, but talking to your kids about diabetes is a good starting point. To begin with, understanding the condition, and answering the ‘whys’ can help kids open up. Why do I eat food that’s different from my friend? What does insulin do? Why can’t I have cake like my friend?

But even with this knowledge and willingness in place, children still need help to apply the rules to their routine.

Enter: Habit Stacking, a hands-on technique that can simplify health management for kids.

Why Habit Stacking Works with Kids

Habit Stacking involves attaching new behavior to an existing behavior pattern; stacking a new habit on top of an old one. You identify a task that you do each day and add to it an activity that you would like to incorporate into your life. That way, there is a small chance of forgetting the new task.

The idea is simple, and yet very effective in making long-term, sustainable changes to our behavior.

This is a useful tool to manage children’s wellbeing— they’re at an age when health is the last thing on their mind, so it’s natural for competing priorities like playtime to come in the way of incorporating new habits. But if they’re asked to do specific tasks alongside activities that are already a part of their day, it’s easier for the task to turn into a habit, over time.

A basic formula that might work to begin with is: 

“After/Before/ While (current habit), I will (new habit).”

For example:

“After brushing my teeth in the morning, I will check my glucose level"

It also helps to combine the new behavior with an activity they enjoy doing

“While watching TV, I will drink a glass of water.”

Now that we understand habit stacking, here’s how you can implement this technique:

Stack smartly

Identify a habit that will serve as the cue or “trigger” for the new habit. Make it as easy as possible for the child to fit this new activity into their schedule. For instance, trying to introduce an exercise-related habit with breakfast may be impractical if your child leaves for school very early in the morning. Instead, consider stacking it with their evening snack, so they have the time and energy to complete the activity with ease.

A little bit a day goes a long way

Behavior change is challenging when you try to achieve too much at once, or expect results too quickly. Children may get overwhelmed if they’re asked to make multiple or large adjustments to their day. Start with small actions that can grow over time. You can begin with something as simple as, “Before my meal, I will check my glucose reading.” Once they get used to doing this without a reminder, you can attach more tasks to it— “During my meal, I will not look at a screen.” Soon, you’ll have a chain of new habits that forms a new routine.

Simplify the habit into a specific task

Tasks are easier to understand and execute when their details are defined and measurable. If the goal is to get your child to exercise, their mantra can be— “After brushing my teeth in the morning, I will do 10 jumping jacks,” rather than, “After I wake up in the morning, I will exercise.” This ensures that there’s no room for ambiguity; the task is clear enough to follow, while also serving the larger goal.

Listen to the numbers

Habit stacks can be planned better when the child’s glucose levels are closely monitored. For example, keeping a watch on their glucose numbers through the day helps you decide what activity or meal their insulin dose should be tagged to, for optimum glucose control. Children, too, can be encouraged to be a part of this monitoring process. They can be taught to track their glucose readings with ease using a Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) device that displays real-time numbers and personalized insights. The trends that these advanced blood glucose monitors provide, can demonstrate to kids how their glucose levels respond to various foods and activities. This is likely to motivate them to make healthy changes to their daily routine and follow their treatment plan.

Introducing kids to good habits isn’t only about handing them a rule-book. It is about equipping them with the skills to mold their behavior patterns into practices that align better with their healthcare needs. With gradual, long-term changes that make them self-reliant and responsible in their health journey, kids may understand and therefore manage their well-being better, no matter where they may be.

Disclaimer: The information mentioned in this document is only suggestive /for patient education and shall not be considered as a substitute for doctor’s advice or recommendations from Abbott. Please consult your doctor for more information.