When my kids were little I became obsessed with sensory play. So much that I turned my basement into a sensory play oasis and called it “Messy Play”. I did preschool classes, a dayhome, Mommy needs a Break respite and parented sessions.

Here is an example of one of the parented classes. I would set everything up to look clean and inviting….let the kids/parents play and create together…and then I would clean up the mess.

Waterbeads and a play kitchen

Sand (was always a favorite)

Homemade Playdough with fun tools to create monsters.

Learning Puzzles

Alphabet stickers

Markers with a long roll of paper

Chalkboard. Sometimes adding in paint brushes with water.

Magnatiles

Blocks

Paper clip/Magnets on light table

Painting with rollers/brushes turned into painting animals

Then we needed to wash animals…

And at the end we brought in a big bucket of real SNOW which was super cool to play with while warm inside.

We then spray painted the snow with water colours!

It was always real cool for kids that were a bit shy to slowly start to take interest in the centers.

Benefits for Anxiety

“There’s something about different tactile things that actually creates a sense of mindfulness” says Tracy Turner-Bumberry, a licensed professional counsellor and play therapist. “Sensory play helps children focus on what’s happening right now and tune out past sadness or future anxiety. They notice that right in that moment, they’re touching something that feels so good in their hands.”

In childhood development, sensory play promotes inclusive, open-ended play that helps develop skills, promotes self-regulation, encourages exploration, enhances problem-solving abilities, and nurtures creativity.

Touch:

For kids struggling with anxiety, tactile experiences can provide calmness. Encourage your child to explore different textures through activities like playing with kinetic sand, finger painting, or squishing stress balls. These tactile sensations can help ground anxious children in the present moment, providing a sense of comfort and stability.

Sight:

Can choose to create a calm and inviting environment for your child by incorporating soft lighting, soothing colors, and visually appealing elements like posters of nature scenes or twinkling fairy lights.

Sometimes just seeing an invitation to play and create is enough to draw them in. Engaging in visual activities such as drawing, paint mixing, coloring, or watching calming visualizations can help distract anxious minds and promote a sense of peace and relaxation.

Auditory senses: Sound has a profound effect on children’s mood and mindset, making it a valuable tool for managing anxiety. Introduce your child to calming soundscape playlists, nature sounds, or guided meditation recordings designed specifically for kids. Encourage them to listen to these soothing sounds during moments of stress or before bedtime to help calm their racing thoughts and promote restful sleep. In my classes it was more of an uplifting energetic music mostly. And would create playlists of different kids music for different holiday classes.

Aromatherapy: The power of smell can create a calming oasis for your anxious child. Experiment with child-safe essential oils like lavender or chamomile diffusing them throughout your home. The gentle aroma of these oils can help relax the mind and body. I would often have something to “smell” in my messy play classes. Whether it was lemons/limes in the water table, adding in lavender to play dough, playing with coffee grounds etc. One of the funnest days we had was using up a bunch of old spices and mixing them into play dough.

I encourage all parents to give sensory play a try. It can even be relaxing and fun for us to ground and just be in the moment. There will be some sensory play stations set up at the T1D Family picnic this summer! If you live near Red Deer and want details for in person events join my group here.

Lana Smid

Decision Fatigue

The continuous need to make critical health decisions daily.

This story below is an example of me in overwhelm decision fatigue mode.

What once was fun and carefree now has a lot of stress to go along with it. This was a couple years ago and I am thankful that with time and practice going out for icecream is not as scary as it was for me then.

One summer day

One day a couple years into our diabetes journey our family decided to go for ice cream. Sounds easy right? Why would that give me stress? What once was fun and carefree had become a source of uncertainty and fear for me.

Looking up at the ice cream menu chalkboard with a hundred options (see pic below) gave me overwhelming anxiety.

As soon as I looked at it I felt panicked over what decision to make. I was frozen. My husband was asking me what size of ice cream we should get our kids with type 1 diabetes.

I could not even look at the board. I started to tear up and told him that he needed to make the decision because I just could not. He didnt get that I was in “freeze” mode and I jus told him he needed to make the decision and I left the store crying.

I was NOT READY to make a decision. In my head I had all these questions below:

So many questions

What is their blood sugar now?

Is their going to be activity after the ice cream?

Guessing how many carbs in a 1 scoop and a 2 scoop?

What will the impact of the fat be?

Do I need to extend?

How long of a pre bolus does this need?

I don’t remember what happened to their blood sugar that day.
But I remember the weight in my chest. The tightness in my throat. The way one small, ordinary moment suddenly felt impossibly heavy.

It wasn’t really about ice cream.
It was about the thousands of invisible decisions that come before and after it.
The constant calculating. The never-ending “what ifs.”
The pressure of knowing that even something meant to be joyful still requires a plan.

“IDC” Acroynm

Has your teenager or someone ever texted you back “IDC”. Meaning “I Dont Care”.

My teenagers will say this sometimes if I ask them something about their diabetes. A counsellor once reminded me that our kids wont care as much as we care – and thats normal. They are just focused on their life and diabetes is not on the top of the list like it is for us.

When I do say “I Dont Care”. That’s usually a sign I’m tired, overwhelmed, or already holding too much.
That my nervous system needs a break.

Listen here to a favorite podcast of mine called The Calm and Confident Podcast. She explains that letting decisions linger can drain your energy, and that every “yes” or “no” is a decision that shapes your life. To make decisions more confidently, she introduces an easy-to-remember framework using the acronym IDC:

• I – Inform yourself: Gather information and insights so you understand the situation.
• D – Decide with what you know: Choose the best option you can based on your current understanding.
• C – Communicate clearly: Let the people affected by your choice know what you’ve decided and why.

This episode helps you approach decisions, big and small with more confidence and less avoidance, so you can reduce overwhelm and move forward in life with more clarity. This episode HERE is on Decision making.

Self Compassion

One thing I have learned a lot about is self compassion. I am someone that hates to make mistakes. But I have learned I am human and that I need to treat myself the way I would a friend.

Moral of the story is diabetes can be overwhelming and you are not alone if you are struggling💙

Lack of Control

Another theme that has come for me has been “Lack of Control”: The unpredictability of T1D can make us moms feel out of control, exacerbating our stress and anxiety.

One thing that has helped me with this is the book “Sugar Surfing”. We dont always know the outcome but we can make micro adjustments when we do end up making a decision that leads to out of range blood sugars.

My goal is for my kids blood sugars to be meeting the targets. Not perfect. Some days are great and some days are a dumpster fire lol.

If you can relate follow along as I share more about T1D mom life and balancing all the overwhelm and feelings of anxiety that come along with it.

With love,

Lana